You might be wondering how to be an environmentally responsible consumer and still partake in all your favourite rituals sustainably, now that the holiday season is officially here and in full swing. It’s time to book the final available seat on the flight to an excellent destination to spend the New Year’s holiday.
How many of us are aware that 2017 has been dubbed the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the UN? As per the UN’s 2017 International Year, Sustainable tourism needs to be a top goal for all of us as the number of foreign travellers has increased from 674 million in 2000 to nearly double that amount – 1.2 billion in 2015.
We want your holiday season to be simpler, more pleasant, and more environmentally friendly, so no matter if you’re buying gifts, decorating your home, or taking a trip, you’ll contribute! Here are 10 ideas to help you have a sustainable and environmentally friendly new years vacation!
Green, eco-friendly shopping
Your Shopping Trip: Don’t forget to grab your water bottle and reusable shopping bags before you leave the house!
Shop carefully: What could be more ideal than giving a present that helps the community and the environment? Look for gifts with little or reusable packaging when you’re buying gifts to reduce the amount of waste.
Buy locally: It’s crucial to support your neighbourhood shops and businesses by buying gifts there now more than ever. Additionally, you’ll consume less gas and your purchase’s carbon imprint will be smaller.
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Eco-friendly lodging or an ecotel for a green New Year’s vacation
Look for housing and pursuits that are ethical, environmentally responsible, and sustainable. The process of planning a trip for New Years is similar. Finding anything that either contributes to the community, is ecologically friendly, or is managed by locals is the main goal here. Staying at homestays is not only budget friendly, but gives you a more immersive local experience while supporting the local economy.
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Using overland transportation to cut back on carbon
Overland travel is a fantastic kind of transportation, yet it is frequently disregarded. The concept of overland travel is accurate. You use local transportation like the bus, train, and possibly even hitchhiking to get from place to place instead of flying. In addition to the benefits for the environment, overland travel is sustainable since it helps local businesses. It is wonderful to be able to assist the locals while you are travelling.
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Volunteer work for an NGO
Numerous choices for spending the New Year’s holiday sustainably are provided by local NGOs in your community. You should volunteer with an NGO in the Himachal Pradesh hills of India to pick up trash along the hiking trail where party-goers congregated.
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Spend time or money supporting environmental causes
Volunteering is the best way to get into the holiday mood.
You have countless opportunities to improve the world and your neighbourhood! You can make a tremendous difference by doing anything from sanitising a nearby river or beach to giving schools materials for environmental education! Compared to a physical gift, making a donation to a charity is also more environmentally friendly.
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Fill Stockings With Delectable, All-Natural Treats
Small, plastic trinkets that are commonly used as stocking stuffers by January 31 are either damaged, misplaced, or thrown away. Instead, carry on a time-honored custom and stuff your stockings with delicious foods like candies, baked cookies, dried fruit, nuts, and clementines.
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Enjoy a sustainable nice drink.
Look into high-quality regional wines, liqueurs, and microbrews that are made with organic ingredients and sustainable techniques before you dive into enjoyment with your circle. You’ll be in for a particular treat and possibly less of a hangover after the holidays because local vintners, brewers, and distillers frequently use less additives and preservatives and include locally sourced products.
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Reduce food waste
Make sure the food is not wasted while you are enjoying your vacation for the new year. Utilise reusable dinnerware. You can go thrift store shopping or borrow kitchenware from friends. Keep in mind to compost the remaining food to completely eliminate waste.
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Pack minimally
Packing only what you need is one method to cut back on waste. Be sure to include necessities like toiletries, travel accessories like reusable water bottles, utensils, and shopping bags, among others. Consider going paperless for more environmentally responsible travel. Tickets and receipts are accessible through mobile devices. You may save paper by downloading maps and typing your travel experiences on your phone rather than printing out maps or taking notes on paper.
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Select eco-friendly clothes for you vacation
Choose eco-friendly and designed by sustainable clothing businesses travel attire. Additionally, you should search for odour-resistant clothing so you may keep using them before washing.
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To sum up:
Do everything you can to live a waste-free lifestyle as you enjoy the holidays. With the aforementioned advice, you may lessen trash while enjoying a waste-free vacation and protecting the environment.
