10 Sustainable Travel Essentials for Your Next Vacation

Travel can be incredibly wasteful but it doesn’t have to be. With fast fashion, mini versions of shampoo, and excess waste created while traveling it can be hard to travel sustainably. I’ve compiled this list of sustainable travel essentials that can help you to reduce waste, save money, and save space when packing for your next trip. Check them out below to make your next trip more sustainable!

Here are some sustainable travel essentials:

Shampoo & Conditioner Bars

Shampoo and conditioner bars take some time to get used to but they are very easy to travel with. Traveling with these bars can reduce the weight of carrying liquid shampoo or conditioner. These bars don’t have to be included in your liquids bag, so if you travel with liquid makeup products and other liquid items, you’ll have more room in your liquids bag for other products.

Lotion Bars

Lotion bars are game-changers in sustainable travel. Before I found lotion bars I used to carry those little mini plastic containers that I would have to find out how to recycle or throw away along my travels. The liquid lotion also takes up space in my liquids bag. I’ve found the perfect lotion bars for travel from Diphy Wellness.

From Diphy Wellness you can buy a full-size lotion bar pack or buy the trial size which comes in a smaller container that is easy to travel with. I love the coconut scent with tropical lime scent undernotes. I plan to buy the full-size pack and then keep using the trial-size container to refill for my travels. You can check out the lotion bars here: https://diphywellness.com/products/coconut-lotion-bars

Toothpaste Tabs

Toothpaste tabs are small, compact, and you can bring the perfect amount of toothpaste for the duration of your trip. There are also mouthwash tabs which save a considerable amount of space in your luggage compared to liquid mouthwash.

Reusable Water Bottle

Wherever you travel, a reusable water bottle is essential. It helps you stay hydrated during your travels and it helps to reduce single waste plastics in the communities you travel to. When you’re traveling airports typically have water fountains or refill stations. You’ll also find public water sources in many European countries. This essential also helps you to save money!

Day Backpack or Reusable Bag

When traveling, you may be buying souvenirs or collecting post cards (like I do) and you’ll likely need somewhere to put these things. If you’re looking to travel sustainably, you’ll want an alternative to collecting plastic bags everytime you purchase something. If you bring a bag that is can be used throughout the day, you can reduce the amount of waste you collect while traveling.

Laundry Detergent Sheets

When packing for a trip you can reduce the amount of things you need to pack by planning to wash some clothes while you’re traveling. When I travel for two or more weeks consecutively, packing laundry sheets really pays off. You can find laundry detergent sheets that dissolve in water and wash your clothes efficiently. These can be found on amazon and in most major retailers.

Reusable Sandwich Bags

Reusable Sandwich bags always come in handy when you’re traveling. You can use them for your liquid bags to prevent any leaking. These also come in handy for snacks or food and can help reduce your impact on the environment with every trip you use them for.

Rubber Straw

Rubber straws are compact and can be packed easily. If you’re a person who uses straws regularly, switching to a rubber straw can significantly reduce your impact on the environment. As a result, rubber straws can reduce your impact on the community you’re visiting.

Utensil Kit

Utensil kits, like rubber straws, help you to mitigate your impact on the environment for the destination you travel to. I like utensil kits for budget style traveling. If you’re looking to save money traveling, you can save a considerable amount of money by purchasing from food trucks and stands. This is often the best food too because it’s go-to food for the locals. If you’re buying food from stands and trucks, carrying a utensil kit will definitely come in handy!

Versatile Clothing Options

Clothing takes up the most space in your luggage. Bringing versatile clothing options can help to reduce fast fashion that surrounds traveling. If you can bring less clothing items you can also save on luggage fees. When packing for a trip consider bringing clothes that match well together that you can get a couple outfits out of.

How to make other travel essentials more sustainable:

Some travel essentials may not be sustainable but they might make travel more comfortable or enjoyable. When shopping for things that aren’t necessarily sustainable, you can still shop for travel products sustainably. The easiest way to do this is to purchase things that last.

Buying quality items will lead to longer use of that item which reduces the amount of waste that would come from buying multiple cheaper versions of the same product. Some products to consider buying higher quality include suitcases, international converters, purses or day bags, shoes or hiking boots.