Becoming an eco-conscious traveller doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact an increasing number of people are becoming more aware and active in looking after our planet to ensure it’s beauty remains for us to enjoy. Here on our Drop Bear Adventures Tours on Fraser Island we have extensively practiced and advocated being eco-friendly. With this in mind we are dishing out our eco-warrior travel hacks to help you get to grips with some of the easiest ways to ensure your remain green throughout your travels in Australia.
Bin Plastic Toothbrushes
It’s advised that you change your toothbrush every 3 months, and so in a years worth of travel you will use and bin around 4 toothbrushes! The year up to February 2018 Australia welcomed 8.9 million international visitors to it’s shores and with a current resident population of close to 25 million that’s a lot of toothbrushes! Scrap the plastic toothbrush that takes hundreds of years to decompose and opt for the greener natural bamboo toothbrush.
Say NO to Straws
It’s quite simple – say no to straws! With the exception of those who need them for medical reasons straws, are not needed to drink water or beverages.No global usage figures exist, but according to the National Park Service, Americans alone use 500 million straws daily. To understand just how many straws 500 million really is, this would fill over 125 school buses with straws every day. That’s 46,400 school buses every year! Ditch the straw today!
Buy Pre-loved!
You are on the road and not in need of expensive items. Hit the charity shops and markets and purchase pre-loved travel items. Whether its clothing for farm work or interiors to deck out your trusty vehicle not only will you be saving pennies but you’ll be saving the planet too!
Use Reusable Water Bottles
The Guardian reported how “a million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number will jump another 20% by 2021, creating an environmental crisis some campaigners predict will be as serious as climate change”. Grab a refillable bottle and request water refills from bars and restaurants throughout your travels. Avoid the tempatation of purchasing
Use Reusable Bags
We use 5 trillion plastic bags…per year! That’s 160,000 a second! And over 700 a year for every single person on the planet. And if that hasn’t already horrified you you can see plastic pollution rise in real time. Use and re-use is our motto! Always keep a reusable bag shoved in your handbag or pocket. You never know when it might come in handy!
So that’s just 5 eco-warrior travel hacks but there are heaps more. Stay tuned and keep up to date with our mission to becoming the first Carbon Neutral Tour Operator in Australia by 2020.