6 ways to reduce your carbon footprint when travelling

2020 was a year of travel restrictions. 2021 brings the hope of the vaccine, and with it, the opening of internal and external borders and an opportunity to travel cleaner and greener on the other side. As the first Covid lockdown grounded planes worldwide, we saw a global reduction in carbon emissions. However, travel and tourism was previously responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is likely to double by 2050 if travel goes back to normal. As we head into 2021, the year of the vaccine, let’s travel better.

Whether on a UK staycation or heading abroad on the other side of the current restrictions, there are many ways you can reduce your impact on our planet when travelling. Here are some of our top green tips to keep your journeys squeaky carbon-clean.

1. Consider your mode of transport

Flying is still up there as the largest contributor when it comes to carbon emissions. Calculating carbon emissions for different modes of travel is complex (it depends on the model of your vehicle, distance, occupancy and so on). We don’t want to bombard you with stats, but here are a couple of essentials:

• Taking the train from London to Paris instead of flying cuts CO2 emissions by 90% (Eurostar)

• Taking the train between European cities costs the planet six times less than flying, on average (EcoPassenger)

Thousands of people are pledging to go flight-free in 2021 over at Flight Free UK, and you might like to join them. We heard from Anna Hughes, founder of the campaign and friend of Byway:

“Here at Flight Free UK we ask people to take a year off flying as a way to reduce emissions and try something new. Many of us book flights without considering the alternatives, or without really knowing the true climate impact, so our campaign aims to raise awareness of how carbon heavy flights are and inspire people to travel by other means. It’s not only the carbon saving: overland travel is so much more relaxing and enriching, so it's just as good for the traveller as it is for the environment. Could you take on the challenge and sign up for a flight free year?”

Here at Byway, we’ve worked hard to create delightful holidays that don’t rely on flights. If you fancy a seamless flight-free trip with on-demand support and full Covid guarantees in 2021, get in touch. We’d love to help!

2. Don’t go on a shopping frenzy

We all have a tendency to go on a retail rampage before holiday, but don’t go carbon crazy. Fashion is fat on carbon calories, responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, and 85% of it ends up in landfill. Instead of five cheap T-shirts, choose one quality shirt from a sustainable fashion company such as Rapanui. You probably don’t loads of cheap toiletries shipped in from abroad, and often you can buy local cosmetics on your holiday anyway. Shoe companies keeping their footprint suitably low include Allbirds and Po-Zu. Less is more when it comes to holiday shopping. 

3. Go plastic free

Eliminating single-use plastics has become a way of life for many, and yet so many of us fall from grace on holiday. Sometimes it’s just a case of remembering to add a few essentials to your packing. We suggest:

• a reusable mug, cup and water bottle

• a portable cutlery set and beeswax wraps for picnics

• a tote shopping bag

• a stainless steel straw (if you have to do straws at all)

• washable nappies, or at least biodegradable ones

• plastic-free floss

• soap and shampoo bars packed in an eco toilet bag

• eco-friendly suncreams in aluminium bottles

4. Choose recycled luggage

If you are thinking of investing in new luggage for your holiday, it may be hard to find some that hasn’t been shipped from abroad. However, if you buy from a sustainable manufacturer at least you know that the supply chain has been as low carbon and low waste as possible. Patagonia, Phoenx and Elvis & Kresse are ones to bag. Personal favourites are Devon’s own Sails and Canvas and Hampshire’s Oarsom, with duffels, totes and weekend bags made from recycled sails.

5. Watch your waste

Recycling has its carbon costs and this is why not all destinations can afford to offer it. The best way to reduce your recycling is to go packaging free, so take a bag to the shops and don’t be afraid to pass up their bags, just as you might at home. If you find yourself with items that you would normally recycle and there aren’t facilities where you’re visiting, consider leaving a little extra room in your bag so you can bring it back home with you to recycle there. It’s often worth sussing out the recycling facilities in a destination before you travel.

6. Use low carbon transport on holiday

We can recommend plenty of cycling and hiking routes to keep your footprint clean and healthy, and you can also check out local cycling schemes and choose kayaks over cruises, electric cars, and sustainable local transport when you arrive.

7. Support tourism businesses with responsible tourism policies

There is a lot of talk about post-COVID travel being greener and more switched on to sustainability, and many of our activity and accommodation partners have been incorporating low carbon living into their products for years in an effort to keep our planet healthy. It’s always worth checking to see if an activity provider has a responsible or eco policy on its website. Does the surfing company do beach clean-ups? Is that bike rental company creating links with the community? Are walking guides signed up to Leave No Trace or practising their principles? Are you? It’s worth reading up on them. They’re mostly common sense, but it’s a good idea to remind yourself what Leave No Trace really means.

If you want to make your next holiday flight-free and sustainable, try a trip with Byway. We’ll build you a personalised holiday in three minutes when you click the button below.