Sustainability, climate change and reducing single use plastics were hot tops in 2019 and I am sure they will stay at the forefront of everyone’s minds in 2020 and beyond. Air travel and sustainable eco practices are not two things that go hand in hand easily, the huge carbon impact of airplanes is an unavoidable fact. However, air travel is important, especially for business. In the modern age, thanks to the internet and communication technology, it has never been easier to run a global business. However, in order to grow and maintain that business face to face meetings are extremely important. According to a study by Forbes, 85% of people believe that they build stronger and more meaningful business relationships during in person meetings. According to all reports global business travel is here to stay and as travelers it is our responsibility to make changes in our travel routine and work towards a more sustainable travel industry. Airports, hotel chains and many other travel related businesses are also becoming aware of the need for change and are taking actionable steps to reducing the environmental impact of their industries. Here are 5 useful tips for keeping single use plastics out of your travel routine.

1. Pack a reusable water bottle & coffee cup

Dumping your liquids (or avoiding having liquids altogether) is top of the to do list for frequent travelers that want to get through security quickly and simply. In the past, in order to stay properly hydrated, which is so important when facing the dry air of an airplane, this often meant purchasing a water bottle once you were past security. These bottles are a huge source of plastic waste and airports and travelers are taking notice. Refillable water stations post security are now the norm in all major airports with more and more being added to accommodate eco-conscious travelers. Here is a great resource for finding refillable water stations at airports. A reusable water bottle should be in your bag whether you are traveling or not, not only is it good for the environment and will help you avoid single use plastics, it will also be a helpful reminder to drink more water! I have also found that having a bottle of water in my bag discourages me from ordering other, more unhealthy options such as fizzy drinks or a glass of wine while eating, which has even further health benefits. Bottled water is not the only liquid we need to be conscious of while traveling. Early morning flights, long hours in the airport and challenging meetings often require caffeine. Disposable paper coffee cups can be hard to recycle due to the liquid proof interior lining which can be difficult and costly to process. A lot of café’s are making the move to compostable coffee cups but even then, they still create waste. Add a reusable coffee cup to your bag and avoid disposable coffee cups altogether.

2. Pack your own snacks

Eating at the airport is almost an inevitability. Especially if you are going on a long-haul flight, between the time spent in the airport and the time spent on the plane you are most certainly going to be covering at least one, if not two mealtimes. And even if you are not going on a particularly long flight, airports are often boring and grabbing a snack or a bite to eat is a great way to pass some time. As a stickler for healthy travel habits I always encourage people to avoid the burger and beer and the airport bar and seek out a healthier option, however this does not always translate to plastic free. It is often much easier to get a plate of unhealthy, stodgy food served on an actual plate with actual cutlery. A plastic wrapped salad may be better for your gut but it’s not so great for the environment. Packing your own snacks for the airport and the plane is a great way to take control of your eating habits while traveling and stay plastic free. According to a survey by Amedeus unhealthy eating and lack of exercise were among the top causes of stress for business travelers. Do yourself a favour next time you are traveling for business and pack some healthy snacks to keep you full and hydrated while at the airport and avoid buying unnecessary plastic. Check out this blog post on the top filling and hydrating snacks, perfect for travel.

3. Pack your own plastic free, travel friendly toiletries

Although we are starting to see a small change in the accommodation preference of business travelers especially with unique accommodation giant Airbnb setting their sights on the business travel market the overwhelming majority still opt for hotels when booking a business trip. 74% of business travelers prefer to stay in hotels over other accommodations and due to convenience, amenities and possible rewards associated with staying in hotels, this is not very surprising. One of the benefits of staying in a hotel, particularly a higher end one is that you don’t have to worry about bringing your own toiletries. I don’t know about you, but I hate bringing toiletries with me on the plane. The majority of business trips are approx. 2 days and checking in a bad is unnecessary, cumbersome and expensive, so toiletries need to be packed in the carry on. Not only do I have to go out of my way to buy travel sized toiletries I also have a constant worry about one of those little tubs bursting and covering my clothes in shampoo. Simply using the toiletries provided by the hotel was a convenient way of relieving that stress however as we become more conscious of the damage caused by single use plastics, the waste created by hotel toiletries cannot be ignored. Hotel chains are also recognising the need for change, which giants such as Marriott and IHG vowing to remove single use plastics from their hotels in 2020 and 2021 respectively. So, the hospitality industry is stepping up but as is the theme with all these tips, the individual traveler also needs to do their part. Create a plastic free, travel friendly toiletry kit to bring with you on your next business trip. Mine consists of a bar of soap, a shampoo bar and a conditioner bar (no more worrying about spillages!) and tucks neatly into my carry on. An alternative can be to purchase small bottles and decant your shampoo, conditioner and shower gels before your trip, however this option requires a little more effort on your part.

4. Pack reusable cutlery

Plastic knives, forks and spoons are a huge environmental problem. Now I think we can all agree that getting plastic cutlery with our cheeky Friday night take out is wholly unnecessary and delivery giants such as Deliveroo are waking up to that fact making no plastic cutlery the default when you order through them, when it comes to travel it’s a bit more difficult to discount their usefulness. We are not at home, so we do not have a drawer full of forks to pull from, so plastic cutlery is the best option, right? Wrong! It is estimated that 40 billion plastic utensils are wasted in the US every year. Large airlines can use up to 85 million plastic utensils every year! That’s a lot of waste and though it may be more convenient to use a plastic fork while traveling, throw it away and not have to deal with the clean-up we need to change our attitudes in order to combat this problem. Airlines are taking steps to reduce their plastic cutlery waste by introducing innovative options such as biodegradable cutlery made from cereal starch, but we as travelers need to make changes too. Make a reusable cutlery set part of your packing list and avoid plastic waste on your next business trip. Here is a great option from Shell&Turtle. It has all the tools you could possibly need in a tidy travel case.

5. Plan your meals

A business trip can take a lot of different forms. Sometimes its straightforward, one meeting in one place and sometimes you are running all over town from one meeting to the next. As employers try to get more return on their investment into business travel, the latter is becoming more and more common and that is not only creating more stress for traveling employees it also makes grabbing a pre-made sandwich or other snack, that are often wrapped in plastic, becomes the only viable option. We all have a responsibility to make a positive change when it comes to our plastic use but in order to create a sustainable change it needs to be realistic for our everyday life. Packing your own snacks for the airplane is easily done, however asking a busy business traveler to prepare and pack their own meals as they are running from one meeting to the next is unreasonable. The best balance I have found while traveling for work is to take a little bit of time to plan ahead as much as possible. A huge benefit of the public waking up to the plastic crisis is that more eateries are conscious of being plastic free and there is a whole lot more information out there on what businesses are making those positive changes. Taking the time to plan ahead, understanding where I will be for a particular meeting and at what time I will be eating and having a go to healthy spot nearby already saved in my phone has helped my to avoid the grab and go section of the store and avoid unnecessary plastic food wrapping. Not to mention the positive effect having a fully planned out day has had on my stress levels!

Top tip for employers

Do you have employees that travel frequently for work? Create a plastic free travel kit for your traveling employees complete with a metal water bottle, metal straw, reusable cutlery and anything else you feel would be helpful for your traveling executives.

5 Tips For Plastic Free Travel