January 31st, 2010 Mary’s Green Tip of the Week: Traveling Green.
Posted by
admin in
Blog Hello world and Happy New Year!!!
It’s a brand new year and brand new chance to start making healthier decisions.
2009 was my first year with A Fit Planet and (truthfully) my first year thinking on a daily basis about being more aware of the environment and how I can reduce my carbon footprint. I started blogging about “our” part and simple steps to being more Green. I’ve learned so much and I am excited to keep learning and growing in knowledge and wisdom in this area…and hopefully YOU can too!
I have to admit when it came to travel- all I think about is my carbon footprint in regards to my mileage. But the act of actually “traveling green” are the actions we take as individuals moment by moment- while getting from point A to point B.
Recently, I made the BIG flight over to Australia. A 40+ hours of day of driving, waiting, flying, waiting, flying, scrambling, flying, etc. — 5 plane changes, and long layovers suddenly created a perfect opportunity to watch and notice how “green” or how wasteful we humans are while traveling. It also provided a great challenge to see how “green” I could be while I traveled.
Mary’s Green Tip of the Week: Traveling Green:
- Book flights with airlines that recycle the waste created when serving food and beverages to passengers. I traveled with Air New Zealand and upon entering the airplane, they gave us plastic cups to reuse while on the aircraft. They also announced that they recycle as much as possible. British Airways, has a very strong environmental agenda. Southwest Airlines recycles all cabin waste, and was the first to offer electronic ticketing systemwide.
- Packing. I tend to over pack. I always do! BUT the one thing I’ve started to do is to pack everything I think I need, once that’s complete- I repack the necessities and limit the “frilly” and the “I wants”. A rule of thumb- pack then half it and pack again.
- Most airports have recycling bins- USE THEM! Even if you are in a rush- it doesn’t take much time nor effort to separate what’s trash and what’s recyclable.
- Pack snacks, lunch/dinner ahead of time! That saves YOU a bit of dosh to spend on that thing you’ve always wanted. And chances are- you’ll like what you’ve packed over what any chain restaurant/Hudson’s Book Shop could sell you.
- Everyone loves to buy things at the airport. Well, if you do…I challenge you to read the labels and investigate their environmental claims. Select products with genuine eco-friendly features, such as:
Non-toxic and natural contents
Made from recycled materials
Minimum packaging
Produced locally
Energy- or water-efficient
- Sigg it up. It’s good for you AND for the planet!! http://www.sigg.com
- Public Transportation. Get to know it and support it. Wherever you are, whenever you can.
There you have it, people. This month’s tip on Traveling Green. Have a wonderful day and Happy 2010!!
