You love the planet right? That’s why you want to travel all over the world and see what Mother nature has to offer? I’m with you, and as someone who has been a Digital Nomad for almost 2 years now, I don’t have a particular place that I call home because the earth is my home. Therefore I want to preserve and look after her, so I (and future generations) still have all these amazing places to experience in years to come.
We are all trying to live our lives in a more sustainable way and I am sharing some tips and tricks to help Digital Nomads live a more eco-friendly life whilst on the road.
Travelling
There’s an environmental cost to travelling, we all know that. So how do you lower your impact on the environment when you’re travelling? For starters, choose an area or country to travel to and stay there. Avoid flying from one place to another to then fly back again. Travel slow if your timetable allows it. Or have you ever considered travelling within your own country?
Some other obvious examples are walking wherever you can, using public or shared transport. Skyscanner which is a flight booking platform also highlights which airlines use less CO2.
Luggage Essentials
There are so many, hair, body, skin care essentials as well as all the other random bits and pieces we think we need to take away with us (Hair straighteners? Leave them at home.). The first thing to do is cut down on your ‘essentials.’ I used to think that if I didn’t follow my 10 step skincare routine, as every skincare brand tells me to, that my face would break out permanently. But it’s not true. I use a cleanser and moisturiser, that’s it. And guess what? My face looks exactly the same. You’ll save more money, more room in your luggage and help the planet.
– Skincare and haircare brands: choose organic and natural. I also only use shampoo.
– Deodorant: choose organic and natural, my favourite is The Natural Deodorant company, because it’s completely natural, in a glass jar AND it actually works!
– Period care: Ideally reuseable products, such as period pants or a period cup. But if you prefer tampons, you can find brands that are eco-friendly.
– Sun cream: Make sure it is ocean-friendly or coral-friendly.
– For razors, I purchased a metal razor body and enough razor heads to last me 6 months. This ensures I am not buying plastic razors and throwing them away after 1 week.
– I always carry my electric toothbrush and enough toothbrush heads to last me 6 months. No need for plastic toothbrushes.
You should check out my Tried and Tested Travel Essentials For A Digital Nomad for more info on this.
Eating & Drinking
If you have the option to cook at home, buying food in bulk is always going to be the best option for the planet. When food shopping, try to only buy local produce. Search for Farmer’s Markets in the area you’re staying in. This also supports the local community.
If you are going to eat out, again aim for local places as they will cook local cuisine made from locally sourced food. If you’re working from cafes, try to find ones that serve organic ingredients.
Same with coffee, if you can buy a bag and make it at home, this is better. Aim for a brand that is local to the country you are in (the coffee always taste better then too!).
What about alcohol? You want to avoid the regulars you are used to seeing, there’s usually a cheaper version of native alcohol to have in your Pina Colada! It might not be as tasty but it does the job!
Clothes
There is not much to say on this apart from only buy what you actually need. If you buy clothes ar home for travelling then they should be made from good quality fabrics and ideally organic, so they will last a long time.
If you are buying clothes whilst you’re away, ideally only buy what you actually need and try to stick to local clothes shop.
Activities
One of the best parts of being a Digital Nomad is all the fun activities you’ll do wherever you end up. From diving and snorkelling in the most beautiful reefs, to hiking in nature and climbing volcanoes to watch the sunrise. But you should also be cautious of the companies and tour groups you do this with for 2 reasons.
Firstly, anything nature or wild life related, you want to disturb them and their natural habitat as little as possible. For example, if you go swimming with Whale Sharks, the company should not entice them with food. This requires you to do extensive research on any tours you are planning.
Secondly, there are companies out there claiming they offer ‘Eco-tourism’, which is kinda like green-washing for tourist activities. Though there are standards a tour company has to follow to use this term, who knows if it is actually enforced or checked? My advice would be to do your research. Read reviews, find blog posts, go and ask questions to the tour company.
What Else?
If you see rubbish on the beach, parks, out hiking, just pick it up!
I know this is not perfect and we all (myself included) have more work to do when it comes to taking care of our planet, especially when travelling. If you do have any other suggestions please share! I would love to know if there is more I should be doing that can help me be an eco-friendly Digital Nomad and live more sustainably.
Amber x