Where digital meets travel + lifestyle … A collection of can’t-miss news from this week, including spring travel trends. Sign up to get the TURNER Weekly Download in your inbox every Friday.
Earth Day 2019 came and went this week. But for an increasing number of hotels and resorts, sustainability is a 365-days-a-year affair. “If big hotels can make small changes, the ripple can be huge,” said Paula Vlamings, chief executive of Tourism Cares, told the New York Times. “Sustainability is more than energy conservation or recycling; it is about sustaining communities for the tourism product.” The Times has more details on this still-growing trend. What kinds of eco-friendly practices do you wish the hospitality would adopt?
Hotels are doing their part – are you? Lonely Planet has tips on how to go zero-waste as you journey throughout the world. “Zero-waste travel is all about effort, not perfection,” says Anita Vandyke, Australian zero-waste expert and author of A Zero Waste Life in Thirty Days. “As a former aerospace engineer, I have a unique insight into the environmental impact of air travel, but until a sensible, sustainable switch is available, there are plenty of other ways we can help to mitigate our impact while exploring our incredible planet.”
One way to stay eco-friendly while traveling is to pack the right products. USA Today has put together a handy guide to zero-waste and eco-friendly travel products. S'well Commuter bottles are great for reducing use of disposable plastic cups at coffee shops and gas stations. Ditch those plastic straws and use a Final Straw, which collapses into a cool case for easy traveling. And Lush has package-free shampoo bars that are the equivalent of three bottles of shampoo. It’s easier than ever to go green …
“Being a responsible traveler sounds simple in theory,” writes Conde Nast Traveler’s Katherine Lagrave. “Just go green. Take care of the environment. But when it comes time to actually taking action, it can get a bit overwhelming. Where to start? And what to pack?” Her article unpacks actually doable steps you can follow to become a bona fide responsible traveler. Ditching single-use plastics, choosing green destinations, keeping things local … they’re all easy ways to respect the earth, while enjoying everything it has to offer.
This is really going green. Now there’s a Polo shirt made of recycled plastic bottles.