Environment – Travel challenges eco principles

Usually I write these green pieces from my bungalow in Red Beach, but today I find myself in Varanasi, India; one of the most spiritual places in the world. 

I’m halfway through a three month adventure with my husband, Tim, and we’re trying our best to continue our sustainable habits here in India. It’s not easy, but we’ve worked out a few key ways to reduce our waste while travelling. 

Our Water-to-Go bottle eliminates viruses and bacteria from all water sources, reducing our reliance on plastic water bottles. We have stayed healthy so far! 

We also travel with a Steripen. A Steripen kills bacteria and viruses (eliminating the need to boil water) through ultraviolet light. It’s a game changer for travelling or even local hiking expeditions. 

Just like I do in Aotearoa New Zealand, I don’t leave home without my collapsible containers. We choose to stay in Air BnBs with fridges so that if one of us has left over food on our plate, we take it home to eat later. As well as reducing food waste, this habit has saved us lots of money too! We’ve enjoyed purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables from the stalls on the side of the road, washing them with filtered water and soap, and cooking them thoroughly. 

Aside from the main waste streams, food and water, we ignore the pull to purchase souvenirs and focus on experiences instead. We choose to support local businesses instead of large corporations and have made great use of the amazing train systems! 

To be honest, I’ve put more waste in the rubbish bin in the past month than I have in the past year. Without my 15 minute bike ride to the Silverdale bulk bin store or clean drinking water running from the tap, we have to consume water and food wherever we can get it and usually that involves plastic.

I’m constantly reminded of the privilege it is to access sustainably sourced goods, though we continue to do whatever we can, and I hope these tips help you in your future travels too!