Carbon footprint Archives

Many things unfortunately fall to the wayside when traveling for business. Diets and fitness goals run wild. Email has a way of getting out of hand. And often overlooked—environmental conservation. Even simple things like recycling are unavailable. When we’re out of our normal routine, it’s easy to forget about the smaller eco-friendly habits that make a big impact in the long run. Here are 8 easy eco-friendly habits for business travelers, looking easy ways to reduce their impact.

Easy eco-friendly habits for business travelers

1. Before leaving on a business trip, unplug your home appliances. Though not in use, your home appliances are still generating small amounts of energy. Plus, it saves you money on your electricity bill.
2. While staying in a hotel, reduce water waste by reusing your hotel towels and bed sheets. Most hotels now have in-room instructions to opt-in. Or, you can simply write a note to your housekeeper, or put the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door.
3. Bring a reusable water bottle and/or coffee mug with you while traveling. This is a great tip in general for travel. You’ll likely ignore the plastic water cups or coffee mugs in your room or in the hotel continental breakfast area if you have your trusty container with you. Plus, avoid dehydration while flying. Just remember to keep your bottle or mug empty while going through security lines.
4. Pack other reusable items. Travel typically includes plastic silverware, plastic take-out bags, and other single-use items. Packing small reusable utensils or a fold-able shopping bag can help reduce your use of these common items. They’re small enough to keep in your bag and pull out if the moment arises. Check out these stainless steel straws to reduce your use of plastic straws as well.
5. Bring your own shampoo, toothbrush, shower cap, etc. instead of using the provided hotel amenities.
6. Turn off lights when you’re not using them. And reduce the air conditioning or heat when you’re not in the room. Though spending time in a hotel can feel like a splurge, it’s important to continue to reduce your energy consumption too.
7. Don’t use laundry services in the hotel unless you have a full load to wash. Hotels typically wash individual’s clothes separately, ultimately wasting water and electricity.
8. Though sometimes unavoidable based on your schedule, location, or travel policy, try to fly nonstop when possible. Taking off and landing burns additional fuel. By avoiding additional take offs or landings, you can reduce your emissions by up to 25% with nonstop travel.

Have any other tips or suggestions for eco-friendly business travel? Leave a comment below.