You’ve probably read or heard somewhere that when on a holiday, you must leave nothing but footprints. With this, we are reminded to always respect the place we are visiting by keeping our wastes to a minimum.
One way to do this is to reduce (if not totally eliminate) the use of plastics, which take years to decompose. Aside from preventing further damage to the environment, we save some money along the way with an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Below are 5 simple ways on how to reduce your wastes while on vacation:
Bring your own reusable water bottle.
If you can, your own cutleries too like spoon, fork, straw – just in case. It may mean carrying an extra pouch for a few days, which is of course nothing compares to a bagful of disposables that will most likely end up in landfills.
Use your own laundry bag when availing of your hotel’s laundry service.
Not only will you save yourself from using more plastics, but you will also save time in segregating your clean clothes from the used ones. Just remind the Housekeeping Team that you live by the hashtag #zeroplastics, and that they should return the washed clothes using the same reusable bag. Yes, there are biodegradable plastics – but you have to remember that these are still plastics and that’s what we are trying to avoid.
Invest on a canvass tote bag for your shopping (souvenir) hordes.
There are foldable bags available that you can carry around wherever you are. Think of a bag inside your bag – for emergency cases. Just don’t forget to ask for the receipts to avoid getting in trouble with the store’s security.
Say no to plastics in your trash bins (in your room, that is).
If you see one, remove and politely give it back to your room attendant. Tell them that you won’t be needing those. And by doing so, you are also taking full responsibility of segregating your trash. It’s easy for the dry ones, but for the wet ones, it is best to ask for Housekeeping’s help.
Patronize eco-friendly establishments.
They allow you to have fun, with minimal negative impact to the environment. Sometimes, their policies, amenities, and practices allow you to give back to the environment without even knowing it.
What we are really saying here is try to ditch disposable plastics. All kinds. It will be hard at first, but there’s nothing you can’t get used to. Being a responsible traveler will definitely create a wave of impact towards a greener and cleaner environment.
The District Boracay is proud of its sustainable efforts, which have been in practice since its early years of operation. For more information, please visit our Sustainability page.