Packing the Smart and Eco-Friendly Way: Pack, Unpack Repack!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Packing is the most used and done-to-death topic when it comes to travelling, isn't it? What else is there before taking any trip anyways?
Packing what is essential, if you've been travelling for some time, might come as easy and routinely for you. A mental list of: # of shirts, # of pair of pants, scarves, sneakers, shoes/sandals, and the list goes on. This time, I'm going to share to you my "Eco-Smart Packing" routine in the efforts to campaign for clean and green Sustainable Travel. What is "Eco-Smart Packing" routine anyway? It my way of packing the essential stuff -- from clothing, toiletries, gadgets, and more -- that lessens the ecological impact I have to the place where I am going.
Start with buying the resilient and multi-use bag. You don't have to buy different bags for different trips unless you REALLY need the point to do so. It will decrease your carbon footprint. That also applies to bringing manufactured processed food, if you can help it, pack decently on fresh produce and lessening on processed foods at that --- this will reduce it by half on food alone.
PACK
Pack your stuff as you always would. Gather what you need and what you think you need. Place them in your packs and then look over your packing list -- be it on paper or mentally. and then take out the stuff you can do without in your travel. When you are done with saying goodbye other stuff. Mentally go through your days travel and the clothes and other things you will be using and needing. That is how the scenario is as you pack your things as you always would.
UNPACK
Why? You already took out most of your stuff? This phase, you need to sort it out on the destinations-view point. What am I saying? You have to put yourself in the shoes of where you are to travel to. The reason behind that is that, you will mostly have a human impact on that place. And you are unpacking your stuff to find a safe ground to lessen that impact to it.
REPACK
This time pack as though the environment, it's plants, and animals are watching you very step of the way.
- Pack your clothes which good for the # of days you will be on the road. If you happen to be travelling for a considerable amount of time, and that you must wash some of your clothes along the way --- bring and use biodegradable detergent. this tip is best when you take nature treks or hikes for more than one 1 week.
- Take it a habit to carry around a water canister/bottle and try refilling it wherever you go. That is 1 to 2 or more less plastic bottles from the human population for that day.
- Use those reusable liquid containers. You can also reuse the canister you may have around, just make sure there are plastic identification codes, that way you'll know which products are safe to go into them. It would also mean that you promote the use of recyclable plastics.
- Carry as little amount of plastic, or use those reusable container packs, unless you want to regret it for the next few decades. Exactly that time frame it needs for the plastic to degenerate. I must admit that my zip locks for liquid toiletries have been used, washed, dried, and used. I usually discard them by the time they don't function as they should -- leak proofing!
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