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Are you on a mission to make your travelling more eco-friendly this summer?
With Clean Beaches Week and Plastic-Free July in full swing, today’s blog post will be featuring our best tips for travelling as sustainably as possible.
Whether you’re staying local or jetting off overseas, there are lots of ways you can keep your carbon footprint to a minimum.
Keep reading for our best sustainable travelling tips!
1) Stay Closer to Home
We know those of you in the UK will be groaning at this suggestion, but it’s true: the shorter the distance from home you travel, the lower your carbon footprint.
Are there any unexplored areas of your city or region you could venture to? Finding local adventures, like a road trip to the lakes or visiting that museum in your city you’ve still not been to, is much kinder to the planet - and you can definitely still have a good time!
2) Choose Sustainable Destinations
Some destinations are more sustainable than others, and by visiting the less ‘touristy’ cities, you’ll be saving your wallet and the planet.
Select locations across Slovenia and Spain are among the best places to visit that leave a light footprint. For example, Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, was voted Europe’s Greenest City whilst the Pacific island paradise of Palau won the ITB Earth Award for being the first tourist destination to ban the sale and use of suncreams containing toxic chemicals.
Check out this list of the most sustainable travel destinations for some inspiration.
Did you know you can use your ImageNPay prepaid card anywhere in the world? As long as it’s issued within the UK, you can take your ImageNPay card with you on your travels! Click here for more information.
3) Use Eco-Friendly Booking Sites
Another way to make your travelling more sustainable this year is by opting for eco-friendly booking sites when choosing your holiday.
Sites like bookdifferent.com calculate your carbon footprint per night based on your selection and include eco-friendly ratings - you can also choose accommodation that gives money back to the local economy!
You could also consider using a sustainable travel agent like Lokal, and keep an eye out for a system of verification when you book to avoid being tricked by greenwashing.
4) Offset Your Journey
Whether you decide to travel by plane, boat, train or car, you can offset your journey by buying credits that go towards a project that helps the planet in some way.
For example, a project that avoids emissions of greenhouse gases or one that helps seize carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would be well worth investing in. Travelling overland by train or car is much better for the planet as opposed to flying, but offsetting your journey can help lessen the impact if flying is your only option.
5) Seek Out Local Experiences
Once you’ve decided on a destination, you can make your stay a little more sustainable by seeking out local experiences.
Local guides and programs that give back to communities are a great idea for making sure your money is injected back into the local economy, and you could also look for activities that have environmental benefits e.g. beach clean-ups. Consider renting an electric car, bike or scooter to get around!
5) Reduce Your Plastic
Finally, keep plastic to a minimum when you travel.
Pack a reusable water bottle, shampoo/soap bar, reusable cutlery and a plastic-free payment card like ImageNPay to help reduce plastic pollution.
Click here to find out more about how ImageNPay is helping the planet reduce its plastic.
If you’re travelling abroad this summer, why not take your ImageNPay prepaid card with you?
No need to pack an extra card that you’ll worry about losing whilst you’re there - your ImageNPay wallet is 100% DIGITAL, safe and secure!
To find out more and for full T&Cs, head to our FAQs page and tap the button below to download ImageNPay FREE on App Store and Google Play.
*Credit to NY Times for these sustainable travelling tips.