Travelling the Eco Way

1. Carry your Rubbish
Many places do not have safe landfills or recycling facilities, so it’s a good idea to pack as few disposables as possible when travelling. Remove wrappers from battery packs before you leave and take dead batteries home. Drinking bottled water can prevent stomach problems but squash the bottles and take them with you for proper recycling. Any wrappers or waste paper should be packed for the journey home.

2. Support Local Trades
Buying local crafts, food items and clothing at markets or small shops can be great fun. By doing this, you also know your money is supporting indigenous trades. Even if you don’t need the item, buy it anyway as a spare Christmas or birthday gift. Your souvenir will raise awareness of foreign cultures for the people back home.

3. Take Gifts
Pack some gifts for the people you meet. Children love pens, pencils, crayons, picture books, storybooks and blank notepads. Conversational tapes or CDs are great too, in places where language teachers are scarce. Other things you could take include books for libraries, basic wound dressings and antiseptic cream, mosquito nets for malaria zones, water sterilisation tablets, clothing for orphanages and postcards of your home for your host.

4. Go Local
Big hotels are nice but often only a fraction of the traveller’s money goes directly to the local staff, and sometimes none at all to the environment. By staying in a locally run lodge or homestay in a village, the community benefits much more from your visit. It’s also a great way to mingle, share their resources and learn their culture. If you do have to stay in a big hotel, choose one that blends in with the natural surroundings and is constructed from native materials.

5. Share Experiences
Learning common words and phrases in the local language can go a long way in establishing communication and rapport with your hosts. Remember, some of the people you meet may not have ventured beyond their village. You can also donate your phrase book when you leave as it may help other travellers to communicate.

6. Discourage Illegal Trades
If you see any wildlife or prohibited goods on display, such as endangered species of flora and fauna, say no. Better still, explain to the seller why it’s wrong to trade in these products and try to help promote an understanding of conservation issues. If you can do it safely, take a discreet photo and send it to the authorities when you get back home.

7. Green Guide
Book with a “green” travel agency by verifying its environmental policies and contributions. Questions you should ask include: • Does it promote sustainable tourism and do all it can to reduce the travel impact on the environment? • Does it have tour packages that promote conservation? • Does it offer lodgings that interact with local cultures? • Are its key staff and guides locally hired? • Is it sensitive to the environment and culture when conducting tours to wildlife sanctuaries and local villages?