One of the top travel trends (and general lifestyle trends) these days is being more sustainable and thinking about your impact on the environment. Sustainable travel is now becoming more and more popular, as eco-friendly resorts pop up and the latest gadgets aim to be more friendly to the environment. The main problem with a lot of this? It is not easy to do on a budget. It is very hard to be a sustainable traveler without spending a lot of money.

Eco resorts cost a lot of money. Reducing your carbon footprint isn’t necessarily going to be cheap (if you’re traveling overland instead of flying, for example, and it takes twice as long). Bamboo straws and ethically sourced clothes will be more expensive. So how can you be a more sustainable traveler, without blowing all your cash?! Here are 5 ideas to be a better friend to the environment and to travel more sustainably—without breaking the bank!

1) Buy a reusable water bottle

In many places around the world, it isn’t safe to drink tap water. Buying individual bottles of water on the go can cost you more than a few pretty pennies. One of the best ways to be a more sustainable traveler? Buy a reusable water bottle, and fill it up! If you’re traveling somewhere where you can’t drink the water, buy your bottled water in bulk and fill up your reusable bottle. In Russia, I bought giant 5-liter bottles and filled up my reusable bottle. Buying a 5-liter bottle actually cost less than a small 1-liter bottle!

2) Bring and reuse your own plastic bags

Cutting down on plastic consumption is a great way to start being more environmentally friendly. Bringing your own plastic bags on a trip is a great way to travel more sustainably. Reuse your plastic bags, and make them last as long as possible! Cloth tote bags are even better than regular plastic bags (unless you’re carrying wet things). I always bring my own plastic bags, and make an effort to reuse my plastic sandwich bags when I pack lunches. Not only do you save money on paying for a plastic bag, but you are also helping the environment! This is one of my travel essentials!

3) Recycle whatever you can, especially drinks bottles/cans you buy

It might seem like a small thing, but always aim to recycle whatever you can. If there’s a recycling bin next to a garbage bin and you can recycle your plastic bottle—put it in the recycling bin!! Make the effort to recycle. Some countries (particularly in Europe) charge bottle deposits on plastic or glass drinks bottles. To take sustainable traveling to the next step, you can turn these in at bottle deposits and even make back some money! This can be particularly lucrative in certain (expensive) Scandinavian countries. You’re being a more sustainable traveler, but potentially even earning money!

4) Do. Not. Litter.

It doesn’t cost you anything to not litter. It doesn’t cost anything to hold onto your garbage until you find a trashcan. It’s also incredibly rude to visit a new place or a new country and just trash it. It’s not good travel protocol. To be a more sustainable traveler, you should always aim to leave no trace: pack up everything you take in, especially if you’re camping or at the beach. It is free to avoid littering and is a massive, personal step you can take to helping the environment!

5) Don’t have your towels or sheets washed everyday if possible

A lot of hotels have jumped on board with this, which is great. If possible, don’t have your towels and bed sheets washed everyday. Hotels often have policies for saving towels from being laundered (such as only towels on the ground will be replaced). You can always speak to reception and tell them that you’d like to save them extra laundry. Obviously this isn’t practical for extended stays! But it doesn’t cost any extra to use the same towels and sheets. And even better, you’ll be saving extra laundry for the business—meaning less water and heating is being used to clean those items. It doesn’t cost a thing and is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment!

Overall, there are a lot of ways to be a more sustainable traveler on a budget. Sometimes the smallest lifestyle changes can make the biggest impact! I hope these 5 steps can help you travel more sustainably!

Check out my post: The Budget Travel Bible: 101 Tips For Travel Cheap

What ways do you use to travel more sustainably and limit your environmental impact when traveling? Share your tips in the comments below!

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