Many of us are looking for ways to be more sustainable in our everyday lives, and travel is no exception. There are a lot of things we can do to make our personal travel more sustainable, from the way we get around while we're on vacation to the souvenirs we bring home with us. This article will look at a few of the most effective ways to make our travel more sustainable, focusing on four must-dos you need to travel sustainably.

Whether you’re going on a road trip to one of your favorite family destinations or visiting a faraway travel destination to take in some new sights and enjoy a different part of the world, there are steps you can take to travel more sustainably, and the most obvious ones are how you pack—not only packing light, but packing smart. This means only bringing what you need and avoiding packing anything that you’re not going to use. It should go without saying that you should always avoid bringing anything you intend to throw away!

What does this look like? Namely, focus on bringing reusable items with you, so that you can avoid using disposable items like plastic water bottles or straws.

One of our favorite things to do at Klean Kanteen is see all the cool, unique places in the world that our bottles have been, and that’s because they are outstanding travel companions! Made of certified 90-percent post-consumer 18/8 recycled stainless steel, our insulated bottles are an excellent, no-brainer way to travel more sustainably. You’ll never have to buy plastic drink containers while you’re traveling again.

The same thing is true for our wide assortment of tumblers, canisters, and food boxes. Because most of our food storage items and drinkware is designed to be stackable and compact, it’s easy to bring along a set of Klean Kanteen steelware for your travels and know that your food will be fresh and flavorful. Something as simple as having your own stainless steel straw on hand can really add up when you consider how many times you may be dining out while you travel–you could be saving dozens of straws from entering the landfill and environment just with that one action alone!

Photo by Intrepid Travel

A sustainable vacation trip also should start with an environment-focused travel plan, and for those purposes, we recommend booking with Intrepid, a certified B Corp and carbon-neutral company that can help you book trips to destinations all over the world. They’re a great choice if you must fly. If you’re staying in the continental U.S. and planning on a road trip, consider riding by train instead of driving (especially if you’re traveling with a large group of friends or family–taking multiple cars off the road is always a good thing!).

Of course, how you pack your items matters, too. If you are packing for an adventure-heavy vacation trip that includes lots of outdoors activities and need some heavier-duty travel cases, we are big fans of Thule, which not only makes outstanding cargo carriers and racks, but luggage of all kinds, including carryon luggage and duffel bags. Like us, they are committed to sustainability through the mindful use of resources in their manufacturing process. They are an outstanding company to help you travel sustainably!

When we're traveling, one of the best things we can do to make our travel more sustainable is to support local businesses. This means patronizing restaurants and shops that focus on locally sourced ingredients and products. It also means seeking out hotels and tour companies that have sustainability certifications or are working towards becoming more sustainable. Restaurants and businesses that buy locally tend to require further transport, which means less packaging and less fuel.

Making our personal travel more sustainable doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. There are lots of small changes we can make that will have a big impact. From choosing sustainable transportation options to packing light and smart, there are plenty of ways to make our travel more eco-friendly. And when we support local businesses and sustainability efforts while we're on vacation, we're helping create a demand for more sustainable tourism options around the world.