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Writer's pictureLindsay Brown

Traveling sustainably: what I did well & what I can do better next time

Updated: Sep 10, 2021

I recently went on a road trip with my parents to visit my grandma. This was my first time traveling since the beginning of the pandemic, so I was more so focused on being careful than I was on being sustainable. I didn't even think about how I could have been more sustainable on the road until after the fact.


I thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect on what I did well when I wasn't even consciously thinking about it, and what I can do better next time when I am actually paying attention to my impact on the planet.


here's a short list of the things I did well...

  • brought sandwiches & snacks in reusable containers

  • packed a few reusable masks

  • didn't buy any unnecessary prepackaged snacks at the rest stop - primarily because I wanted to get in and out ASAP !!

  • didn't look at my phone once while traveling - I feel like that's sustainable in another way; for your mind :)

things I now realize I/we could have avoided:

  • using plastic water bottles

  • using plastic sandwich bags

  • single-use plastic grocery bags

  • wasting food/water

  • using disposable masks at rest stops - although I only used two the entire trip

takeaways for next time:

  1. bring a reusable water bottle

  2. invest in more reusable sandwich bags (for anyone who is normal & puts their sandwiches in bags...)

  3. eat any leftover food when you get to your destination (or learn from this trip & don't bring as much)

  4. bring reusable grocery bags (or recycle the bags you do use instead of immediately throwing them away)

As I put together that list of things I did well, I really had to think about it. The only thing I could think of at first was that I brought my sandwiches and snacks in a container instead of a plastic bag. This is an example of something I did out of anxiety that ended up actually being a more sustainable option. I feel stupid even sharing this but I literally cut up my pb&j sandwiches and put them in a container so I could eat them in the car without having to touch them because #germs. I just brought a fork with me lol. I guess that's a win? Although, I did bring said in fork in a plastic bag... maybe that defeats the idea that this was a more sustainable option? Our preparation kept us from buying unnecessary snacks at the rest stops though! And it was a great experience because I basically made myself tea sandwiches on accident.


There were other times when my anxiety made it harder to be sustainable, like when I used disposable masks at rest stops so I wouldn't have to worry about what they touched prior to being on my face. Granted, I did only go into two rest stops the entire trip which required just two masks. Next time, I could try to make a better effort to bring a couple reusable ones with me in the car. Anytime I needed a mask once we arrived, I used the reusable ones I packed away in my suitcase!


I didn't end up eating all the sandwiches I brought with me, but once we got there I completely forgot about them. It would be less wasteful and actually easier next time if I just bring that in with me once we arrive and eat it instead of whipping up another quick meal. I have to admit, after 10 hours it was probably nice to eat something other than pb&j. We were probably sick of it at the point lol. I could instead just learn from this road trip and only make two sandwiches instead of four next time.


The most obvious thing I could have done was bring a reusable water bottle. I honestly don't know why I didn't think of this. It's such a simple thing you can do to avoid using plastic. It may even help you to save water, if you're like me and try to drink as little water as possible to minimize going into rest stops... and then only drink a few gulps of a water bottle before it's no longer an enjoyable drinking temperature. I feel bad that we drank from plastic water bottles the entire time we were away, but I honestly think we make up for it at home with the amount of water bottles we don't use being that our fridge dispenses water.


One last thing: reusable grocery bags. I didn't even think of this because we haven't been using reusable grocery bags since the pandemic started. I guess it just feels more cleanly to use something that can be thrown away immediately. It's convenient, but it's also horrible for the earth because these bags we throw away are not gone forever. They are around much longer than we will ever be. But I just saw an article about reusable bags harboring bacteria if they aren't cleaned properly, and now it has me questioning the importance of not using plastic bags. Do reusable bags actually have the potential to be harmful?


I feel like that could be a whole other blog in itself, about the balance we must find between sustainability and cleanliness. This has peaked my interest for sure. I'll be back with more of my thoughts on this topic... eventually!



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