When you set of on a travel adventure whether it’s a weekend away, two week long holiday, yearlong backpacking trip or a permanent move abroad, there are a few easy zero waste travel swaps you can make to make your trip more environmentally friendly.

We have been using these swaps for almost 5 years living abroad and we use these products when we travel too so we put together this list of 18 zero waste travel swaps you can make today that can make a big difference.

Mobile Boarding Passes

When travelling by air you usually have to present a boarding pass. On budget airlines these are normally print at home passes. However, one very easy zero waste travel swap you can make is to download your boarding passes onto your phone, tablet or laptop instead of wasting paper printing them out. This is also a great way not to lose them if you are travelling around a lot or to more than one place before flying.

Shampoo, Conditioner and Soap Bars

With all the restrictions in place these days for liquids on airlines, it is an easy swap to make switching your shampoo, conditioner and shower gel out for bars instead. Not only do you save on your liquid allowance if you are travelling carry on only, but bars also take up less room in your luggage than multiple bottles and there is no risk of spillage! Win, win! We love these shampoo and conditioner bars by Ethique and we even use them at home too, they last for months and foam up and smell as good as regular shampoo.

Bamboo Toothbrush

A bamboo toothbrush is a great plastic free alternative to a regular toothbrush. Bamboo is a type of grass and grows extremely fast making it a great renewable source. It also has antimicrobial properties so if you are worried about a natural toothbrush harbouring bacterium, you are mistaken.

Bamboo toothbrushes come in two different types, nylon bristles and charcoal bristles. Nylon bristles are slightly softer and more like a regular toothbrush. Whereas charcoal bristles are a little harder but with the added bonus that they help whiten teeth. For travel we recommend buying this cute travel bamboo toothbrush in a bamboo case.

Toothpaste Tablets

This may sound like a weird concept, but they are actually really easy to use and get used to. Toothpaste tablets are the simplest form of zero waste toothpaste to use and the perfect alternative to regular toothpaste when travelling. All you have to do is pop a tablet in your mouth, chew it up, and then use your toothbrush like you normally do. It helps to have a tiny sip of water when you first put the tablet in otherwise it can feel and taste chalky. Buy them here.

Waste Free Deodorant

There are two options for waste free deodorant when travelling. First is solid deodorant, solid deodorant sticks or bars work in the same way as roll on deodorant. Some solid deodorants require water to apply them, but they are tried and tested and really do work.  

The second option is a deodorant balm, some options seem to be more solid than others but the general principle is that you take a small amount and you rub under your armpits or wherever else you might need deodorising.

The ones linked here are all unscented but you can get different scents for men and women.

Zero Waste Cotton Buds and Pads

If you use cotton buds often then try switching to a reusable cotton bud. Reusable cotton buds like this are washable with soap and water and replace the need for up to 1000 disposable cotton buds. They can be used for a number of things including applying makeup and cleaning ears.

Another great alternative is to buy bamboo cotton buds rather than plastic. Bamboo is completely biodegradable so they wont last forever unlike plastic ones.

As an alternative to cotton pads for removing makeup or facial cleansing you can buy cloth pads that you can wash and reuse. Cloth pads come in a variety of materials and sizes, so instead of disposable cotton pads there is no excuse not to use these.

Ditch the Disposable Razor

Back in the olden day’s safety razors were the only available type. They are usually stainless steel or chrome and designed to last for life- just ask your Grandad! The only disposable part to them is the blade itself which is recyclable. They come in lots of different styles from classic silver, to bamboo handle and even rose gold for the ladies.

If you are used to a disposable razor, then a safety razor will take a little bit of transitioning to as it requires you to remove and replace the blade. However, once you get the hang of it, it actually works out much cheaper than disposable razors.

If you are confident too you can use this trick of resharpening your old razor blades to make them last even longer. Perfect for long term travel.

Reusable Shopping Bag

Ditch the plastic bags at the supermarket and get yourself some reusable bags. This zero waste swap should not just apply when travelling but everywhere. The reusable shopping bags we take travelling with us fold inside themselves and pack up really small, like these ones. Meaning they don’t take up any luggage space on your travels and you can even pop in into a handbag so you don’t forget it when you’re at home too.

Reusable Grocery Bags

I hate that supermarkets have plastic bags to put produce in. WHYYY??? Fruit and veg have this handy thing where they are tougher on the outside than the inside and seriously, does anyone think a thin piece of plastic is protecting their fruit and veggies from anything?

NO. Because it’s not.

Get yourself some of these lovely net produce bags to get your groceries whether you are travelling or at home. If you don’t have them with you or you forget them, just wash the damn vegetables when you get home!

OK. Rant over. Seriously though, these things have lasted us over a year and they are still going strong.

Reusable Cutlery and Container

We always try and take a Tupperware container whenever we get street food or takeaways so that the restaurant doesn’t have to use polystyrene or plastic containers. If we know a place uses plastic cutlery, we will also take our own reusable cutlery too.

Not only does it cut down on plastic but you already have it in a box to store any leftovers. Keeping your breakfast leftovers are a great way to save money whilst travelling. However, if your hotel or hostel are against people taking food from breakfast, then we recommend packing some beeswax wraps and use them to pack up your leftovers instead.

Refillable Water Filter Bottle

A reusable water bottle is a great idea no matter if you are travelling or at home. But an even better idea for zero waste travel is a reusable water bottle that also filters the water. We love this one from Water to Go as it filters 99.9999% of all microbiological contaminants, including bacteria and viruses.

We have used it to filter rainwater when we had no water on St Kitts and we also used it the whole time we were on safari in Kenya to drink the tap water and we have never gotten sick. Another great option for a water bottle that filters water is the LifeStraw bottle which was recommended by our friends.

If you don’t need to filter the water then we absolutely recommend investing in a Hydroflask. They are durable, come with a range of lids and in various colors and if they start to lose their insulation ability you can get them replaced free of charge! What’s not to love!

Reusable Coffee Cup/Wine Glass

Like with the reusable water bottle, carrying a reusable cup is always a good zero waste travel swap to make. Not only that but they also do a better job keeping hot drinks hot and cold drinks colder than if you were using a plastic cup. For hot drinks we like these large travel mugs and to take to the beach we recommend insulted wine glasses with lids and straws.

Metal Straws

Living on St Kitts where drinking rum punch is a rite of passage means having to be plastic conscious all the time. Every bar you go to wants to give you a straw with a rum punch or a cocktail. We always try and remember to take our metal straws now and if we forget them, we let the bar tender know we don’t want a straw when we order. In our time on St Kitts we have done many beach clean ups and plastic straws are one of the most common thing we pick up. These are the ones we have:

Menstrual Products

I heard about menstrual cups a few years ago from a friend on my roller derby team *shout out to Nottingham Roller Derby* she managed to convince almost everyone on the team that menstrual cups are a game changer when it came to that time of the month. I was sceptical at first but thought if I can buy a cup one time and save that much money, I have to give it a go. Holy shit it actually changed my life!

I’m not exaggerating either, it’s so easy to use, especially when travelling you don’t have to worry about where you can buy your favourite brands of tampons or towels and when you will have to change them. The great thing about menstrual cups is they can be worn whilst doing all kinds of activities including swimming, diving, and hiking and they can be worn for up to 12 hours without worrying about them! This is the one I use and love.

If you prefer sanitary towels and still want a zero waste travel swap then try these cute washable ones or even swap your normal underwear and sanitary towel for washable menstrual underwear instead. Plus the added bonus that you will also save yourself a ton of money which you can use for more travel!

Plastic Free Lip Balm

I always find when I’m travelling, I get dry chapped lips really quickly. (Probably something to do with dehydration, sweating buckets and not drinking enough) Rather than buying lots of lip balm in those little plastic tubes I have found these cute plastic free, vegan, lip balm tubes made from cardboard. If you are worried about them getting squashed, then you might prefer to make your own lip balm and use a lip balm tin or refill a small vaseline tin. Lip balm is super easy to make and there are lots of recipes for different flavours online.

Zero Waste Snacks

When travelling for any period of time you will ultimately need to eat something and if you’re on a long bus ride or exploring a new city and you find yourself feeling peckish it’s easy to reach for a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate. However, these convenient snack foods always come in plastic wrappers and even if you dispose of them consciously, they might still end up in the ocean or at the very least in landfill.

A way to combat this is to eat zero waste packaging free snacks. That means buying fresh fruit and veggies from market stalls or supermarkets and switching chocolate bars, energy bars and crisps for a handful of nuts or seeds.

Remember that handy reusable container you brought with you? It doesn’t have to be for leftovers and takeaways it can also be to carry packaging free snacks on trips!

Second-hand Clothes

So many people buy new clothes every time they go on holiday, that means every year they get rid of clothes that may have only been worn a couple of times or even not at all.

When we moved to St Kitts we knew we would need more shorts and t-shirts than we currently had because that’s what we would be wearing all the time. Rather than contributing to the latest trend and buying fast fashion, I got on Ebay as soon as we had a moving date and started looking for brand named shorts including Superdry, Animal and Roxy.

I managed to buy shorts that were practically brand new for both me and Lewis for no more than £5 a pair!

Good places to look for cheap second hand clothing bargains are Ebay, Charity shops, Gumtree, Craigslist and Facebook marketplace.

Second-Hand Travel Gear

Like with second-hand clothes, you can often find people selling travel gear. This might be because they have finished a trip and no longer need something or maybe they bought something and decided not to use it.

Either way scouring selling pages are a great way to find budget friendly travel items and by buying second hand they are zero waste. You can pretty much guarantee that people will be selling whatever you are looking for, like – backpacks, packing cubes, locks, backpack safe, passport holder, you name it.

We have found everything from backpacks and anti-theft handbags to luggage safes and tents for sale and all at a fraction of the cost of buying them new.

Have you made the move to zero waste products yet? Let us know what changes you have made in the comments!

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