During the summer of 2022, I went travelling for 8 days around Europe. I went to Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels and Amsterdam. I set myself the challenge to try to be zero waste for this trip. Here are some things I brought with me and my experiences with them:
Deodorant
I wanted to switch to a more sustainable option and one that was zero-waste, natural, vegan and solid deodorant. The option I went for was from a brand named Wild. The aluminium case and recyclable refills made it the best option. The deodorant was perfect, I travelled by train and therefore didn’t need to worry about liquids, but it was really handy to throw in my day bag. The deodorant melts with your body heat making it easy to use. I chose coconut and vanilla but there are other scents to choose from such as Jasmine and mandarin blossom, orange and neroli, fresh cotton and sea salt.
Toothbrush and toothpaste
I’ve been using bamboo toothbrushes for a while so that wasn’t a swap that I had to make specifically for this trip but I do think it is important to note that not all bamboo toothbrushes are zero-waste or compostable so do check before you purchase one. As for toothpaste, many are not zero-waste, they are covered in plastic and unfortunately, many toothpaste companies test on animals. For the trip, I decided to go for toothpaste tablets, the sparkle ones from Lush which aim to remove stains for a “squeaky clean smile.” The tabs worked well I did see a difference in the colour of my teeth. To use them you break them up in your mouth and then using a wet toothbrush they will foam up like regular toothpaste.
Water bottle
On this trip, I decided to bring a water bottle to reduce my plastic waste. It worked sort of- I was able to fill it up during breakfast in Paris, Luxembourg and Brussels (in Amsterdam my accommodation didn’t offer breakfast). There are refillable water fountains but they can be difficult to find. In this case, I ended up buying orange juice in plastic bottles which in Luxembourg was easy to recycle but in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam there weren’t many recycling places. However, I do think bringing a water bottle and/or a reusable coffee cup is beneficial.
Reusable makeup wipes
This was an easy swap I made to eliminate the use of makeup wipes. I brought reusable wipes and facial soap to take my makeup off which worked well and meant that I didn’t have to bring micellar water which would have been a waste of plastic and would have taken up more space in my bag.
Straws
This one was pretty straight forward I brought glass straws with me just in case, in the end, I didn’t need them but they were cheap and are a good alternative to plastic or even paper straws. The reason I chose to have glass straws as opposed to metal or bamboo straws is that with glass straws you can see if it is clean inside.
Solid toiletries
To reduce my waste I brought solid toiletries with me. For example, for the facial wash, I brought dove soap which helped clean and clear my skin as well as take off my makeup. For body lotion, I used a solid lotion bar which melts using body heat and was super moisturising for the whole day
Making easy swaps when you travel can help to reduce your waste and reduce your damage to the planet, these are also swaps you can make in your everyday life.