4 Ways to Be a Climate Conscious Teen Traveler
Travel is an incredible privilege that we are overjoyed to share with teens from around the United States and the world. In our climate-aware age, we also know that international and domestic travel come with impacts on the environment. Just as we make personal choices in our daily lives to reduce our environmental impact, we can make similar choices when we’re traveling. These are a few of our favorite climate-conscious tips.
1. Reef Safe Sunscreen
We LOVE sunscreen. It keeps us safe from nasty burns and blisters and helps us reduce the risk of skin cancer. From the slopes of the Alps to the beaches of Croatia, no trip is complete without many reapplications of sunscreen. We’re not alone in this. An estimated 4,000-6,000 tons of sunscreen enters the world’s oceans every single year. Sunscreen washes off our bodies and into the areas humans like to go the most–our beloved coral reefs. Chemicals found in many commercial sunscreens contribute directly to coral bleaching and damage coral DNA. The main culprits to look out for are oxybenzone and octinoxate. They show up in many favorite brands, like Sun Bum and Banana Boat. Even when we’re not going swimming, wearing sunscreen with those chemicals can still affect the environment. Oxybenzone is absorbed by the skin and excreted in urine. These chemicals eventually are flushed out into the ocean. So how do we know what is actually reef safe? Look out for mineral based sunscreens that have zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as their top ingredients. For a full list of unsafe ingredients, check here. A brand that claims to be “Reef Friendly” is not always what it promises. It’s always best to check the ingredients to make sure these harmful chemicals are not present.
No matter what the objective, kindness wins
2. Airfare Carbon Emissions
Flying produces carbon emissions no matter what ticket you choose, but thanks to Google Flights you can now compare the CO2 emissions of flights to your destination. Using the CO2 emissions filter, you can compare flights with similar duration and layovers to find one that uses less emissions. Emissions are based off of the aircraft itself as well as the seat you choose. Flying first class is a treat, but it also comes with a higher cost of carbon emissions. The seat takes up more space and weight on the aircraft. Having the ability to sort flights by CO2 emissions allows us to make a more environmentally responsible choice when purchasing a ticket.
3. Donating Used Gear and Clothing
When planning your adventure, you might need to buy clothes and gear that you don’t normally use in your daily life. You might purchase hiking boots or water shoes that you really only need for the trip you’re on. When packing up your duffel bag exploding with muddy clothes and souvenirs, you might want to shed some extra weight. Some students choose to throw away clothing and gear that they’re finished with at the end of a trip. A climate conscious choice is to donate these used items, either when you get home or in the area you’re traveling in. This cuts down on generating more waste in local landfills and gives your used gear a new lease on life. One free and easy way to make sure your gear gets cleaned, repaired, and donated to a good cause is to check out Outside Magazine’s Gear Up, Give Back program. You can print off a free shipping label and mail in your used gear to a repair shop where it will be repurposed. If you’re curious about donating while abroad, talk to your Bold Earth instructor about coordinating this with a local partner.
Experience-based judgement is what keeps us safe
4. Choose Less Plastic
Plastic, like death and taxes, is an unavoidable part of life. However, we can choose to reduce the amount of single use plastics we add to landfills in a few easy steps. Single use plastics (such as straws, disposable forks, plastic bags, and takeout containers) are only usable for a short duration of time before being thrown away. They aren’t biodegradable, but they do break down into smaller pieces of plastic that release harmful toxins into the environment. Single use plastics can sometimes feel like too big a challenge to tackle since so many of our daily products and foods come in wrappers or packaging. Let’s talk about just a few things we can do while traveling to reduce our plastic usage.
BYO fork
Eating out is a huge part of travel. Whether you’re passing through the airport or visiting the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, you’re likely to be served your meal with a plastic fork and spoon. Bring your own reusable cutlery everywhere you go. It might seem funny at first to whip out your own spoon, but the impact adds up quickly. On Bold Earth trips, we ask students to bring their own mess kits so that everyone has a reusable option handy all the time
Swap the bottle for the bar
Many toiletries can be found in non-plastic forms, such as bars with reusable storage containers. This includes deodorant, shampoo, soap, floss, toothbrushes, conditioner, and body wash. If you’re interested in putting together your own plastic-free travel set, check out this guide for more ideas.
Say something about it
Communicate with your favorite companies. If there’s a product you use every day and absolutely love, but it always comes wrapped in unnecessary plastic, let the company know. Now is the time for consumers to ask for what we want. A simple email or social media comment can be enough to make your opinion heard.
When looking to become a climate-conscious traveler, perfection is the enemy of change. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the steps we’re not taking instead of celebrating the changes we can afford to make. Every choice counts when it comes to making our world a healthier place.
Recent blogs
Arches National Park Adventures
Curious about what life is like on Bold Earth’s teen travel programs? Sophie, a summer camper on one of our trips, submits an exciting blog entry about her experience at Arches National Park! Starting the day with an early 5:00 am wakeup, Dillon, Max, Logan, Don, Jackson, Lindsey, Mariana, and Alexandra, led
Interview With a (Previously) Nervous Student
Leaving your comfort zone to travel for several weeks with a group of strangers can be nerve-wracking. There are new foods, sights, smells, and social dynamics to navigate. Even if we know this new experience will be good for us, it can still feel overwhelming. It’s normal to feel butterflies when
Camera Recommendations for Bold Earth Trips
Many parents choose Bold Earth because of our no-electronics policy—teens finally get a much-needed break from digital and social media! But the first question they ask is, “How will Bold Earth teenagers be able to take photos?!” Believe it or not, digital point-and-shoot cameras are still available (we know, it sounds crazy).
Pros and Cons of Cotton Clothing
As we move into the new year, parents and students begin to look ahead to summer and make their 2019 Bold Earth trip selection. There are so many options taking place around the world—we know it can be hard to choose! With trip selection comes trip planning, and it’s important to
The Silver Lining to COVID-19 Quarantine
As we’ve all grown fond of saying, we’re living in a challenging and unprecedented time. No person in their right mind would describe these past few months as a “good time.” With all who have suffered from the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19, it’s hard to feel positive. I
And then it rained…
Well, I’m not sure if it actually did. But unless you’re on our Grand Canyon trip, it’s bound to rain at least once, right? This may sound odd, but we really like a day of rain on our trips. It doesn’t have to rain – maybe it’s wind or mud.
request your
program proposal
The custom group program process is a collaboration from start to finish. We love hearing about what you hope to get out of the Bold Earth experience.