Buzz
By adopting simple actions like avoiding plastic straws and using paper or cloth bags instead of nylon ones, you contribute to preserving a clean and beautiful environment even while indulging in your holiday activities.
Eco-friendly Tips for Sustainable Travel
Say No to Plastic Straws
Every day, hundreds of millions of plastic straws are used and then discarded.
Similar to other plastic waste, plastic straws are either thrown on the ground or tossed into rivers and streams, eventually flowing into the ocean.
The excessive amount of waste severely impacts and threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of marine species.
Dispose of Plastic Bottles and Containers Responsibly
Buying a bottle of water or a soft drink is very convenient, especially when traveling. These are often packaged in bottles, cans, or cups made of single-use plastic.
But consider their impact on the environment: from production, packaging, transportation, refrigeration, usage, to disposal, single-use plastic bottled water generates greenhouse gas emissions hundreds of times more than tap water.
Thus contributing to climate change on our planet.
Every minute, over a million single-use plastic bottles are purchased worldwide. When buried in the ground, these bottles leach toxins into the environment and can take over 1,000 years to decompose.
If these plastic bottles drift into the ocean, they can be broken by waves into small pieces. Marine creatures may mistake them for food, ingest them, but cannot digest them, leading to their death.
And marine animals are not the only species affected by plastic waste. If you consume fish or seabirds, you may also ingest these plastics into your body.
By carrying a reusable water bottle, you help reduce harmful emissions to the environment and protect marine life.
Or you should dispose of waste in designated recycling bins.
Reduce the Use of Plastic Bags
Every year, an estimated one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide, emitting billions of kilograms of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Similar to plastic and styrofoam waste, nylon mesh bags when disposed into the ocean also contribute to the deaths of over 100,000 marine animals and more than one million seabirds annually as they ingest or become entangled in them.
The best solution to end this situation is to switch to using reusable fabric or paper bags.
Reducing the use of paper cups
The trend of 'coffee to go' is widespread nowadays. Everywhere you look, you can spot tourists on the beach or locals walking down the street with a paper cup in hand.
However, the issue is that most of these cups are lined with plastic. This means they're not always effectively recyclable.
Instead, they end up in landfills contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
If you don't have time to enjoy a cup of coffee in a cafe's ceramic mug, consider purchasing a favorite reusable cup.
And remember to take them with you whenever traveling.
Reducing food waste
Not finishing or throwing away ordered food is wasteful and disrespectful to those who produce it.
While you're comfortably eating somewhere on Earth, millions of people elsewhere are struggling through the day with hunger and thirst.
In addition to wasting food, the amount of food discarded into the environment also emits greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
Only buy the amount of food you need and use it all up.
Support Crown-of-Thorns Starfish eradication
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish are creatures living on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. They have significantly impacted coral species for nearly 30 years.
It's estimated that millions of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish inhabit the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian government has launched year-round programs to eradicate this species, but the numbers haven't decreased significantly.
You can help protect the world's largest coral reef by participating in diving and catching, eradicating Crown-of-Thorns Starfish.
By Minh Hai/Tuoi Tre
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourJanuary 12, 2018
