5 ECO-FRIENDLY ITEMS I CARRY WITH ME

This is a guest post by Caroline from Enviroline Blog.

This year is the year of the staycation. As annoying as it is that we can’t go abroad, it’s much better for the planet and it reduces your carbon footprint. Did you know that a flight from London to Rome produces 234kg of CO2? That is the same amount that the average person in Sierra Leone produces in a year! A flight from London to New York is 986kg of CO2, which is more than the average person in 56 countries use per year, including Paraguay. (figures from The Guardian) 

Image by Ready Made on Pexels.

I don’t tend to fly because I really hate going on aeroplanes, but my parents and I usually take the ferry to France or Spain. The last time we went was 2 years ago, obviously not last year! Although I was very much into helping the planet, I wasn’t so aware of constantly carrying around eco-friendly alternatives with me. However, now there are 5 items that I always carry with me - as well as the obvious keys, phone etc. 

Tote bag 

This seems fairly obvious because you need a bag to carry things around in. I’m not really a handbag kind of girl, I’ve always liked to carry a tote bag. I love the fun messages they have on them! The reason why they are so useful is that they can fold down. If you are walking to the shops, you could keep your purse, phone & keys in your usual bag and fold down the tote bag to fit in too. I sometimes do this with spare plastic bags in my tote bag. 

Another great thing about tote bags is that quite often you can get them for free. If you are visiting a uni, most of them will give you a tote bag. Ironically I didn’t receive one when I visited Bournemouth Uni, which is where I am now! 

Related: 5 travel essentials you need for a trip away

Reusable water bottle 

When I first decided that I wanted to be more sustainable, I decided to stop buying plastic water bottles. This sounds simple but I get thirsty very easily when I’m out and about. For example, I would be in town with my friend and wouldn’t be able to buy any water because I didn’t want to buy a plastic bottle. Sometimes I had to cave, I mean your health is number 1. Though, this is actually what forced me into remembering to bring a reusable water bottle wherever I go. I now take one with me everywhere! It doesn’t have to be a big heavy one because you can refill it in a cafe. 

Spare bags 

Carrying on from taking a tote bag with you, bring some plastic bags. Plastic bags are made to look really bad and as much as they are awful, if you have to buy one, reuse it as much as you can! If you throw it away because plastic is bad, it will end up going to landfill so much quicker than if you use it until you can’t. 

In lockdown, I quarantined my food or wiped the packages down with antibacterial spray before using them. I didn’t want my tote bag to be contaminated too, so I used to line it with a strong plastic bag. I did that for another tote bag too, for when I was having a bigger shop! Everyone has that bag of plastic bags, they are much better in use than sitting gathering dust. 

Cutlery 

I would really recommend carrying a cutlery set in your bag. This could be a bamboo set you have bought from the shop or spare metal cutlery you have from home. Either way, it needs to be reusable so something that you can wash. A little bag to keep it in is useful too, so that it doesn’t get all dirty in your bag - pencil case size would be perfect. It still astonishes me how shops provide plastic cutlery in the ‘food to go’ section. Saying that, I have also seen bamboo cutlery wrapped in plastic! It makes no sense. I like to include a straw in mine too, some travel mugs include a straw hole so it would be very annoying to forget that! 

Having a reusable cutlery set is great if you are worried about the cleanliness in restaurants. I’m sure that they have a high standard of hygiene, but sometimes I just prefer to use my own. Just before the UK went into lockdown, I had my 18th birthday meal out with my friends and I was so worried about Covid, so I took my own cutlery along. It might seem a bit excessive, but it makes me feel safer. 

Travel mug 

A travel mug is a definite must. You never know when you are going to want a coffee. I feel like it’s just one of those spontaneous moments, like if you are out with friends shopping, I guarantee someone will want to get one. Even if you don’t, you could lend it to your friend so that you are still reducing plastic. I went to Starbucks the other week and was unsure they would let me use my own mug because of Covid. But, luckily they really welcomed it. I just placed my travel mug in one of their ceramic mugs so that neither of us touched both the mugs. It was a super simple process! 

Related: 5 activities to do instead of using social media

Thank you so much to Lauren for letting me guest post on her blog! You can find me over at Enviroline Blog for more environmental posts, as well as mental health posts. 

What eco-friendly item do you always carry with you?