Whenever I’m at the airport I’m always disappointed by the overwhelming amount of plastic there is everywhere, as everything is packaged in single-use take away boxes. From food to gadgets, there is no escape from it. Even in airplanes, if they serve food it’s guaranteed that it will come in at least 3 different small plastic boxes with of course plastic cutlery. Over the years I’ve tried to make my experience in airports and planes as sustainable as I can, so here are so extremely easy tips that you can do in order to avoid the unnecessary consumption.
1. Always refill your water bottle. Buying water bottles is first of all not economical and secondly super bad for the environment, as it takes a great amount of time to degrade and vast amounts of energy to recycle. It’s SO easy to bring your own. Just take it with you empty to pass the airport security and just ask one of the cafes to refill it for you with some tap water. That’s it. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve never had anyone saying no to me.
2. Bring food and snacks from home. Packing food for a trip is no different from packing lunch to work or preparing snacks for the beach. Yet no one does it. It’s such an simple thing to do. It’s definitely worth trying, even if you end up buying something.
3. Sit in, not take away. Even if you forgot to pack food, then you can always sit in a restaurant and have some food there instead of buying something to take away. It’s definitely not the most convenient option if you are running late, that’s why I always pack something with me just in case!
4. Say no to airplane food. When you are booking your airline tickets there must be a section to choose whether or not you want to be served food on board. Sometimes, it gives you the choice of veggie, fish or meat instead. Regardless, always opt for no food if possible or for the vegan option as vegetable farming has the least Co2 emissions to the environment, and meat has the highest.
5. Buy an airport approved reusable plastic bag for your liquids instead of taking that single use bag every time you fly. I don’t normally recommend buying anything plastic, but since the airport security gives us no option other than a transparent bag then it is smart to buy one and have it for life.
That’s it! I hope that was helpful. We really have no excuse!
The Green Edit
