5 low waste travel essentials

By Adelia Favret

Traveling is great, but the additional waste that it creates can put a damper on any trip for the environmentally conscious traveller.  Whether it’s a weekend getaway, business trip or month-long exploration, packing a bag (especially a last minute one!) is something that can create unnecessary stress and waste. To keep the worries and packaging minimal, we’ve put together some low-waste travel essentials to simplify your suitcase and travel routine!

1. Ditch the Liquid, Grab a Bar

One frustrating aspect of travel—especially air travel—can be figuring out how to store and bring hair products. If you have a carry-on bag, you can only bring liquids in containers of 100ml or less. To avoid the plastic bottles, the ‘liquid-bursting-all-over-your-bag’ scenario and using extra plastic bags to leak-proof, a shampoo bar is a great alternative. Long lasting and quick to dry in between uses, it’s perfect for travel. A personal favourite of mine is the Lemonade Stand shampoo bar by Skipping Stone Soap, which can double as soap and save you even more space in your suitcase!

2. Suck Less

Being on the go with a smoothie in hand or enjoying a cocktail by the pool with travel buddies makes it hard to say no to that single-use straw. Be prepared and pull out that reusable straw (available in stainless steel, glass or bamboo) you packed instead so you can still enjoy the vacation-mode vibes, while saying no to that unneeded plastic. Feeling self-conscious? Don’t worry these straws (especially these GlassSipper glass straws) are a great conversation starter to help you make new friends while away from home!

3. Bag Lady

Light as air and easy to roll up and throw in your luggage, bulk bags are a travel essential. They are perfect to bring snacks or other small travel-size items in. Pair the organic cotton bulk bags that Bare Market stocks with any reusable shopping bag and you will be prepared to carry anything you need on the go. Stuff your shades, frisbee, bulk sunscreen and bug spray in a large bulk bag and hit the lake…. you deserve it!

4. Don’t Be a Mess

Throwing a couple of reusable cloth wipes into your travel bag is always a good idea in case you need a napkin or tissue while in transit. I am embarrassed to admit how many times cloth wipes have saved me when I have spilt various foods on myself during travels! A 10-pack of 100% cotton cloth wipes should do the trick. They pack away tight and can be used over and over again. Just make sure you’re washing them in between uses.

5. Grab Yourself a Cup

Shout out to anyone out there who menstruates! Using a menstrual cup, such as the OrganiCup, is definitely a space-saver when travelling. Instead of bringing a bulky box of pads or tampons, this tiny silicone cup can be reused and washed out for years to come. Not only does it save space in your bag, but it’s hygienic, safer than tampons (no more TSS scares), can stay in for up to 12 hours and is easy to use. This is a great alternative to disposable single-use menstrual products.

If nothing more, I hope this list inspires you to lighten your load the next time you take a trip! If you’re ready to take the leap, all of the products mentioned here are available at every Bare Market Pop-Up Shop—but please only buy new reusable items if you don’t already have something similar at home, otherwise you’re defeating the purpose!

If you have another tip to add to this list, I’d love to hear it. Post a comment below to share.

About the author: Adelia is a fourth year student at Ryerson University in Toronto with a passion for the environment, music and travel. She’s very excited to be collaborating with Bare Market; as the first of its kind in Toronto (a package-free one-stop shop), she feels that Bare Market is building community and bringing folks across the city together. You can follow Adelia’s adventures at electriclia.co, or on instagram @electriclia. This month, Adelia is sharing her tips on how to reduce waste for the weary traveler; read on to learn more!