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Holiday traveling can bring about a whole lot of unexpected circumstances, but one constant component to a trip on the road is the gas station. Whether it's for fuel fill-ups, snacks, coffee, or restroom breaks, gas stations are definitely a part of any trip-holiday or not. Over the years, I have learned how to incorporate the average gas station into my green road-tripping. It's been a difficult skill to master, but if you're interested in making your next gas station-filled road trip a bit greener, try following some of these tips.
- Bring your own cup.
Whether you're filling up on drinks or heating some soup or oatmeal, bringing your own microwave-safe cup will help you travel in a greener, healthier way. Having your own cup will rule out any plastic or styrofoam you may buy and I've yet to run across a gas station that didn't allow the use of personal cups. - Use the hand dryer.
Paper gets wasted quickly in gas stations. I often see that typical gas station paper towel strewn across the bathroom, hardly used. Avoid wasting trees by just using the hand dryer. If they don't have a hand dryer, consider simply letting your hands air dry. - Don't buy cigarettes.
If you are a smoker, try to get your cigarettes in cartons from bigger stores. I'm not condoning smoking here, but you'll waste less cardboard and packaging buying a carton rather than a pack at each gas station. - Ignore the junk food.
There's nothing green about filling your body with chemical-ridden junk food. There aren't too many other options food-wise in a gas station, unfortunately. You can, however, keep your eye out for things like nuts, granola, and fruit.
Holiday traveling can really be a blast. In fact, it's of my favorite things ever. If you love traveling by car too, make sure you aren't letting the gas station routine leave a negative impact.
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