Eco-Friendly Travel Tip: Plan Ahead and Foresee Potential Obstacles

My bags are packed and I'm ready to head out to San Francisco for a week on the West Coast. This is my end of summer voyage and I'm super psyched. While I try and be a good, green citizen, I do partake in a flight now and then because traveling helps to me maintain my sanity. I haven't been anywhere significant since our honeymoon jaunt through the rainforest to some eco-lodges in Costa Rica and Panama last year. This time I'm headed to San Francisco for the better part of a week and then down to Tahoe for the Wanderlust Festival. So I'm sure you're wondering if this green writer actually practices what she preaches. While not perfect, I did take some serious time out to plan ahead to make my trip a little greener. Here's how:

I will say no to in flight snacks and beverages.

Even if I didn't care a lick about the planet, the food on the plane stinks and now you have to pay for it. So I went ahead and packed my own hard boiled local, organic eggs for breakfast along with some organic granola. I brought along an empty mug so that I could have my fill of coffee or tea without the paper waste. I also brought an empty aluminum water bottle (you can't bring through security) so that I wouldn?t have to drink from Styrofoam or buy tons of plastic water bottles along the way. This way I can choose local and organic treats instead of the processed junk you get on the plane. It also saves on packaging.

I packed light (after packing and unpacking twice).

I packed up my suitcase but couldn't seem to decide what to bring, the weather in San Francisco can be so finicky. My friends all say to layer but at the same time I don't want to have to hall a ton of cloths. In the end I decided to bring only what I could fit in one small bag and anything that I was lacking I could just borrow from a friend. Packing lighter means less weight on the plane, which in turn means a more fuel efficient aircraft. And you also have to pay for checking baggage nowadays.

I purchased Cool Pass carbon offsets.

The largest eco-expense of the trip is most definitely the flight. According to Cool Pass, the cost of offsetting my travel is less than $32. So I went ahead and bought the offsets before my flight.

I stayed with my friend Susan

While in San Francisco I'll be staying with my friend Susan, easily avoiding the waste and the cost of staying at a hotel. Hotels cause tons of waste in terms of water usage, electricity, and trash. Susan also lives in walking distance of everything so I will never have to hail a cab or rent a car. I can indulge in a good amount of San Fran's famous cuisine and still burn off the calories walking around all day.

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