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Being on vacation is all about taking a break from everyday chores but that doesn’t mean you can’t practice eco friendly travel tips too!

Here are 5 waaaay simple things you can keep on doing even when you escape from it all!

#1 Turn Off the Lights

I get it, you’ve checked out mentally to relax but don’t leave your energy-saving habits at home!

Turning out the lights in the hotel room is SO easy and saves energy!

But where are the light switches in your hotel room?  Which lights do they control?

I have a beach chair calling my name – I don’t have time to play with light switches! 🤣I get it but take just a minute to figure it out.

I don’t even want to know how many lights are left on all day in hotel rooms! Imagine if EVERYONE in the hotel took the time to switch off their lights when they left their rooms?

So before you rush out to sunbathe, hit the pool, practice yoga or on some other sunny adventure, don’t forget you CAN practice eco friendly travel habits too – just find the switches and flip ‘em off!

#2 Reuse Towels

One of my favorite parts of being on vacation is that I’m off laundry duty!!  I can let go and slack off – but that doesn’t mean I get sloppy!

One easy eco friendly travel tip is to keep your towels hung up so you can reuse them for a few days.

I don’t know about you but I don’t switch to a brand new towel every day at home so why would I do it on vacation?

Lots of hotels these days post reminder signs about reusing towels to help conserve energy.  Even if they don’t why not do it anyway?!

If you leave your towels on the floor (tempting, I know!) they are probably going to be assumed to be dirty and end up in the wash.

So, instead of acting like my teenage daughter who is a pro at leaving wet towels on the floor – hang ’em up!!

#3 Pack a Solar Charger

One of my favorite eco friendly travel tips to a sunny locale is to bring my solar phone charger.

Not that charging a cell phone in your hotel room uses that much energy, but I think it’s SO cool to use the power of the sun instead!

All you do is lay it out in the sun and plug in your device!  It’s that simple and it really works!

Here is the one I use and LOVE:

By the way, a solar charger is also a great conversation starter to get chatting about going green too!!

#4 Skip the Straw

Another favorite, ridiculously simple eco friendly travel tip is to do what I do at home – skip plastic straws!!

(Check out my post, “3 Alternatives to Plastic Straws“ to read more about why plastic straws suck.)

Since you’ll likely be doing a lot of eating out on vacation you’re probably going to have to ask to NOT get a straw in your drink.

If you haven’t been doing this at home, think of all of the practice you’ll get!  😃

I promise it gets easier!  You get used to the weird looks and reactions you get from servers and bartenders!!

#5 Open the Windows

It’s so nice to be out in the fresh ocean air on a beach vacation, right?!  I don’t know what it is about it but it just makes me feel happy and calm.

Take advantage of that ocean air and open the patio doors (and windows if you can) to your hotel room!

It’s a great way to take a break from breathing in dust and other air allergens but also an easy opportunity to conserve energy.  Take advantage of it!

Just remember if you do fling open the doors be sure to adjust your room thermostat.  You’re not going to conserve energy by cooling your room AND the outdoors!

Enjoy Your Vacation!

Now that you’re armed with a few easy eco friendly travel tips you’re all set to head out on vacation!  Enjoy!  You deserve it!