“Mom I am back” screamed Ayushi as she entered the hall. Her mother’s face bloomed with happiness. Ayushi had just come back from her 10 days trip. “How was your road trip? I missed you so much!” said Mom as she hugged her.

Ayushi said “Trip was awesome. I will explain it in detail. But, first I need to get freshened up and have food. I am craving for some home-cooked food”.

“Sure”, said Mom. “By that time I will unpack your bag and put your dirty clothes for washing”. Ayushi was happy to hear that. “I couldn’t ask for more. The bag is totally smelling from those old clothes”. And, she disappeared into the bathroom.

As Mom started unpacking Ayushi’s huge rucksack, she dumped everything on the floor and gasped in shock! All she could find was plastic water bottles and plastic covers from her souvenirs. Ayushi was undoubtedly an environmentalist. She was concerned about protecting the environment. But, when she was traveling, her ‘no plastic rule’ seemed to be totally forgotten. Mom confronted Ayushi about this, and all Ayushi could respond was “How can I avoid plastic while traveling? It’s impossible!”.

Mom said “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” and she started giving tips on how to avoid plastic while traveling.

Here are the best ways to avoid plastic when you are traveling:

• Carry reusable water bottles – Refill the water into the same bottle instead of buying new ones. If you can’t carry your water bottle or are forced to buy a bottle, ensure you refill it and use it for the rest of the trip.
• Plastic bags are a big no – Do not accept plastic covers in the shops when you buy things. Carry reusable shopping bags everywhere you go.
• Don’t buy travel sized bottles. While they seem easy to carry, they contribute to waste. At hotels, avoid using the small miniatures. Every bottle unused contributes towards saving the planet.
• Toiletries in plastic bottles should be avoided – There are a lot of brands in the market that have launched their toiletries in vegan bottles. Make use of them.
• No plastic cutlery and straws – Carry your own wooden forks and spoons. So that you don’t have to rely upon the plastic ones. Buy a steel straw, and carry it with you on all your trips.

• Stop using chewing gum. Do you know that gum is produced from synthetic rubber and the gum base contains polyethylene polymers. Now not only is that unhealthy, it’s a major contributor to plastic waste!
• Did you know wet wipes are made of plastic? All of us reach for wet wipes from time to time, especially while traversing hot and humid climates. Check if your wet wipes are eco friendly. Are they biodegradable or compostable? If they aren’t available, please use a soft cotton cloth instead!
• Pick the waste along the way as much as possible and help our environment to be clean. If you can’t find a dustbin, carry it home for safe disposal.
• Check if your travel company supports ecotourism. This may seem odd, but travel and tour companies that consciously make an effort to decrease plastic footprints make tremendous impact and influence on the Travel ecosystem. (We’re proud that Towno is one such company)
• Lastly, be an advocate. Don’t watch in silence when others discard plastic bottles and coffee cups and leave a plastic footprint behind them. Practice and educate to make the earth plastic free.

We all know that plastic is going to be there for centuries if we do not stop using it now. Our environment is already affected by it. A lot of animals have died consuming plastic.

We at Towno, an experiential travel startup also believe in fostering local communities and minimizing our plastic footprint. As we take serious steps towards sustainable tourism, please join us in taking a step forward and saying no to plastic.