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Steps to Reduce Single-use Plastics

- By:Author Rebecca Braak

Reduce single-use plastics

It is important to follow steps to reduce single-use plastics, to maintain the natural beauty of planet Earth. Tourism, like any other industry, can cause pollution, and it’s important for us to be well educated to contribute to conserving the environment. Find out below what are the best practices to reduce Single-use Plastics.


Eating out

When you do your shopping, the best option is to use a reusable bag. This is the easiest way to avoid unnecessary plastics. Also, it’s a better choice to buy from local farmers. This not only creates more economic opportunities but provides help benefits and reduces environmental impact.

If you are going on a trip and want to take lunch with you, we encourage you to use lunch boxes. Using Tupperware is already a good step, but is also important to check what the material is made of. Make sure your container is made out of glass or steel, this is better for the environment and your health, because of the harmful materials that can be released by plastic recipients. Remember that a small change in your habits can go a long way.

Another affordable option to carry your lunch is to use cloth bags. For beverages, use reusable aluminum bottles, a great alternative to save money and reduce up to 1,460 plastic bottles per year.

If there are any leftovers, use containers for storage instead of aluminum foil or plastics.

Buy local 

 Tableware

It goes without saying to avoid serving food on plastic disposable plates. However nowadays there are products such as bamboo plates and cutlery, which are biodegradable and can be reused several times, some even are dishwasher friendly. If you visit Ecuador, there are local producers of bamboo products. Ecompake is one of them, they make this type of tableware with an environment-friendly and chemical-free process. 

Bamboo Cuterly Non Plastic

Straws have made it into one of our essentials when eating out, but you might want to rethink that. It is true that plastic straws are harmful to the environment, especially to sea creatures, resulting in a massive campaign to replace them with different options. Nowadays there are plenty of options, for example, iron straws are an alternative that has come in strong, but they may not be as good as it sounds. According to studies, the carbon emissions that take producing one metal straw are the equivalent of producing 150 plastic straws. So what options do we have?

There are other alternatives that are biodegradable and more environmentally friendly, such as bamboo straws, papaya leave straws, and even edible straws made out of banana peel or pasta.  Or not even use a straw at all, why not?

Personal Hygiene

We all know the cute little shampoo bottles at hotels, but even though it may be tenting, they are a ‘big no’. Shampoo and soap dispensers are the best options to avoid unnecessary waste, but if your hotel does not have one, it is better that you use your own shampoo and avoid creating more waste. A great example of this is the Finch Bay Hotel at the Galapagos Islands, where all hygiene products in your room are in dispensers and they even provide reusable aluminum bottles for their guests.

Talking about personal hygiene products, changing your traditional bottled shampoo for bar shampoo and conditioner will definitely be more environmentally friendly and great for your hair!

Sustainable Bar Shampoo to reduce single-use plastics

Get Informed

When considering all the steps to reduce single-use plastics, getting informed is one of the least talked about, but a really important one. There are quite a few ways to reduce single-use plastics that you may have heard of. But there are a lot of products that contain plastic and you may not even know it. For instance, chewing gum, you may be surprised by this but most of the chewing gum on the current market contains plastics! You can reduce your gum consumption and and if do consume it, put it in the right recycling bin.

Another everyday product that contains plastic is cosmetics. Today more sustainable options are becoming more popular, so look for plastic-free products. Today you can find makeup sustainable makeup brands that offer brushes made out of wood and earth-friendly lip balms. This way you will avoid creating unnecessary waste and will take care of your health and skin getting rid of products that contain chemicals and microplastics.

Eco-friendly cosmetics

Following the rules

In some places that are especially fragile such as the Galapagos Islands, it is important to follow all the rules. These had been placed after various studies to make sure that the ecosystem is not affected by tourism. It is especially important for us to recycle and dispose of waste properly to keep the natural beauty of mother earth.

Choose Wisely

While planning your trip, look for eco-minded tour operators and hostels. Rebecca Adventure Travel, wants to raise the quality of tourism that is offered, that’s why sustainable and qualitative practices are constantly implemented in tourism. Responsible travel is a core value for us, aiming to provide socially, ecologically, and economically responsible tourism to our guests. Contact us to start your eco-friendly travel journey.

Follow these steps to reduce single-use plastics, reduce your consumption and be an example for your friends and family. The impact of your actions goes a long way. Be a part of the change!


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