EARN YOUR ECO STRIPES

JULIET KINSMAN, CO-FOUNDER OF ECO-HOTEL CHAMPION BOUTECO (BOUTECO.CO), SHARES HER TIPS FOR TRAVELLING SUSTAINABLY

MAKE A FUSS

If we all talk louder about the hotels that do support local suppliers and consider their environmental impact, it will prompt others to be more responsible. Before booking, email to ask the hotel about water preservation. And request menus that promise local, seasonal ingredients from small producers.

SAVE WATER

Shower instead of having a bath and limit your laundry, including bed linens and towels. Take a refillable water-filtering bottle such as Lifestraw (lifestraw.com) and make sure drinks in the restaurants are local and not imported.

AVOID PLASTIC

Oceans are teeming with rubbish and microplastics from beauty products, many tropical destinations are landfill disaster zones. Leave all packaging out of your luggage, avoid plastic water bottles and never use a plastic straw again.

BE NATURAL

Chemicals in toiletries are killing coral reefs. Avoid oxybenzone, the Uv-absorbing chemical found in most sunscreens, in favour of natural products such as those at nourishedlife.com.au and thelaborganics.com.au.

GO GUERILLA

Initiatives such as packforapurpose.org recommend what to take with you to donate to the place you’re visiting, such as paperbacks for South Africa’s Ulusaba Private Game Reserve’s adult-literacy programme, or school supplies for The VOMO Island Resort’s isolated surrounding villages.