Plastic pollution and travelling – our role and responsibility as travellers
Plastic pollution is by far one of the biggest threats towards our planet and mother nature. The plastic is everywhere. And the actual spread of this tragedy becomes even more realistic during travelling. Plastic bottels on the most secluded beaches, plastic bags on hidden tracks through the mountains, micro plastic in front of our eyes when we go snorkeling and yet, we still get a plastic straw in the beach restaurants. But what is our role and responsibility as travellers in this topic? How can we contribute to the fight against plastic pollution and why is it of such an importance that we become aware of the issue?
The real problem about plastic pollution
Somehow, the extension of the worldwide pollution seems to be even more visible when you are travelling. You find plastic and debris in places distant from human civilization. The small plastic pieces are on the beautiful beaches we relax on, in the deep waters we dive in and on almost any hidden road we drive on. We quickly begin to realize the actual problem and how massive it actually is.
And yes, we too are responsible for it. And yet, we tend to “not see it as our problem”. We are simply guests in the foreign places and intervening in their waste disposal system just seems not to be our business.
And here is where the poor decision making begins. Because even when being visitors to a country, this is our responsibility. Planet earth is our home and it is our job altogether to keep it not only clean but as well to clean it up again after polluting it for years. It does not matter if it is your home country or somewhere in Asia: if you are confronted with plastic pollution, feel responsible to act.
But how??
What can I do as a traveller?
How? Or how could one single person change a problem that is created by the whole world? And how could picking up a few plastic pieces at the beach actually help and make a difference?
When many little people in many little places do many little things, the whole word changes.
Michael Franti
Read that again. And then try to think about how this can be related to our current topic. We all can do something against the plastic pollution, especially when we are travelling. In some way, we are responsible for the situation. To leave the places we travel to a little bit cleaner than we found it, seems to be the least we can do.
And here is how:
Always bring a bag to collect some debris
Rule number 1 when travelling: always have something with you to collect plastic. No matter, if it’s at the beach or during a hike. Be prepared to take plastic with you and clean up a bit.
Let´s take a day at the beach as an example. There is basically no more beach on this earth where you cannot find some plastic. Sometimes the pollution is clearly visible and you can see the pieces on top of the sand. In other places, you need to search a bit as it is not directly on the surface. But still: the beaches are one of the most polluted places you´ll see as a traveller. The ocean washes the debris into the sand and with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch becoming bigger and bigger this will for sure become even worse.
But don´t we all have the time to clean up a bit? During a beach day, bring a bag and take an hour to walk around and clean up the plastic you find. Of course, you sadly won´t be able to clean the whole beach but at least you left one spot cleaner than before.
And those actions really do make a difference.
Avoid the use of plastic bottles, straws and bags
Avoiding the use of plastic at home seems definitely easier than when you are travelling. Especially in Asian countries, plastic is used almost anywhere. As you cannot drink the tab water, you are kind of forced to buy plastic bottles. In restaurants, they serve with plastic straws and the street food stalls have only plastic packaging and cutlery. Of course, this is one of the main reasons why the plastic pollution is such a threat in those countries. They are (currently) lacking the alternatives and the knowledge to change and improve their use of plastic.
But still, as a traveller you should feel obligated to avoid using that much plastic. Surely, this takes some time to figure it out and it might cost a little more money, but there is always a way to live with less plastic when travelling in Asia or other countries.
Make sure to always bring your own bottle. In some restaurants and supermarkets, you can get a refill which is the best way to avoid buying even more plastic bottles. Some hotels or hostels also offer a filtered water, which is a perfect solution.
Another tip is to bring your own straws. There are plenty of options from bamboo straws to glass straws and all of them are better than the single use plastic straws. Put them on your next packing list and bring them wherever you go. And of course, before ordering make sure to communicate that you do not need a straw.
Some countries in South East Asia are currently working on a full plastic straw ban. Bali is a great example, but still there are exceptions. Therefore: better to be safe than sorry.
Participate in beach clean ups
Beach clean ups are a great way for travellers to help make our planet a better place and to meet new like-minded people. If collecting plastic on your own seems a little boring or you simply want to meet new people, this is a great option. The clean ups are mostly organized and take place on different times during the week. This could be a single event or a regular meet up.
But how do you find the clean ups and how can you be a part of it? If you are interested, feel free to ask in the place you´re staying at. If there are regular clean ups, they will know about it. Another option is to connect on Instagram and meet up with a group of people. Sometimes, travel bloggers to organize group clean ups where you can participate.
To be a part of a clean up, you do not need much. Simply be at the beach at the right time and you will get a bag and gloves and you are ready to go.
There are a few websites, where you can do you research to find a beach clean up near you. Volunteercleanup.org is one of them, as well as the Ocean Blue Project.
Raise awareness among friends and share it
When it comes to plastic pollution and travelling, there is a shocking fact: many people don´t even know the extension of the plastic pollution. They are simply not aware of the danger our planet is being faced with. Those people usually do not travel to the hidden beaches, they do not see the mountains of debris next to the dirty roads. They only witness the cleaned beaches in front of their resort and the shiny surface of the tourist towns they stay in. But as soon as you leave the tourist area, you will quickly be faced with reality.
As a traveller, who gets to see this exact reality, it is your job to raise awareness. Share the experiences and pictures with your friends. Tell others about it and communicate how we can all change small habits that can make a difference.
Notes-from-a-traveller´s tip about plastic pollution and travelling:
Did you know that collecting trash can as well mean a free coffee? On Gili Trawangan (Indonesia), you can particiate in a beach clean up, organised by Dive Center Central Gili. The place is located about 5 minutes walk from the main peer and has a small restaurant. They offer a free cup of coffee (any kind of coffee you like) if you collect one bin of plastic. The sad part of the story is that is takes you about 5 minutes to fill two of the not so small bins. The beach in front of the main road is dirty and full of plastic. And yet, this is a perfect idea to both contribute to a better and cleaner world and get a free drink. Make sure to try it out when you are visiting the island.
More about Gili Trawangan.
Why you should feel responsible
Plastic pollution and travelling – this is not only about ways to fight against the plastic pollution, but as well about the responsibility of travellers. Wait…you should be responsible? But you didn’t drop that piece of plastic at the beach in Bali. Well, obviously you did not. But if nobody ever thinks this is their responsibility, change won´t happen.
Therefore, it is an absolute necessity for us to feel responsible and view contributing to the fight of the plastic pollution as our task while we are travelling the world. It is in our interest that the earth remains a healthy and clean system. It is in our interest that we can continue to travel and explore the beautiful planet we live on without completely sinking in debris. This is our home and it is our job to keep it clean and healthy.
Avoiding it to be our responsibility is one of the worst mistakes we can make in the journey to reduce our waste and plastic. As travellers, we are people who get the chance to see the beauty of the earth. We get the chance to experience the wonders of mother nature. We get to walk on the most beautiful beaches, we get to experience the adventures of the mountains and the forests – and wherever we go, we can make a difference.
Are you in?
