14 sustainable travel swaps our writers have made

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Shampoo swap “I’ve ditched plastic shampoo bottles for solid shampoo bars in my holiday washbag - as well as limiting the plastic I bring to my destination, they go further and are one less thing to worry about for the hand-luggage liquid limit.” Lucy Thackray Refillable bottles “I always travel with my own water bottles and keep these refilled - most airports have a drinking-water tap or fountain after security so you can go through with the bottle empty and fill up for free before your flight.” Mary Novakovich Destination rethink “Travelling more sustainably starts when you choose your destination and means of getting there. Travel light: your baggage has a carbon footprint, too.” Simon Calder Soap and glory “This may be a small trick, but I always bring the little hotel room soaps back with me - I can’t bear the thought of them getting chucked into landfill after a couple of uses, and they always come in handy at home.” Nicola Brady Offsetting option “Wherever possible, I pay a little extra when I book my plane ticket to offset the carbon generated by my flights – many airlines offer the option and it’s usually only a few dollars.” Justin Meneguzzi Built-in filter “A few years ago I upgraded my refillable water bottle to one that includes a built-in filter, which pretty much eliminates the need to ever buy single-use plastic bottles of water while abroad. I recommend using apps that do the logistics for you, like CityMapper and Google Maps.” Shilpa Ganatra Bag it up “A cloth shopping bag takes up next to no room in my luggage and is great for souvenir hunting minus the plastic - plus you can stash dirty clothes in it for the journey home.” Sian Anna Lewis Ditch the spray “Instead of bringing plastic bottles of mosquito repellent spray and covering my destination in Deet, I always keep a stock of those little anti-mozzie paper stickers you get all over Asia. I’ve even started seeing them in the UK.” Tamara Hinson Swap plane for train “My biggest swap is train for plane: I’ve taken the Flight-Free UK pledge every year since 2020.