As a consumer I try to support companies working towards a healthier planet. I strongly believe each dollar/euro/krone/lira/dirham/pound spent can be a vote for a cleaner environment. So, I am always on the lookout for the best product to put in my pack.
After over a year of travel I have tested this list of products to the max. I found each item while shopping the old fashioned way; walking into stores and gazing at what is on the shelves. No one has asked me to talk about their product, my motivation comes from a desire to share what I have used and loved.
The List
photo credit: Fable Naturals
I was doing groceries on Commercial Drive in Vancouver and came across this fantastic paper tube of lip balm. I am on an eternal quest to reduce the amount of plastic in my life, especially the little stuff easily left behind, littering the ground, making its way into waterways and oceans to be swallowed by fish and birds. I was a bit concerned that the paper packaging would not hold up, but decided to buy it anyways. As it turns out there was no need to be worried, here is what it looks like now, after over a year of travel:
Raggedy and worn, but still intact. Oh, and the lip balm itself is lovely, lasted over a year, and comes in one of my all time favourite flavours – vanilla.
photo credit: Go Bamboo
Another little thing usually made out of plastic that is meant to be thrown away regularly. I found these when I was in Wellington, New Zealand, and bought a handful before leaving. I composted 2 while I was on the road: one in Graz, Austria and the second in Izmir, Turkey. How cool is that? Remembering where I left behind a toothbrush on purpose, thinking about it disintegrating instead of taking up space in a landfill for generations.
BioBag resealable sandwich bags
I kept reading about how plastic ziplock type bags are endlessly useful on the road. I try not to use them at home, so figured I would skip this particular travel tip. Then I came across Biobags in a Vancouver grocery story. I thought they would fall apart on me, images of the pale green pouches getting soggy and turning into a mess inside my pack flashed through my mind. So, I brought along the full box of 12 bags thinking I would have to pace myself, and came back with 10 (4 completely unused). Other than accidentally ripping a couple on sharp edges, and leaving one behind with my leftover pizza at a restaurant in Paris, these bags toughed it through the whole trip. This is one I used heavily for snacks.
Not only is this gem made from upcycled rice bags, 1% of sales supports the work of the Nature Conservancy. Found mine at Opus, an art supply store in Vancouver. It is a good size, not so big as to encourage my pen habit too much, and, being a bag instead of a box, only takes up as much room as needed by the contents.
Patagonia Women’s Barely Bikini undies
Light weight, quick drying, and 73% recycled, what more can a woman on the road ask for? I am also a big fan of Patagonia as a whole. Read more about the company’s views on environmental and social responsibility here. Sorry, no pictures of my used underwear.
photo credit: Fjällraven
I love this pack. It is my home. When I was searching for the bag, the ultimate container for all that which I consider essential, I had a few nonnegotiable criteria in mind. It had to be comfortable on my small frame, hold 40L or less, made by a company that actually does something positive for the environment, and not be pink, purple, or light blue.
I looked for over a year and was just about ready to give up when I stumbled upon my Fjällraven. The pack itself is a bit heavy, weighing around 1.5kg. I know there are lighter bags out there, but the durability of the fabric (made from recycled polyester and organic cotton) is well worth the weight. After a year of rough handling on buses, trains, a couple of planes, being strapped to the back of a bicycle, hauled onto my shoulders a billion times and dropped on all kinds of ground surfaces, I know this pack is going to last my lifetime.
There you have it, a glimpse into my pack. Many of these items are little, easily overlooked as opportunities to improve habits, but they add up. Maybe it is because I am little as well that I still think they can make a big impact. Hopefully you find something on this list you can add to your own pack.
What ‘green’ items do you use that you are particularly fond of?
