Staying green on holiday

It's holidays! Well, almost. There's a few days left for most of us and it's a great time to do some planning, depending on where you're travelling to and what kind of accommodation you'll be staying in. Here's a few tips:

• Take along some board games, books, handicrafts or a drawing pad instead of computer games and leave the laptop at home.
• Invest in a solar-powered charger. These portable units are great for charging batteries, cell phones and even power your laptop.
• Bring reusable water bottles and coffee cups with you
• Resist the temptation to bring paper plates and styrofoam cups. Instead, bring some non-breakable plates and cups and utensils.
• Cloth napkins and handkerchiefs are most compact than boxes of tissues and paper serviettes. They can also be rinsed and reused for added eco-friendliness
• If you are camping ensure you stay on approved trails and camp in the appropriate areas. You may find a small gas stove or barbeque better than lighting a fire (often not an option due to fire bans) . Take all your rubbish with you.
• If you're staying in a hotel or B&B reuse towels and sheets rather than having them changed everyday. When we've stayed at the Travelodge for Green Renters trips, they provide a card which you can put on your door if you opt for a bathroom wipe down, bed made and towels hung rather than a full clean everyday (I don't know anyone that uses fresh linen every day at home)
• Visit some local businesses, and try out some local made produce. A lot of tourist areas offer sunday markets where you can sample fantastic fresh produce.
• If you're buying souvenirs for friends back home, favour local made crafts which are made by small businesses rather than mass produced souvenir postcards and the like.
• Before you even leave home,  reduce phantom power usage by unplugging appliances such as computers, televisions and entertainment systems, radios and stereo systems, etc.
• Organise a friend to water your garden and pot plants. Ideally these should have been mulched and fertilised before you go