For many, travelling is a way to get out of one’s comfort zone, see the world, and escape responsibilities. But just because you’re on holiday, doesn’t mean you should forget your responsibility to the environment.

While travelling can indeed be very taxing on the environment – using up huge amounts of jet fuel, paper, plastic, and so on – there are ways to minimise the impact your vacation, whether you’re going to Asia, Europe, or for a quick weekend in the Caribbean.

• Use reusable bags

There’s no denying just how destructive plastic bags are becoming. They’re filling up landfills, clogging and poisoning our bodies of water, and killing our wildlife. The statistics reflect this, placing our plastic use at 300 million tons per year, resulting in over 10 million pounds of trash being collected at beaches and waterways every year. While lots of countries have either outlawed or put a price on plastic bag use, many still haven’t, and paper bags miraculous waste-free alternative.

Reusable bags, in this case, are the ideal. Bring some with you as you journey the world for the obvious purposes of bagging your retail finds, groceries, and soiled clothes. Should you use a reusable bag for shopping purposes, be sure to keep your receipts to avoid being accused of shoplifting. Lawsuits take up more paper than you think.

• Pack less

No one really intends to pack heavy. Extra kilos in your luggage also mean extra expenses, after all. The thing is that heavier cargo requires more fuel output for dispatch – whether you’re travelling by plane or by ship. Take knowing that heavier luggage also results in greater carbon emissions as another disincentive for packing more than what you need.

Take a moment to fully visualise your trip. Make a list of the things you’ll really need based on what you’ve envisioned. The time you take to rationalise your luggage as opposed to succumbing to impulsiveness and worry could have a greater impact on the environment than you know.

• Pick your lodging wisely

It’s not all about what you bring to a trip – even where you decide to stay for its duration matters. Applying eco-friendly concepts to architecture and design is a relatively new practice, so your average accommodation may not follow eco standards.

There are, however, ways for you to determine whether a hotel is the eco-friendly choice for lodging. For one, check if it has a pool. Pools, as you would know, waste huge quantities of water and chemicals for their maintenance. At the end of the day, flying across the world to swim in a hotel pool is probably not a good idea.

You can also check for a LEED certification. What is LEED? Their website states that “LEED certification means healthier, more productive places, reduced stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource-efficient buildings, and savings from increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs.” Organisations like the “Green” Hotels Association, the Center for Sustainable Tourism, and even National Geographic serve similar purposes.

• Avoid inefficient transportation

Flying seems to be the go-to means of transportation for most tourist destinations. However, plane flights use up a lot of fuel and are generally very costly and inefficient in their operations. Of course, some destinations you can’t help but fly to given the limitations of space and time (not everyone has weeks to spend for a cruise to Spain and back). The most you can do in cases like this is opt for direct flights. The shortest distance between two points is always a straight line, and a shorter distance means fewer carbon emissions. Same goes for travelling by water – if you’re taking a cruise, opt for shorter trips. If you can drive or take a train to your destination, that would be ideal.

That’s for getting to your destination. On to getting around once you’ve arrived. Renting private vehicles is a great way to contribute to global warming and limit your immersion. On top of that, a rented vehicle is an added responsibility to what could have otherwise been a relatively stress-free trip. Opt for public transportation like buses and trains, take taxis if you really can’t avoid it, or better yet rent a bike if you know how to ride one.

• Act in a hotel as you would at home

A common mistake among tourists is to abuse the services and amenities at a hotel. While, yes, you might not be directly footing the expenses for water and electricity, the environmental impact remains nonetheless the same. Reuse your clean towels a few times before trading them in for new ones. Switch off lights and appliances that aren’t in use – especially before leaving your hotel room to go about your tourist-ing. Be careful not to soil bed and pillow coverings to avoid having to replace them. In short: treat your hotel room as you would your home.

• Make adjustments to your home before you leave

Eco-friendly travel involves more than just the trip itself. More than destination, going on an eco-friendly trip also requires some adjustments to the home you leave behind. Supposing there isn’t anyone you’ll be leaving behind, consider tweaking the settings to your heating or cooling systems. Make sure that all lights and appliances have been turned off. Unplugging them is also a good idea as plugged appliances still take up electricity even when off – also preventing any untoward fires from occurring. If you have any pets or children, taking them to the pound or consigning them to a relative’s care is a fantastic idea both in terms of safety and eco-friendliness.

If there’s anything you can learn from these tips, it’s that travel need not be a wasteful activity. With some planning and mindfulness, you can reduce your impact on the environment and set an example for others to follow.