When you start exploring the world of eco friendly travel products, you realise how much plastic you’ve been consuming before! We’re all trying to learn more about ways we can look after the environment and swapping a few products to become more zero waste and environmentally friendly you will be making a huge difference overall!
By making a switch to more sustainable travel products you can help the earth one decision at a time. There are many plastic-free travel products that you might just prefer using!
We’ve put together a list of our favourite eco friendly travel products and we’ve packed all of them in our 40l backpacks ready to explore the world. Did you know every decision you make when travelling has an impact on our environment? When travelling we all need to become more responsible travellers and be more careful about our actions! It’s never too late to try switching out your travel essentials to an eco friendly way of living.
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Where can I buy eco friendly travel products?
The best way to support our communities is to shop local. However, we do know that not everywhere sells specific eco friendly travel products. If you live in a city, do a little search on Google to check if there are any zero waste shops in your area.
You can always check if there are any weekend markets near you that may sell sustainable travel products, it’s a bonus if they’re also vegan travel products. We sometimes find these events on Facebook groups.
Another option that we love using is Etsy! Etsy has sellers from all over the world, but most importantly you can filter it to your own country. We love buying birthday cards on Etsy when we’re abroad as they handwrite a message for you and pop it in the post to your loved ones. Etsy has a great range of sustainable travel products and a lot of them use eco friendly packaging too!
17 Eco Friendly Travel Products in 2022
In this guide, you will discover the best ways you can swap your daily products to become more sustainable, vegan and even plastic-free! ‘Plastic’ is becoming an evil word in our beloved world and we can all help by reducing what we can.
In our list of eco friendly travel products, you will find products made from bamboo, silicone and metal There are only a few products that we mention that are made with plastic such as a Water Filter, however, it will save much more plastic from being used! Most of these are eco friendly toiletries with many more! Let’s discover eco friendly travel products in 2022!
1. Bamboo Cutlery / Spork
Life is actually a lot easier when you carry around your own bamboo cutlery set! No more single-use plastic when ordering street food and you’ll always have a pair of chopsticks ready to go in any situation! Bamboo is so lightweight, that it honestly doesn’t weigh your bag down.
So it’s definitely worth carrying a set of these on your next adventure. A spork is another great option, they can occasionally be made out of recycled plastic or even metal. We use both bamboo and metal cutlery so we are prepared for any type of food!
Here’s one you can find on Etsy here – Bamboo Utensils Set | Eco-Friendly Cutlery Set
2. Bamboo Cotton Swabs or Reusable Swabs
Bamboo cotton swabs (bamboo cotton buds) are definitely becoming more popular and most shops now sell paper cotton swabs rather than the plastic alternative. They’re easy to travel with and most of them come in biodegradable packing too!
Find Bamboo Cotton Buds on Etsy here – Bamboo Cotton Buds – 100% Biodegradable
If you’re trying to travel zero waste, reusable swabs may be the eco friendly travel product for you! We discovered them when looking for sustainable travel products on Etsy and didn’t even know they existed. They’re good for removing extra eye make-up or cleaning around the ears. They are made out of silicone with a wooden/bamboo stick. Once used, you just wash the silicone end and let them dry.
Find Reusable Bamboo Swabs on Etsy here – Reusable Bamboo Silicone Q-tips | Zero Waste | Plastic Free
3. Reusable Water Bottle
Out of everything on this list, a reusable water bottle is the most important. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely you already have one! Our reusable metal bottles are our favourite eco friendly travel products and they will last you a long time!
In the UK around 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are used every year. It’s quite hard to read this information, especially if you live in the UK and don’t consume plastic bottles yourself. It isn’t just water bottles that are made with plastic. Many drinks such as soda or smoothies also come in plastic bottles.
If you’re travelling anywhere in the world a reusable water bottle must come with you! You can even refill it at the airport and also on the flight to reduce even more plastic!
You can usually find sustainable water bottles anywhere in shops now, but we really recommend metal reusable water bottles as you can continue to travel plastic free and they should last longer!
Here’s one that we travel with – 750ml Bambaw Stainless Steel Water Bottle.
4. Water Filter (Lifestraw or Sawyer)
Back in 2019, we took our first backpacking trip to a country without clean tap water and we were getting quite worried about the amount of bottled water we may need to buy. So we jumped straight on Google and came across LifeStraw, and after 3 months in South East Asia, we successfully drank tap water without getting sick once! It deserves a spot on our eco friendly travel products list.
How does a LifeStraw work?
A LifeStraw removes bacteria from the water by filtering as you drink, so you’ll always have clean water on the go. We usually fill up our reusable bottles from our accommodation or ask locals to fill up our bottles in restaurants. They’re also great for drinking from rivers when camping or in nature.
LifeStraw also has a stainless steel metal reusable bottle with a built-in water filter, this would also work really well, it’s just more pricey. If you’re travelling through countries in Europe, there’s a low chance you’ll need one of these unless you plan on camping!
Different types of Water Filters:
- LifeStraw – $20 USD
- LifeStraw Go Stainless Steel – $60 USD
- Sawyer Mini Filter – price varies!
We loved using our LifeStraw when travelling in South East Asia and it helped us out in so many situations where we didn’t want to buy water. It may feel weird at first to drink through a water filter, but you get used to it and it’s so much better for the environment. We’ve also started using Sawyer Mini Filter on our travels throughout South Asia and it’s been amazing to drink fresh water from our reusable bottles every day. It’s a sustainable way of not having to buy plastic water bottles daily.
5. Zero Waste Soap (Body and Hands)
A bar of body soap is one of the first zero-waste products we ever knew existed. You would always find it in everybody’s house until liquid soap became more popular. With one or two bars of soap you can use it for washing your hands and they’re also great for washing your body.
The great part about this eco friendly travel product is that it doesn’t have to go in your liquids bag at the airport! If you want to travel with your soap, you can buy metal tins to store them when you’re on the go or a fabric bag. We use both!
Soaps are usually found in many markets around the world and it’s an amazing way to help support your local companies. We have tried many bars of soap and body soap, and have recently found Source’s vegan friendly lavender soap ready for our upcoming trip! Here are some vegan soaps we found on Etsy – Vegan Soap Gift Box. They also make great environmentally friendly gifts for friends and family!
6. Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Did you know that shampoo bars were invented more than 20 years ago by Lush? We think it’s crazy that they’ve been around for so long, yet many people use shampoo from plastic bottles. Solid shampoo bars are a great alternative to liquid shampoos. Have you ever tried using a Shampoo Bar before?
Zero Waste Shampoo Bars
Lush has a variety of different shampoo bars for different hair types and they are amazing! They are the leader in shampoo bars and a great place to start if you want to make an environmentally friendly swap.
We enjoyed the Seanik shampoo bar and the Soak and Float shampoo bar from Lush! If you do have a sensitive scalp, Soak and Float is recommended and also Tea Tree & Eucalyptus Shampoo Bar by EarthKind
How to use a shampoo bar?
Other zero-waste shampoo bars: Citrus Paradisi, Ethique, Faith in Nature, EarthKind & more on Etsy
If you want to support local businesses in your country, check out Etsy for a variety of vegan-friendly shampoo bars.
Zero Waste Conditioner Bars
Lush also has 3 conditioner bars to choose from and they are so unique!
How to use a conditioner bar?
After you’ve washed your hair using shampoo, gently glide the conditioner bar through the area of your hair you’d like to condition. Lush’s naked conditioner bars feel like they’re not doing anything, but once you rinse your hair after two minutes it feels conditioned and you can easily run a brush through your hair. I (Amy) was puzzled at first as it feels so different to silky smooth conditioner from plastic bottles.
There are a few other brands that offer conditioner bars such as Lush, Ethique, Faith in Nature, EarthKind,
Shampoo and conditioner bars are another one of our favourite eco friendly travel products swaps and they are amazing for backpacking as they don’t count as a liquid.
7. Reusable Canvas Bag
We always carry a reusable tote bag wherever we go, even if we’re just going for a walk. There have been many times where we go to the supermarket for one item and come out with ten. By carrying a lightweight tote bag with you, you’re always ready for the unexpected. It’s helped us so many times and it’s another one of our favourite eco friendly travel products. Just remember to carry them with you!
You can always find handmade tote bags at markets and festivals and you can also find them on Etsy! Here’s an example of some of the lovely reusable tote bags you can find on the website – Handmade 100% natural cotton sustainable re-useable tote bag.
8. Plastic Free Deodorant
This is one of the sustainable travel products we were a little worried about and it’s one of our most recent switches. After using 3 different plastic-free natural deodorants, we have successfully switched!
How to switch to a natural deodorant?
One ‘side-effect’ we didn’t realise is that when switching to a natural deodorant from the more commercial deodorants your body has a chance to breathe and we did experience a little rash at first. We want to be super honest! This is not a cause of the deodorant but a cause of the body changing over and your underarms being chemical free! This article talks more about how to switch to a natural deodorant – What Happens When You Switch To Natural Deodorant.
Please don’t let this put you off! Amy is now using a deodorant by Earth Conscious and the product is great – even in a hot tropical climate. It’s great! This is the exact one we’re using: Grapefruit & Lemon Deodorant Tin. There are a few great plastic free travel deodorants out there now, here’s a few we’ve used and liked: Kutis Natural Deodorant (UK) & Attitude Natural Deodorant (Canada).
9. Metal or Bamboo Straw
The plastic straw has become the devil in a lot of countries around the world and even big companies have made the switch to paper straws. When travelling we have found that countries in South Asia and South East Asia still use the plastic straw and often you don’t realise until your juice arrives with a plastic straw inside.
By carrying your own metal or bamboo straw, you can show them when you order a drink and even explain to them that you don’t want a plastic straw. They’re so handy to have on you and very lightweight to keep in your backpack. It’s the same situation as reusable cutlery. Metal starws are a perfect zero waste travel product and also make for a great eco friendly gift!
Find them here on Etsy – Reusable Straws Stainless Steel Silver (a bag for the straw is also a great idea!)
10. Bamboo Toothbrush
Another eco friendly travel product that’s popular is the bamboo toothbrush. They’re just the same as the average toothbrush, but they’re made with bamboo and not plastic!
We have to mention that we always travel with our bamboo toothbrushes! When we’re at home, we use long-lasting electric toothbrushes which are made with plastic but can last a very long time as you only need to change the heads. You can even buy biodegradable bamboo toothbrush heads for some electric toothbrushes.
It’s really important to keep teeth healthy and clean which is why we also recommended the next travel product! Find bamboo toothbrushes here on Etsy – Bamboo Toothbrush Dental Set. These also make amazing eco friendly gifts for friends and family as everyone needs a new toothbrush at some point!
11. Biodegradable Floss
Using floss is an important way to keep teeth healthy, it’s always recommended by dentists but unfortunately, a lot of them are not biodegradable and if you’re using floss at least once a day it can add up to a lot of waste.
There are now many biodegradable flosses to use and they usually come in a little reusable glass or metal bottle, so you can always refill with more floss. It’s a switch we’re very happy to have found when it comes to eco friendly products. It’s also best to find vegan biodegradable floss as it’s better for the environment! Find some on Etsy here – Bamboo Charcoal Infused Vegan Dental Floss.
12. Tooth Tablets
On the topic of sustainable travel toiletries, we want to mention tooth tablets on our eco friendly travel products list. We were a little sceptical at first, so we popped into Lush to speak with them. They are very helpful and offer two kinds of tooth tablets – a white mint tablet and a charcoal tablet.
Pro tip: Lush love giving out free samples! They gave us a few tablets to try and although we didn’t purchase those specific ones, it gave us the confidence to try them. We’ve listed below which ones we bought!
When finding the right tooth tablets for you, it’s important to mention that some of them don’t add any flavour and may taste like baking soda! They feel very different to normal toothpaste as they don’t foam up. Zero Waste Tooth Tabs to try: Minty Denttabs Toothpaste Tablets With Flouride – 100% Natural (These are the ones we use right now!) & We Smyle Tooth Tabs (Brush Tabs). These are great plastic free travel swaps and they’re vegan!
14. Reusable Tupperware
Reusable Tupperware is the perfect way to bring lunch with you on the go. Depending on where you’re travelling to, you may want to bring Tupperware with you. We find it very useful when backpacking Europe as you can bring lunch with you for the day to save money and also put leftover dinner in them at the end of the day.
You can find some on Etsy here – Bamboo Lunch Boxes & Eco friendly glass food storage containers for food prep (This will be heavier as it’s glass)
15. Menstrual Cup or Reusable Pads
Reusable menstrual cups are a great alternative to traditional disposable menstruation products. One menstrual cup can last up to 10 years with good care. They are usually priced at around £20, which means in the long run it will save you money whilst helping the planet. Plus they are so easy to travel with! There are many companies making these now, however, Lunette Menstrual Cup can be found in stores around the UK.
If you’re not interested in a menstrual cup, there are also reusable menstrual pads and period pants. These are great zero waste switches compared to any disposable product, you might find the perfect swap! Find period pants here on The Bamboo House & find Reusable Menstrual Pads on Etsy here – Reusable Menstrual Pads
13. Reusable Cotton Cleanser Pads
Reusable cotton pads are a sustainable alternative to single-use cotton pads. It’s been many years since we switched to these and they’re so handy! Especially when travelling. Reusable cotton pads are a great zero waste travel switch you can make and it saves you from buying more in the future!
Find some on Etsy here – Organic Cotton Face Pads Make-up removal & Eco-friendly facial cleansing pads.
16. Reusable Tissue
Are you always reaching for the tissues? Maybe you could benefit from using a handkerchief! This is another zero waste travel products that you may not have thought about before. If you have a few reusable tissues you can use and wash them when needed. It’s great because you won’t have to buy any more mini tissue packs that can sometimes be wrapped in plastic.
Find them on Etsy here – Handkerchiefs / reusable tissues
17. Eco Friendly Silicone Travel Bottles
Although there are many great plastic-free travel products out there, you may be needing a couple of products that still come in plastic bottles or liquid form. Instead of buying a mini version of that product, you can just pour a small amount into an eco friendly silicone travel bottle and it’s ready to go in our hand luggage. This works great for suncream, moisturiser or any thick liquid.
18. Reusable Coffee Cup
If you’re a tea or coffee drinker, you must swap to a reusable coffee cup. These have been popular for a long time now, however, it’s common that people don’t carry their cups around with them when they order a drink on the go. A reusable coffee cup can help reduce the number of plastic lids coffee shops use and also the extra waste of a cup in general.
You can find many beautiful sustainable travel cups here – Bamboo Coffee Cup
Plastic Free Travel Tips
How to travel plastic free? The world is becoming more aware of the environment and countries are slowly trying to reduce the amount of plastic they use. There are many ways we can help reduce our plastic consumption when travelling. Other than switching to plastic free travel products we can try to use a lot less single-use plastic.
More ways to reduce plastic when travelling:
- Eat more fruits from markets – Many snacks come wrapped in plastic which isn’t very sustainable. A banana, orange and many other fruits come pre-wrapped in themself! Fruits and veggies can also be found at many local street markets which helps the local community. Don’t forget to bring your reusable bag and also say no to a plastic bag.
- Don’t buy plastic water bottles – if you’ve read our eco friendly travel products list you would have seen that by using a water filter when travelling you won’t need to buy any plastic water bottles.
- Continue using your new eco friendly travel products so you won’t have to buy any plastic toiletries in stores when travelling!
Other ways to travel more sustainably:
Eco Friendly Travel Wash
This works amazing if you’re on a road trip, camping or if you’re going to be in nature a lot. An eco-friendly travel wash means you can wash your hair in rivers, wash your clothes in lakes and even use
Panda Bamboo Eye Mask
An eye mask is a must for some people when travelling. The Panda Bamboo Eye Mask is a great sustainable travel product that will help you catch up on sleep whenever you’re on the go. Find them here – Panda Bamboo Eye Mask.
Plastic free kitchen products:
Life Before Plastik has an amazing range of eco friendly kitchen products and some of them you may want for travelling. Check out their website here for inspiration!
Thank you for reading our eco friendly travel products article! We hope you found a few travel products that you’d like to swap and start using on your next trip!
Let us know if you want to know more about eco friendly travel swaps, as we love finding new zero waste travel products. It’s even better if they’re vegan travel products as we are love supporting 100% vegan companies.
Check out our other travel trips and our vegan travel posts and look out for more of our eco friendly and sustainable posts as we discover the world in a more sustainable way.
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Love all of these, spotted a few I recognise 🙂
Etsy is great and I’ve been using LUSH shampoo bars for ages, best for travel and home! 💕
Brilliant post!
Aww yay! You’ve been using shampoo bars years before me! – Amy. I’ve enjoyed changing over to new things! 🙂