If travel is in your plans, and you’ve already been implementing eco practices at home, this might seem intuitive…or, you might learn something new!

Being environmentally-conscious is not all about plastic bags or straws; it’s about making everyday choices that contribute to our on-going efforts to ensure our survival as a species on this beautiful planet.

By making conscious choices we can help reduce pollution, protect wildlife, conserve natural resources and slow (even reverse) the rate of climate change. Everyone can make a difference, particularly when smart environmental choices become a habit, and begin to influence others into taking similarly-inspired actions.

So what can we, as guests, do to be more environmentally friendly? Especially when the airbnb, motel, hostel or hotel we’re staying in, isn’t yet applying some of these environmental practices?

Here are 5 practices I have learned over the years:

1. Turn that A/C/Heat off whenever you can. Open your windows (if you can), and when you first are settling in. Allow fresh air into the room for better ventilation, or cooling at night during hot days. During temperate days, throughout the day.

2. Immediately place that “Please Do Not Disturb” tag outside your door. This small action will save plenty carbon emissions and water waste—and save the cleaners lots of turning over the room, towels, and bed!

3. Avoid Plastic to-go Containers. Water, Coffee, Tea. There are plenty local coffee and juice shops worth exploring, that will appreciate your business. It’s more fun to get to know local spots, too!

4. Unplug all Electronic Devices you don’t need. TV? Alarm clock? These phantom energy suckers drain power—even when they are turned off..!

5. Bring Your Own Toiletries. This will help avoid all that single-use plastic wrapped ones.

Bonus round: If possible, choose eco hotels (that can include being close to everything you want to check out, and renting a bike). Eco-tourism, eco-resorts and always looking for eco-lodging makes all of this easier and more fun. And it doesn’t have to be more expensive. I appreciate you for making an effort to share these practices with your travel buddies 🙂

Enjoy your stay…and if you need a short Bed Yoga Practice, I made one for you (Find it at the end of the video above, or—click here for “Hotel Bed Yoga”).

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