Zero Waste Travel: Easier than you Think!

1. Ditch the plastic for reusable bottles

   
   
   Australia's tap water is truly delish.. safe, healthy, and available free right from the source! So why stick that in plastic when you can fill up for free?! When you think about it, buying bottled water is simply buying a plastic bottle, which is why most of our hostels don't sell bottled water. 
   
   BYO bottle to fill up on cool, fresh, filtered water at most of our hostels, or if you've left your bottle at home - we've got bottles at reception that you can pick up to ditch the plastic bottle! Using a reusable bottle for a year can save up to 214 bottles from going to landfill, so if enough of us ditch the single-use and pick up a reusable bottle - that's thousands of plastic parts staying clear of landfill. Major zero-waste win!

2. Give us ya' scraps!
   
   

   When you find a squished sandwich at the bottom of your bag, or when your banana that you've been 'meaning to eat' throughout your trip has finally liquified, send them straight to the compost! Food waste is one of biggest waste problems in Australia, with the average Aussie throwing out nearly 35% of their food.. enough to fill nearly 9,000 olympic swimming pools!
   
   There's organic waste and compost bins throughout a bunch of our hostels, meaning that your trash is turned into treasure! At Grampians Eco YHA, your scraps go straight to the chickens, who love a bit of carrot at the end of the day, and at Railway Square YHA, hostel compost feeds the veggies at the local urban farm in Sydney. 

3. Sharing is caring
   
   

   Community is a huge part of hostel culture, and that includes sharing what we have to help each other and reduce waste. Connect with those around you and share a meal, drop off some unwanted clothes to our sharing stations, join in a hostel BBQ, or borrow a book during your stay, and get into the swing of communal living!
   
   Pick up some fresh herbs from the garden patch at Fremantle Prison YHA to avoid those annoying plastic herb bags, or take what you need from the communal cupboard at Blue Mountains - Katoomba YHA. When it's your time to head off home, you can pass on the good vibes to the next traveller and share what you may no longer need.

4. Pack a lunchbox

   
   
   The classic packed lunch is making a huge comeback, and rightfully so! Even if you forget the food, by bringing your own container, utensils, and the oh-so-trendy reusable straw you can prevent literal tonnes of waste ending up in landfill. 
   
   We're big fans of a packed lunch, espescially when you can store it for free in our hostel fridges and cupboards so you can grab it and go whenever you're headed out on an adventure. Instagrammable meals that help save the planet? Sign us up!

5. Switch to solids
   
   

   This may sound like baby talk, but solid soaps are serious business! Say goodbye to lugging around big plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner and soap, and switch 'em out for solid bars that are free from plastics and packaging, and easy to travel with too. Travelling with solids means there's no leaks when you forget to close the lid of your shower gel or toothpaste, and are easy to get through airport security if you're travelling by plane.
   
   If you're headed on a short trip, you can cut up your solid bars and stick them into containers to make it easier to pack lighter, and get ready to lather up without a lick of waste to be seen!

Keen to learn more about how you can stay green while you travel? Check out our sustainability initiatives across our hostels and see how your stay is helping create long-lasting sustainable changes.