To make your travels as sustainable as possible, it is important to bring eco friendly travel products and accessories for your trip. You can make such an incredible impact just with a few small changes to your travel accessories and that’s exactly what you want as a responsible traveler, right?
Let me tell you something. Today, I saw a video of a small dead fish. When they opened it up, it was full of plastic pieces inside. It’s not the first time I see such videos, bigger fish swallow a lot more plastic, but not only fish. Seals, sea birds, and other creatures also eat huge amounts of it.
This is serious and it’s critical!
One thing we as travelers can do about this, is to be mindful about using only eco friendly travel products and avoid plastic, even at home. But we can also encourage and join beach cleanups to give a helping hand with the huge amount of plastic that’s already out there.
Don’t worry, I’m not perfect either. It’s a journey and as long as we do better every day, that’s what matters.
To help you make your travels as sustainable as possible, I’ve put together this thorough list of sustainable travel products and accessories so you don’t have to do all the research yourself.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of those links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Eco friendly travel products and accessories
Here are some of my top picks for sustainable travel items so you can travel with good conscience. You can also read my full list of eco friendly camping gear here.
Eco friendly travel backpacks
First things first. Make sure you travel with an eco friendly backpack. There are many great brands out there, but what should you look for in an eco friendly travel backpack?
Check that the company that produces them set sustainable production high, that materials are either eco friendly or recycled material. Companies that talk about sustainability and that try to improve their practices all the time and encourage repair instead of buying new are usually a good choice.
Osprey is a great alternative, with vegan, durable products. However, if you want to look at others, I have a whole post on eco friendly backpacks you can check out here.
Get Osprey Fairview (women) here
Get Osprey Farpoint (unisex) here
Eco friendly travel bags
There are many eco friendly travel bags and brands to choose from. Patagonia is a leading, trust-worthy brand when it comes to sustainability. They focus on constantly making their practices and products more sustainable.
This solid duffle bag is made from recycled plastic bottles and Patagonia has a solid policy for repair, replacement, and refund.
Get a Patagonia Black Hole 40L Duffel Bag here
Eco friendly packing cubes
Florious packing cubes are the perfect choice for eco friendly travelers. These eco friendly packing cubes are made with only recyled materials and are super handy when you travel.
They make it super easy to organize your belongings whether you travel with a suitcase or a backpack.
Get your Florious packing cubes here
Eco friendly toiletries
Eco-friendly toiletries are (luckily!) getting much easier to find these days and they make such a big difference. Less plastic, is better for your body, and they do not harm the planet.
These are some must-have eco-friendly travel products, but also things you will want to convert to at home.
Eco friendly face cream
Ethique has an eco friendly solid face cream which is perfect as you don’t need to use a plastic container for it and it won’t run in your bag. Less liquids if you travel with hand luggage only. It’s not only plastic free, but vegan and cruelty-free too.
The perfect travel companion for any eco-conscious traveler.
Get your Ethique solid face cream here
Eco friendly shampoo and conditioner
Etique shampoo bar is long-lasting and good for your hair. Other than being cruelty free and vegan, you can be sure that it doesn’t harm marine life when running down the drains, unlike normal shampoo.
To save space when traveling, you can use it as body soap too.
Get your Etique shampoo bar here
Eco friendly soap bar
As mentioned above, you can easily use your shampoo bar for body soap too. That way you save space in your backpack.
But if you like to have a dedicated eco friendly soap bar, try this from Olivia Care. It’s vegan, not tested on animals, and sustainable.
Get your soap bar from Olivia Care here
Zero waste deodorant
Most eco friendly deodorants come in plastic one way or the other. However, the zero waste deodorants from Coconut Matter Mood don’t. Made from all natural ingredients they’re also vegan and cruelty free. This is a great choice for a zero-waste deodorant.
Buy a zero waste deodorant here
Bamboo toothbrush
A bamboo toothbrush is a great alternative to the plastic ones! Do I need to say anything more?
Toothpaste tablets
Toothpaste tablets are some of the best sustainable travel toiletries you can change to. I was skeptical at first, but seriously. You just need to bring as many as you’ll need for the trip, which saves so much space, and there is no plastic involved.
They’re super easy to use. You chew it and then brush your teeth as normal with the toothbrush.
Eco friendly travel toiletry containers
With only solid bars in your travel toiletries, you can get eco friendly travel toiletry containers from Ethique to put your eco friendly shampoo and conditioner or soap bar.
You can also opt for simple tin containers that can fit more than one soap/shampoo bar.
Reusable makeup wipes
This makeup eraser is a great alternative to disposable wipes. It can also remove makeup with no need for extra products, meaning you can save money and even more waste there!
It is also double-sided – the long fiber side is an exfoliator and the soft side is gentle on the skin and will remove makeup using only water.
They are easily washed in the washing machine with your normal load and can be reused numberless times, it is a great long-term solution to cotton pads.
Get your reusable makeup wipes here
Menstrual cup
Not only great for the environment, but switching to menstrual cups makes having a period way less uncomfortable. This option from Cora is great for first-time users as it has a different design than most cups which makes it much easier to insert and remove.
They also have an amazing deal where with every purchase they give pads and health education to a girl in need – so not only a green product, it is also part of a really important social movement.
Get your Cora menstrual cup here
Metal razor
This Bambaw reusable razor is super eco friendly. Plastic razors are impossible to recycle so getting a durable metal razor will reduce waste and save you money as the only thing you’ll need to replace is the razor blades.
I also love that their user manual is completely digital and comes with tips for extending the life of blades and the reusable razor, plus instructions on how to properly use it for different parts of the body.
Eco friendly insect repellent
If you’re like me and being loved by mosquitoes, you’ll need a good eco friendly mosquito repellent. Try this natural, zero waste repellent from Murphy’s Naturals.
If you’ve been unlucky and got bitten already, they also have a real soothing balm to calm down the itching. Try Murphy’s Naturals Insect Bite Relief Soothing Balm here.
Buy eco friendly insect repellent here
Zero waste sunscreen
There are many eco-friendly sunscreens out there. This Raw Elements zero-waste sunscreen is great and it comes in a recyclable, reusable, and plastic-free tin. It’s reef-safe, cruelty-free, and organic.
Buy eco friendly sunscreen here
Portable Bluetooth speaker
Marley Chant portable Bluetooth speaker is made of recycled material. It has 6 hours of playing time and charges by USB. This is the perfect companion for sustainable travelers who love a good tune.
The good news is that the Marley Chant is also splash resistant in case it starts to rain on your camping trip or you have it by the pool. This is a good quality and durable Bluetooth speaker that is eco friendly.
Get your Marley Chant portable Bluetooth speaker here
Head phones
Headphones are a must for any traveler and finding a good option can be tricky. This Anker Soundcore headphone is a great cost-benefit one. They are comfortable to wear, have good audio quality, and good battery life so you won’t be left hanging.
These headphones are wireless and can be easily connected through Bluetooth, they are compatible with smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers. They are also noise-canceling, so very good for desconnecting on long journeys with a lot going on around you.
Buy Anker Soundscore headphones here
Solar powered phone charger
Solar chargers are great for outdoors and camping trips as you can have a natural and free source of energy. This option is fairly light and easy to carry, you can hang it open outside your backpack when you are out on a hike, outside your tent or simply leave it outdoors.
They are waterproof and have 4 solar panels to improve power capacity, good to note that they cannot store energy though – so you either need to charge your phone directly or use an external power bank.
Get your solar powered phone charger here
Reusable water bottle
A reusable water bottle is my favorite travel companion! It saves so many plastic bottles during your trip and with the Greens Steel water bottle you have cold water all day.
If you travel to places where drinking water isn’t safe, I suggest you get a LifeStraw Go water bottle which filters out all the bad stuff so you can enjoy safe drinking water wherever you go!
Get your Greens Steel water bottle here
Travel coffee mug
Reusable travel mugs are among the greatest eco friendly inventions – they are practical and super useful for on-the-go drinks without the guilt of creating more waste.
This particular Stojo Collapsible Cup is amazing for travelers as it becomes very small and can easily fit in a day bag – or most importantly, your carry-on travel backpack. It’s made from silicone and recycled material, so it’s BPA-free and safe for both dishwasher and microwave.
It also comes with a reusable straw that isn’t attached to the cup, so your choice whether or not you want to take it with you. I also love this option as it gives you different choices of colors and sizes.
Get your Stojo collapsible travel mug here
Bamboo cutlery
If you’re looking for a good, plastic-free alternative to cutlery, this is an amazing option.
It comes with two sets, so you’ll have a spare one in case you are traveling with someone else or you can just leave one at home. They are great for travelers, especially for hiking, camping and outdoor activities as they are easy to pack, carry and use. But also for street food or take-away where you otherwise would get it served with plastic cutlery.
Apart from the standard fork+knife+spoon set, this option also has chopsticks and a straw. I especially like this product as it comes with a nice packing bag for each set, it is lightweight, dishwasher safe and good quality natural bamboo.
Get your bamboo cutlery set here
Bamboo straw
Thankfully there has been a great rise in awareness when it comes to the use of plastic straws – so many of them end up in the ocean causing pollution and killing marine life. There are many alternatives to them nowadays and a great one is bamboo.
Bamboo is a natural and biodegradable option, they can be washed and reused multiple times for both hot and cold drinks. This 12 straw set from Bambaw can be purchased on Amazon and it comes in two different sizes, with a cleaning brush and a nice cotton straw bag.
Tote bag
This bag made me so happy! Being a backpacker myself, I have a special love for compact things. This bag has a small carrying pouch attached, so it gets super compacted and you can easily carry it everywhere. It also has a carabiner clip, meaning you can just attach it outside your backpack.
These ChicoBag reusable bags are of great quality, washable and have a big selection of colors. And by replacing disposable plastic bags, you do the planet a great favor – they are one of the deadliest items in the ocean and another big cause of sea pollution.
Final thoughts about eco friendly travel products
There are a lot of great eco friendly travel products that you can use to make your travels more environmentally friendly. I hope you found what you were looking for and that you have endless ethical adventures!
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