Posted on March 21, 2013
Source: http://blog.saferchemicals.org
When
traveling it’s easy to create more waste than you usually do, and increase your
exposure to toxic chemicals. As you may know, we’re advocating for stronger laws in Washington to ensure chemicals
are safe before they enter the marketplace. This common sense approach will
someday eliminate the need for us to provide “tips” for reducing exposure to
toxic chemicals, but in the meantime I hope these resources are helpful.
1.
Bring a reusable water bottle
The use of
a stainless steel water bottle while traveling can be very useful to stay
hydrated and reduce “single use”plastic bottles. Some airports (like Salt Lake
City) are now encouraging reusable water bottles by providing filtered water.
Second best option: if you forget your water bottle at home, ask a coffee shop
for a cup inside the gate and fill it with water, avoiding plastic bottled
water.
2. Skip the hand sanitizer
It’s
tempting to bring hand sanitizer on the plane, train or automobile, but many
hand sanitizers contain toxic triclosan, a pesticide. There are some
sanitizers that are triclosan-free, but washing your hands in warm water with
soap is a good way to keep germs away.
3.
Re-use plastic bags used at security check points
TSA
security requires the use of plastic bags to store your liquids (under 3 oz!).
I simply keep my travel personal care products in the same plastic bags,
reusing them dozens of times. It’s a simple way to reduce plastic consumption.
4. Use
a digital boarding pass
The
boarding passes are printed on thermal paper, which have shown to have high levels of BPA, a hormone-disrupting
chemical. By going paperless, and using the boarding document on your phone,
you can save paper and avoid unnecessary exposure to BPA.
5. Pack
your own snacks
Food
packaging is a common route of exposure to toxic chemicals. A study by the
Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute found that families who avoided
all food packaging reduced the levels of toxic chemicals in their
bodies by 60% in just three days. To save space, I suggest cloth snack bags,
which are great for storing nuts and fruits like oranges, which already come in
their own packaging.
6. Pack your own personal care products
Most
hotels still provide small shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles in the room.
This creates an unnecessary amount of plastic waste and the shampoo often
contains synthetic fragrance. Instead, bring your own personal care products in
3 oz. containers, which reduces waste and allows you to use your own products.
Or find an eco-friendly Bed & Breakfast or hotel.
7.
Bring your own utensils
I find
that to-go food uses a lot of plastic packaging, and one way to reduce that is
to bring your own utensils. These are reasonably priced and barely take up any
space. Bamboo is a good material since the bamboo trees grow back very quickly
and can be sustainably harvested.
8.
Research “green” shuttles and cab companies or take public transportation
When
arriving to your destination, there are ground transportation companies that
use hybrid vehicles and aim to reduce air pollution levels. Another option is
to skip the cab and take public transportation. If your destination has a good
public transportation system, use that and help reduce harmful air pollution.
9.
Cover your shoes with a shower cap
If you’re
packing more than one pair of shoes, cover the unused pair with a shower cap
(they usually have one in hotel bathrooms) to protect your clothes from the
dirty shoe bottoms. Believe it or not, shoes are a major source of heavy metals
and pesticides and are a route of transportation to bring toxic chemicals into
our homes and hotel rooms. I have reused the same shower cap for years!
10.
Urge Congress to pass the Safe Chemicals Act!
We are
unnecessarily burdened by toxic chemicals due to our out of date federal laws on toxic chemicals. The
time has come for us to shift that burden to the chemical industry so we don’t
need to worry about toxic chemicals when we travel, or anytime! Take Action
Now!
Ask your Senators to co-sponsor the Safe
Chemicals Act!
