Results tagged “Recycling” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Hitting the road this summer? Just because you're out of your comfort zone doesn't mean that your eco-friendly habits have to go on vacation too. Responsibletravel.com recently surveyed their readers about which travel faux pas they noticed most often in tourists. It's bad enough looking the part, do your best not to act it by avoiding these ill-minded actions.

1. "Littering - especially plastic bags."
2. "Purchasing illegal souvenirs or food produce."
3. "Wasting water in destinations which face shortages e.g. Spain."
4. "Leaving lights on."
5. "Leaving air conditioning on in hotel rooms when you're not in them."
6. "Purchasing mineral water in plastic water bottles when the hotel provides drinkable water for re-fills."
7. "Standing on coral reefs. It takes approx. one hundred years for one inch of coral to grow. By killing it you affect the whole eco system."
8. "Disturbing wild animals by getting as close as possible for a better picture."
9. "Throwing cigarette butts on the ground."
10. "Failing to take advantage of recycling facilities where offered."

Of course, there's hope for all of us, and lots of great ways to stay green while you're traveling. For more tips and ideas, check out Traveler's Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel. And National Geographic's Green Guide just launched their huge online package on having an eco-savvy summer, offering tips on what not to bring to the beach, a "How Green is Your Road Trip" quiz, and yes, even a buying guide to eco-friendly beer.

Got your own tip? Share it below.

[via Traveling the Green Way]

Photo: Vasjan Gulka, National Geographic magazine's My Shot

I'm just back from a week visiting the beautiful - but densely populated - island of Bermuda. Fortunately, the government has taken steps to preserve what they have. Here are some examples:

• To cut down on traffic and air pollution, each family is permitted one car only, which may not exceed 196 inches in length. The speed limit is 22 mph and gas costs roughly $7.00 a gallon.

• There are no car rentals on the island. Visitors can rent scooters, take taxis or public buses. We had a blast taking a scooter out for a spin. Note: they're hard to control at low speeds and many streets are very narrow.
  

• The bus routes go all over the island, are easy to figure out, and the buses are clean and have big windows. The best part: each bus driver has his or her own personal boombox on board, so each bus has its own vibe. Plus, the school children use the local bus routes to get to classes, so it's a great way to interact with the community.
  

• Trash cans on the street have a built-in container for glass and can recycling.

• Grocery stores offer paper, not plastic bags, but most people bring their own reusable shopping bags.

• Houses have cisterns beneath them for storing rainwater. The roofs have grooves to channel the water.

People think of Bermuda as a beautiful resort community, but it's nice to see that they have policies in place that are working to help keep it that way.

Photo by James Terrell, of my daughter's front walk in Bermuda on a rainy morning.