HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT ONE PLASTIC STRAW AT A TIME
Worries about plastic pollution led to us launching our range of eco-friendly drinking straws. Reading about the damage being done to wildlife, seeing first-hand the damage that was being done to coastlines and beaches, and then researching about the extent of the plastic pollution inspired us to make a simple change to start to improve our environmental impact. A straw seems like a small thing, but McDonalds use 1.8 million straws a day in the UK alone, and if carrying a metal straw can help to cut those numbers, it’s a start.
The UK government has a plan to drastically reduce single-use plastic waste, including straws, by 2025, and other countries such as Taiwan are following that lead. Metal straws are a way that I can make a contribution to improving the environment, and since I started carrying them there has been a noticeable difference in my attitude towards other unnecessary waste.
METAL STRAWS
Metal straws have got a long history – the ancient Sumerians used straws made of precious metals to get to the bottom of the fermented drinks that they made.
5000 years later, and straws have ceased to be solely a means for rich people to get drunk. The current popularity of straws actually started around a hundred years ago in America, when people realized the public health dangers of the newly popular soda fountains in America (whilst the soda was clean, sharing cups was not).
The solution? Straws: often rye straw. The problem with this was that it often fell apart, and imparted some of its flavors into the drink. Eventually, with this being America, capitalism found an answer and paper straws replaced the 100% natural answer that had already been provided. Once technological advances had given us plastic, that took over. Soggy straws were a thing of the past. If you want more information on the history of straws to check out this great article in National Geographic.
WHY GO REUSABLE?
Plastic straws are much cheaper to produce than paper straws, and paper still produces waste which then relies on being recycled. This is why we think carrying reusable eco-friendly metal drinking straws is a great way to get around the problem.
There are a number of reasons that people want to use straws, including;
Iced drinks in summer can be difficult to get to the bottom of without either a straw or a face full of ice;
If you have sensitive teeth like me, a metal straw means that you can enjoy a refreshing drink without the pain that can come with it;
Dentists also suggest that using straws can reduce the impact of sugary drinks on your teeth (annoyingly even natural sugar causes damage so fruit juices can be damaging);
Thick drinks can be as difficult to drink as icy ones, so using one of our metal smoothie straws can stop you getting a smoothie on your cheeks and in your hair;
People also like to keep their makeup in place, and a straw stops you need to reapply your lipstick or lip gloss.
We know that plastic waste is a big problem, and globally estimates suggest that as many as 100 marine animals die each year from plastic pollution, as well as around a million seabirds. It goes without saying that even if these estimates are exaggerated, they are far too high.
PLASTIC POLLUTION
Owning reusable products can help to bring the amount of plastic used down, whether it’s reusable bags, metal straws, a drinks bottle, or glass jars for storing loose grains, powders and rice. For those who don’t have a physical need for a plastic straw, this is one of the places where we think individuals can make the biggest impact. Carrying your reusable metal straw, in its handy pouch, with its straw cleaning brush, means you can still enjoy the drinks you love, and you can pass on plastic.
Carrying your reusable products with you also shows businesses that there is another way. Saying no to plastic can make people think twice before putting a plastic straw in every drink, wrapping produce in plastic bags or cling film, or giving you a takeaway cup for an inside drink. Raising awareness can be as simple as demonstrating good behaviors.
The reality of solo travel can be completely different than what most people think. Today more people are traveling solo than ever before due to different reasons.
First, of course, the population is the biggest up to date on earth, but that’s not the only reason why people are going traveling on their own.
More people haven’t met that special someone and is single than before due to our lifestyle at any other time in history. Or you are traveling on business, or you just need some time for yourself. There are many reasons and traveling alone can be entirely different than going with a friend.
One of the biggest challenges for many people of traveling solo is taking the first step and making the decision to go somewhere and pack your bag.
Some people want to travel solo in luxury but for others just to travel can be a luxury. Whether you’re looking for a safari, a luxury tour, or a sustainable travel tour, start by googling “luxury travel,” go to the websites that most match your travel dream destination, and look if there is a section on their site that is devoted to solo travelers.
If you’re planning a solo trip and want to know some tips for luxury solo travel, here are ten top insider tips for independent travelers you need to know.
Top Tips for Luxury Solo Travelers
Choose Your Destination
One of the best things about traveling solo is that you can go exactly where you want to – a popular destination or off-the-beaten-track. Firstly, after you made the decision to travel you have to pick where you want to go. To make your choice easier you have to ask yourself some questions: What would you prefer a city, beach or countryside? What type of weather hot or cold? Adventure or relaxation? Do you wanna go to a popular destination or you want to go off the beaten track?
Then the time you have will help you narrow down your choice. For example, are you planning a long weekend getaway, extended travel, or something like a few days? Depending on the amount of time you have to travel, some destinations will be a better option than others.
Explore Your Options
The best way to have a luxury vacation for cheap is to visit a cheap destination.
All-inclusive hotels and resorts have been gaining in popularity recently. They include food, drinks, and tips, significant savings if you tend to splurge on these and you can enjoy all the facilities in the resorts including free Wi-Fi.
Find Where to Stay
Some hotels and lodges are better than others, especially for solo travelers. It’s great to book through someone who has stayed at that accommodations and can bring more insight for them.
For some travelers, accommodation is often more important than the destination. If you’re going to a spa or a resort, for example, it doesn’t matter where you are because you’ll spend most of your time in that resort.
When looking for a 5-star retreat think about the country first. You want a country where using your currency can buy a lot. A few examples here: Central America, Southern Europe like Greece, Portugal, Spain or Southeast Asia.
You have a better chance of a deal when you call the hotel directly.
Airlines
High Season Means High Prices. Popular destinations tend to have high seasons with corresponding prices. Book early or at the last minute.
Sometimes, finding an amazing flight deal is all you need for a luxury vacation. If you’re flexible, you can try Skyscanner search everywhere feature. This is one of the best sites for finding a good deal with the best flight prices available with searching of over 1,200+ partners. You can a set location in mind and click on the get price alerts button. There are also many other websites where you can subscribe to price drop alerts.
One of the best tips to help you get the most for your transportation dollar is using the rule of thumb – long-haul flights to longer trips and short-haul flights to shorter ones. This will help keep your daily costs down.
Another tip is to look for large immigrant populations near your home airport and you’ll likely discover where flights are less expensive for the distance.
Cuisine
Eating alone is not about eating as quickly as possible but it is more of time to enjoy what you have ordered! According to reservations site OpenTable there is a 110 percent increase in bookings for one person over the past 24 months.
In a fine dining establishment, the bar is a more casual place to eat than at a table and often you can meet people at the bar and have interesting conversations.
There are many ways you can eat in a nice restaurant and not pay the full price. Some of those are buying a discounted gift card or using coupons or birthday discounts. Many countries do not require to leave a tip. When you are traveling alone no matter if it is a business trip or solo travel adventure it is always a good idea to limit your alcohol. Not just because it could add up a big portion of your bill but you do not want to walk out drunk in a foreign country.
if you’re going to pay that premium price, you might as well get your money’s worth by ordering something special that you couldn’t. Or you could enjoy a locally owned restaurant and experience great food which normally you would never discover.
Find an amazing guide
Having a tour guide by your side during your trip can provide you with additional information and a local perspective that allows you to deeper explore the culture. A good guide will be able to explain the local culture and traditions and give you other local insights about the places you visit.
Local guides are available for you to hire to help you experience more of the place you visit and difficulty language situations you ran into you. There are so many more benefits of hiring a guide for your Africa, Asia or any trip.
A good guide will know the time to visit the attractions to avoid big crowds, tricks to let you experience the most out of major tourist destinations or bring you to off-the-beaten-path spots you wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Transportation
You have many options here – you can rent a car /but make sure you have a travel insurance that covers a collision/, use a ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft if available at that location or you’ll be surprised how many hotels, if you are staying at some, offer free shuttles that stop at major locations in the city. If you are going with a tour most of your transportation of course will be arranged already so you do not have to worry about.
When you don’t know your way around a new place but want to experience the most out of your trip, skip the cheesy tourist tours and seek a local car driver service. Drivers know the streets and popular venues as well as a taxi cab driver, but they also provide a safer and more personalized transportation service.
Use a tour operator
Many solo travelers prefer to join a group travel over independent travel. If this is your preferred choice, then the challenge here is how to choose the tour that’s suits you best.
The beauty of joining a tour is that you’ll have all your logistics taken care of, including some extra travel challenges, transport logistics or language barriers, and this is usually the part that most travelers spend time to.
If you’re want to meet new people and forget about the hassle of organizing your itinerary or transport, then a group tour is your choice. If you just want to go on a journey,
Many tour operators don’t charge the single supplement HF Holidays, Friendship Travel, Explore, or Interpid Travel.
Experiences
Traveling solo can bring you one of the greatest experiences you will ever have in your life. Sometimes you just need to get away from it all and disconnect, and that’s one of the biggest benefits of solo travel. Stepping out of your comfort zone to discover new cultures and unfamiliar places opens up a new way of thinking and living.
Travel planning can be stressful, but when you join a tour, they do the planning for you and even can help you book flights. So you can focus on preparing for your adventure by studying books or researching the destination’s history and culture.
How to travel eco-sustainably
Avoid bottled water Travel with sustainable, eco-friendly or fairtrade travel agencies Reduce consumption of meat Use eco-friendly products Book eco-friendly accommodations Support local economies
Resources for Solo Travelers
One Traveller is a U.K.-based company offering trips for the “mature single traveler” over 50+ to world destinations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.
Solo Traveler is more than just a site – it’s a community where people who share a passion for traveling alone exchange tips, resources, and destination guides for solo travelers.
Singles Travel International is for solo travelers with an average age of 48 through 65 and it offers trips throughout the world.
When traveling abroad is always important to have a reliable credit card. The experts from CreditCards can create a guide to help women budget and save for their travels while informing them about extra safety precautions with the pandemic.
Women Traveling Together is focused on solo female travelers who prefer to join a group of other traveling women. Do you dream of exploring & traveling the world with a small group of women traveling together? Then this may be your top choice. The company offers roommate matching, tours, and other getaways.
Want to find more create destinations for solo travelers? Check our section Solo Travel for more tips and inspirations.
Another important part of being a responsible and sustainable traveler is being animal-friendly and protecting the wildlife interactions you might experience. There are many ways we can ensure we’re more responsible travelers, such as learning about local cultures and customs, using eco-friendly products where possible, and leaving no trace of our visit.
Wild animals are captured across the world and taken from their natural habitats or bred in captivity and suffer a lifetime of cruelty and abuse.
Travel companies worldwide profit from some of the cruelest types of wildlife tourist attractions. And because the demand for animals in the entertainment industry is so high, these animals continue to be used and abused for profit in ever-increasing numbers.
The demand for wildlife entertainment attractions has been growing globally, and countless organizations around the world are looking to profit from it. People visit wildlife tourism attractions because they love animals, and many are completely unaware of the suffering that occurs behind the scenes.
Top 10 Tips to Help You Be An Animal Friendly Traveler
Research
Research the places you are planning to visit. A quick Google search will provide you with more than enough information to help you decide whether to visit.
Only visit and support animal sanctuaries and shelters involving wild animals in captivity if the organization’s objectives are in the animals’ best interests.
Use Trusted Operators
An increasing number of adventure tourism providers have shown interest in establishing protocols to ensure their offerings are free from animal cruelty. There are several things companies can do to evaluate the wildlife attractions they offer for potential cruelty, educate their customers, and focus more on-demand toward more animal-friendly experiences.
Say “no” to elephant rides.
Don’t ride on the back of an elephant. To ‘train’ an elephant to accept riders, they are taken from their mothers at a very early age and physically and mentally abused. They’re chained, hit with clubs spiked with nails and hooks.
Please do not support the training that uses elephants to train them for you. Independent has an excellent article on why tourists need to stop riding elephants.
Save The Selfies For The Humans
Don’t take a wildlife selfie if the animal is being held, hugged, or restrained. This article from Right Tourism suggests that once asked, tourists were far less likely to take a photo once they knew the consequences.
Be careful when shopping for souvenirs.
Don’t purchase souvenirs from wild animals, such as shells, seahorses, fur, ivory, teeth, rhino horns, and turtle shells.
Ensure you avoid visiting live markets where endangered or exotic species are sold.
Feeding stray animals is not always helping.
Don’t feed stray or community-owned animals; it could take them away from their longer-term food source.
Avoid visiting aquariums with large mammals.
Avoid aquariums or marine parks where large mammals like dolphins or whales are kept captive. These environments are very unnatural and cause stress to these intelligent and far-ranging animals.
Limit Your Wildlife Encounters to The Wild
Don’t initiate contact with animals; view them in their natural habitat, exhibiting natural behaviors. Remember that animals do not exist for our entertainment, so avoid any animal-related performances, such as dancing bears in the street or animals used in circuses.
These animals have been trained via often cruel or violent methods to perform for tourists.
Before riding on the back of an animal such as horse, mule or donkey
Before riding on the back of a horse, mule, or donkey, match your size to that of the animal and ensure that your weight is evenly balanced.
Speak up!
If you see an animal in distress during your travels, note the date, time, and location, as well as the type and number of animals involved, and report it to a local authority or charity such as Born Free. Take a photo and/or video as proof. Share your story with friends and family on social media.
March 3 marks UN World Wildlife Day, dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
I hope this article will make you think twice next time you go on vacation. Avoid visiting places where wild animals are held, be a more animal-friendly traveler, and still enjoy your holiday. Responsible wildlife tourism can contribute positively to local economic development, biodiversity, and ecosystem and wildlife conservation.
Want to learn more about other sustainable destinations or tips? Check out the section on sustainable travel.
Owning reusable products can help to bring the amount of plastic used down, whether it’s reusable bags, metal straws, a drinks bottle, or glass jars for storing loose grains, powders and rice. For those who don’t have a physical need for a plastic straw, this is one of the places where we think individuals can make the biggest impact. Carrying your reusable metal straw, in its handy pouch, with its straw cleaning brush, means you can still enjoy the drinks you love, and you can pass on plastic.
