12 ECO ITEMS TO PACK FOR AN AFRICAN HOLIDAY

Travel, holidays and vacations are life’s highlights.

Traveling encourages us to learn about different cultures and far away lands as well as enrich our hearts and add wonderful experiences to our lives. As we trot around the globe, it's been difficult for us to think about how we affect the planet when we travel. Nowadays, it's becoming more and more important to travel consciously as well as reduce our footprint.

While so many airlines and hotels are still yet to become 100% eco friendly, it means we, as travelers, have to think to a greater extent and become much more conscious than we ever have.

African holidays are some of the most memorable and captivating travel experiences you will get to encounter. Going on an African holiday takes quite some work to organize and prepare for. Adding eco friendly items to the list is yet another matter to attend to. That’s why we have created this essential guide of 12 eco items to pack for your African holiday. We have also recommended our favorite products too!

A REUSABLE / WATER PURIFYING WATER BOTTLE
Reusable water bottles are available everywhere and even though going on an African holiday may prove to be difficult to refill your bottle with clean filtered water. It’s still a great idea to bring one for the plane journey where you can use your reusable water bottle to fill up in every airport.
There is a great and very new way to drink water on your travels, especially if you are going on an African holiday - that is to invest in a water purifying water bottle. We highly recommend the LARQ Bottle. The Larq bottle is self-cleaning and is also a water purification system. It eradicates up to 99% of bio-contaminants including E.coli from the water in the bottle.

2. REUSABLE STRAWS AND UTENSILS

Colors, designs and options! There are so many different reusable straws and utensils to choose from. Plastic straws and utensils are slowly becoming a thing of the past and with so much plastic pollution in the world, travelers are becoming increasingly more passionate about taking these items with them when they travel.

African Holiday / Monbento Pocket Color Cutlery Set

Wherever you decide to go on your African holiday - it’s good to be prepared with the basics and be rest assured that you always have clean straws and utensils with you just in case.

If you are looking for a great travel biodegradable cutlery set - take a look at Monbento Pocket Color cutlery set. Made from vegetal plastics, this wonderful cutlery set is dishwasher safe, can be taken on a plane and can degrade if you leave it outside.

3. SOLID SOAP BARS

Soap Bars are a perfect eco-swap to liquid soaps. They also use much less packaging too. Solid Soaps last a lot longer and are easy to pack when you are going on your African holiday. If you research eco-friendly soap bars, you will find many fantastic options. Choose a soap bar that is sustainably sourced, cruelty-free, vegan and eco-friendly. We love Ethique’s Sweet Orange & Vanilla Soap Bar. Great for an African holiday! Ethique are also Palm Oil free which we absolutely love!

4. SOLID SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BARS

If you are serious about leaving no trace when you travel, you will want to invest in solid shampoo and conditioner bars. With plastic free packaging and bars that make your hair healthy, shiney and strong - what’s not to love. Both bars are easy to use, lather up the bars with water and massage into wet hair - they both act as great alternatives to shampoo and conditioners in a bottle. Wash and rinse as needed. Place the bars back in their packaging to dry. Each bar can be used up to 100 times!

5. ECO DEODORANT STICK

Why not try a plastic-free deodorant stick? There are plenty on the market - great scents and better for the environment too. With the desire from travelers to become more environmentally conscious - a plastic free eco friendly deodorant stick would be ideal for your next African holiday. We are loving Bite’s Neroli Deodorant Stick. It's 100% plastic free, vegan and cruelty free too. It’s also infinitely refillable too. If you are a crusader against plastic pollution - you will want to check out this perfect deodorant to add to your collection. Its scent is summery, citrusy, with notes of bergamot transporting you to a breezy coastline in the romantic Italian Riviera.

6. BAMBOO OR ECO-FRIENDLY TOOTHBRUSH

There are some great plastic alternative toothbrushes on the market. From Bamboo to toothbrushes made out of plastic bottles. These toothbrushes last as long as the standard plastic toothbrush and are much better for the environment. They are also easily available to buy in most supermarkets and are ideal to take away on your next African holiday.

7. PAPER Q-TIPS

Q-tips are a great option to reduce your environmental footprint when going on any African holiday. They are also great to use in everyday life. A lot of the major earbud brands are introducing paper Q-tips instead of plastic ones. Plastic Q-tips are extremely bad for the environment and are easy to pollute water sources like oceans, rivers and seas. They are left within our oceans for years and are small enough for sea life to mistake as food. Many plastic items have been found within fish contributing to their loss of life. There is really no difference between paper and plastic Q-tips - so why not make the change? There really is no difference.

8. REEF-SAFE SUNSCREEN

Typical sunscreens contain harmful ingredients that destroy the world’s beautiful coral reefs. Even at low concentrations, these damaging ingredients can cause swift coral bleaching, which is why some brands are now offering biodegradable and environmentally friendly sunblock which is reef-safe and won’t hurt the oceans or reefs.

Take a look at Everyday California’s Mineral Reef-Safe Sunscreen. This amazing company has devised a new generation of sunscreen that provides complete UVA and UVB protection and is aimed to keep both people and oceans as safe as possible. They are also a partner of 1% For The Planet which means when you purchase an item, a portion goes back into helping the environment.

9. ECO-FRIENDLY WASHING DETERGENT

Most detergents have chemicals which have damaging effects on the environment. If you are thinking about going on an African holiday and are opting to bring your own detergent with you. It’s a great idea to go for an eco-friendly detergent that is made without nonrenewable petroleum-based chemicals.

10. MOSQUITO WRISTBANDS

Mosquito wristbands are a great alternative to repellant in a bottle or can. Mosquito bands work just as well as sprays and are recommended to use on any African holiday. The bands are made with botanical scents such as peppermint oil or citronella. This scent is a natural repellant and is much better for the environment. We recommend Para'kito wristbands!

11. COMPOSTABLE VEGAN LIP BUTTER

Moisture for lips is necessary on an African holiday, especially in hot weather. Finding a compostable and vegan lip balm can be difficult, but the good news is - there are some great options around. Take a look at Zero Waste Store and their selection of lip balms. Our favorite is lavender earl grey vegan lip balm that is not only compostable but palm oil free and plastic free too.

12. VEGAN TOOTH TABS

Vegan tooth tabs are the new eco-friendly way to use single use toothpaste. How do tooth tabs work? Chew on a tooth tab to create a toothpaste, then with a wet toothbrush scrub teeth as normal.

EarthHero.com is a great online site to buy from and offer a variety of tooth tabs to choose from, perfect for your next African holiday. Look out for tooth tabs that are cruelty-free, anti fluoride, FDA registered and made with recyclable packaging.

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12 Eco Items To Pack For An African Holiday