Nowadays, there is a lot of attention for the environment and our impact on it. Rightly so, everyone immediately thinks. However, in our everyday lives it turns out to be more difficult than expected to take that green path. It is no longer a secret that we at Solbio would like to help towards just as much fun with a smaller impact. Although the emphasis for us is still on a fun trip and an unforgettable adventure. Nobody says that one has to get in the way of the other. Read our concrete tips for a top holiday with a smaller ecological footprint, better known as ecotourism.

1. Take care of your equipment

This first tip is of course self-explanatory. Good maintenance of your camping gear and caravan, but also your clothes and even your food and drink supplies is always a good idea. By taking care of your equipment and being frugal with your supplies, you not only save a lot of money. It is also an excellent way to reduce your consumption and thus your emissions. By being careless with your equipment, you will incur new costs more quickly and you will always be left with a lot of difficult to dispose of waste. Of course, things break. That is inevitable. But with good maintenance, you can significantly extend the life expectancy of your tent, trekking backpack or hiking boots.

2. Plan the right activities

You can also pay attention to your impact when planning activities. Ecotourism has been manifesting itself for a long time and in all sorts of ways, but in recent years there has also been a clear change in how people view certain activities. Activities that in themselves produce a lot of emissions are therefore best put at the bottom of your list. For example, think of an adventurous mountain bike trip instead of a trip with the quad. Here too, of course, not everything is taboo. Certainly do not let yourself be stopped from planning that one, perhaps slightly less green, activity if you really want to. But excess is never good. Try to focus on activities that are at least as adventurous and exciting, but are a lot less polluting.

3. Green campsites

There are many campsites that focus on a green policy and limiting their emissions. Campsites where you can connect your camper or caravan to a completely private, green power grid, for example. In addition, they are often still working on a strong waste policy and limiting the emissions of both the campsite and their guests.

4. Replace pollutants

So far we have been talking about emissions and energy, but ecotourism is more than that. Another way, perhaps even the easiest, is to avoid effective polluters. Think carefully about which detergent, soap or toilet fluid you use. It is very much ingrained in us to think that the more it foams and the stronger it smells, the more effective it is. This is not always the case. There are many natural soaps and detergents. Organic toilet fluids are not in abundance, fortunately one is enough!

5. Limit waste

A very simple tip that speaks for itself. People are always surprised by how much waste a person produces. Yet you can avoid a very large part of it yourself. Think of disposable bottles, plastic bags, products that are sometimes packaged up to five times, you name it. Of course, no waste is impossible, so always make sure that you can dispose of your waste correctly. Do you not have that possibility? Then keep it until this is possible.

6. Save energy at home

It’s about ecotourism, so you’re not at home? Of course not, but don’t forget how many things and appliances stay at home. You’d be surprised how many people leave for a few weeks and leave all their electrical appliances running. At first you might quickly overlook it, but why would you leave a refrigerator running for a few things that are still in it? Take it with you on the road and leave your refrigerator turned off during your vacation. The same goes for almost any appliance that is still connected. They also pose an additional risk of damage or accidents.

7. Calculate your impact

Finally, there are now also ways to calculate the footprint during your trip. This way you can see in advance what the impact of your trip will be approximately, but there are also apps where you can follow where the leak in your emissions is during the trip. Some applications, such as https://www.treecological.be/, go even further. They provide a platform where you can compensate for the emissions you do make. It is not the way to become aware of your footprint, but it can be a nice idea to compensate a trip every now and then.

Effectively offsetting your trip is certainly not what we advocate, but there are many simple measures to deal with your emissions in a much more conscious way. It certainly does not have to stand in the way of fun or adventure, which is why ecotourism is so popular. You get the same fun, but in a responsible way.