( by Ashley, not Allison)

Do you want to travel more sustainably? I sure do. I do significant travel for work and my work usually requires that I fly and rent a car, so I am always looking for simple things to do to reduce my waste while on the road?

I start by packing a few small items in my suitcase that reduces my need for disposable items. In fact, I keep them in my suitcase once I return so it is easy to find them for my next trip!

I bring a travel mug for tea, and it doubles as my water cup while I’m driving. I have a thermos/mug that is great because it keeps my drink hot and the bottle is leak proof! (http://www.mysigg.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=22) I also bring a reusable water bottle that I use to refill my mug. http://www.guyotdesigns.com/stainlessbottles?sc=11 This company guyotdesigns is about to come out with a new water bottle size water filter called TapGuard, perfect for traveling and everyday use! http://www.guyotdesigns.com/site/htm/home.html

I bring a plastic container with a lid that I use for cereal at the hotel. Sometimes I bring my own food, or sometimes I eat at the free hotel breakfast buffet. This container can also be used for lunch or dinner leftovers. I bring a plastic spork/knife set that fits nicely in my plastic container and works amazingly well. http://www.guyotdesigns.com/microbites

I bring a compact reusable shopping bag that fits in my purse and is great for items I pick up at the convenience or grocery store. http://www.chicobag.com/

I also bring a small bottle of liquid castille soap http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm that has an infinite # of uses. I use it as body wash, face wash and to wash my dishes. Truth be told though, the advantage to containers and mugs with lids is that it makes for easy cleaning. I put a little bit of soap and water in the dish, put the lid on and shake it all around. When I open it back up, my dish is clean, amazing! If only washing dishes at home could be this easy.

I bring all my toiletries from home to avoid using the disposable products in the hotel. I often use the hotel’s bar of soap and then put it in a plastic bag when I’m done and leave it in my toiletry bag to re-use.

So far, these are the items I’ve found that I can bring from home to reduce the amount of waste I generate while traveling. What do you do?