On this April 22, the 38th annual Earth Day celebration, it’s a perfect opportunity to step back and look at our own lives and our own habits and see what we can each do to make the world a greener place. And while you may not think about “going green” when you’re on vacation, there’s no reason why your vacation rental shouldn’t be environmentally friendly, too.
Here are some things to think about when you’re choosing a vacation rental that’s good for the environment.
- Leave the car in the garage. Once you’ve gotten to your destination, one of the best ways you can save both energy and money, as well as the planet, is by driving as little as possible. To do this, choose a vacation home that’s close to things you can walk to (like the beach or downtown), and see if the vacation rental comes with things like bicycles (or rent bikes in town for the duration of your trip). Find a grocery store nearby you can walk to – you’ll make more frequent trips, perhaps, but you’ll enjoy the stroll and get to know the shopkeepers because you’re there more often!
- Eat your leftovers. Cooking for yourself in your vacation home saves you money, you know that already – but did you know it helps you to be more environmental? Rather than eating out for every meal and throwing out anything you didn’t eat, you’ll be reheating and eating your leftovers. That’s less energy required to cook an elaborate restaurant meal and less waste that’s going into a landfill. If you do eat out, be sure to bring your leftovers home in a doggie bag.
- Rent just as much house as you need. If you’re just on a romantic getaway for two, don’t rent a vacation home with four bedrooms. Get a vacation property that suits your needs – getting more house just means more space that needs to be heated, cooled and cleaned, all of which wastes energy. And close the doors to whatever rooms you’re not using to conserve heat or cool air.
- Watch stars instead of TV. You can watch TV at home, so why sit in front of the boob tube every night on vacation? Get out and enjoy some of what the area around your vacation rental has to offer for the evening’s entertainment, whether it’s star-gazing, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, or just a romantic walk along the beach.
- Recycle! You recycle at home, there’s no reason you can’t do it on vacation. Before you book your vacation rental, find out what the local recycling policies are and what the vacation property’s recycling capabilities are. Is recycling done at curb-side with the garbage? Is there a facility nearby where you can take all your recylables at the end of your vacation? Is everything mixed together, or does it need to be separated? These are all questions you should be able to get answers to when you’re booking your vacation rental.
For more information on how to lead a greener life, check out Climate Crisis.net and the official Earth Day website.
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