How to take an eco-friendly road trip

While going on a road trip might not be really eco-friendly, there are many ways you can make it an eco-friendly road trip by trying to do as many of these tips and tricks as possible.

Yes, you will be driving around and using gas to do so but you can also be conscious of everything around you and have a responsible road trip considering your surroundings and you might even make some things better than when you arrived at that place for a visit.

So how can you take an eco-friendly road trip? Here is a list of different things you can do, even on the road, to be as eco-responsible as can be.

things you can do to ensure an eco-friendly road trip

There are many different things you can do in order to go on an eco-friendly road trip.

Starting off by getting your vehicle ready for the road, optimizing your route, packing light, use as little single-use plastic as possible are just of few examples of things you can do.

Here is everything you need to know!

Ensure your van or your car is ready for the road

For any type of road trip, even the shortest ones, I like to make sure that my car or the van is up for the road. This isn’t much about being eco-friendly but it’s more about making sure you can get to your destination safely and without car troubles.

Having your car in order will prevent you from finding a garage in the middle of nowhere so you can fix it. I’m not saying that nothing will happen, even if you get the car checked something could still happen along the way, but at least you will be leaving knowing that everything is in order.

You’ll have the peace of mind that it won’t break down the first corner you turn.

Plan your route to minimize back-tracking

A good way to take an eco-friendly road trip is by planning out your itinerary to minimize as much as possible backtracking. Backtracking will not only waste more of your precious time on the road but will also be adding some gas costs.

You will be driving a lot more around if you backtrack and you’ll have less time to explore the area.

Plan your itinerary in advance. Determine what you want to see. I like to pinpoint the things I want to see on a map and then plan my route as best I can to avoid going back and forth but still see as much as possible along the way.

Keep luggage off the roof

While packing stuff on the rooftop of your car can give you extra space for your luggage or even leave some more space inside the car for everyone, it might not be the best idea to use it on a road trip. We call them ”hamburgers” out here. It’s basically a case you attach to the roof of your car and it allows you to store stuff inside.

While they can be great in certain instances, if you are going on a road trip, it might end up being less economical for you.

Having the case on top of the car will most likely create resistance so your car will probably be using more gas. Of course, you know you will be spending some money on gas to get you from point A to point B, but it’s a win-win situation if you don’t end up having to spend more because of this and by using less gas, it will also be a more eco-friendly road trip.

Drive responsibly

You don’t need to speed up to make sure you see everything on your road trip. Take the time to enjoy every stops you make, every beautiful scenery you witness while driving. Stop at viewpoints along the way. This is what a great road trip is about!

Take the time to enjoy instead of rushing to see everything.

Anyway, speeding all the time while driving will end up wasting more gas along the way. Put your car on cruise control while on the highways and enjoy your time together.

Rewear your clothes between washes

I’m not saying bring one set of clothes and wear it every single day. What I mean here is that if you’ve worn your clothes for only a short period of time and it isn’t dirty, why not wear them again?

You will probably be doing some laundry at some point but if you wash clothes that have been worn, you will be using less water for your laundry. If you wear a shirt for one hour and it is still clean and then throw it in the laundry bin, you will end up using more water than needed.

By wearing clothes that are still cleanish, it will be eco-friendly as you will use less water and at the same time, you might do some laundry later on the trip because you were able to wear some clothing.

Consider eating local

While passing through different cities, consider eating local. It might not be something eco-friendly but it will encourage their local economy.

It’s also great to taste different recipes from town to town and taste their local delicacies!

You don’t have to eat every single day in restaurants, but once in a while treat yourself to something good on the road!

Plan out meals

Another way to be eco-friendly on your road trip is to plan out your meals. You don’t have to plan everything out but at least have a general idea of what you want to eat.

This will help you to reduce food waste by buying only what you need but you also won’t be going to the grocery store every five minutes because you are missing something to cook your meals.

Seek out recycling centers

While on the road, have a bag specifically for recycling, instead of putting all your waste in the same bag. When you find either a recycling center or somewhere you can recycle your recyclables, you can then drop them off. 

This way, recyclable items can be reused for other purposes and you won’t be leaving that much waste in the end. 

If you are staying in campgrounds, most of them have recycling bins at your disposal.

Pick up litter

Whenever I am outdoors, I like to carry a small bag with me in case I find garbage along the way. It’s not much, but if I can pick up a couple of items off the ground, it’s a couple of items less. 

If I don’t have a bag with me, I will just stick them inside my backpack and when I find garbage, I dispose of them. 

This is something pretty easy to do to help clean our planet and be a little more eco-conscious at the same time.

Use natural products

As much as possible, while you are on the road, and even in your everyday life, use natural products. Use some eco-friendly products. Use products that won’t be bad for the environment. Use biodegradable soap, shampoo, dish soap…

This way, you will be minimizing, even more, your impact on the world around you on your road trip. This way, you’ll also be avoiding water pollution.

By using natural, biodegradable, and eco-friendly products, you will be using less harmful products that would otherwise affect nature and its wildlife.

If for any reason, you can’t use natural products, don’t use ponds, rivers, or any other water source to wash your dishes or wash yourself as this would be damaging for our ecosystems. 

Don’t leave any trace

Whether you are going on a hike, sitting by the lake, or even just stopping at a rest stop to stretch your legs, make sure you practice the leave no trace concept.

If you arrive with something, make sure you leave with it. Dispose of any garbage or recycling. Bring everything back with you. Leave your waste in the designated bins. Leave the place exactly as you found it in the first place. 

This means food packaging but also any leftover food as well! 

If you are in a campervan, make sure you go to dump stations to empty it out! You should never do that in the wilderness as there are chemicals inside damaging the environment!

Pick up after yourself and even others. Always be conscious of the nature around you and try to preserve it as best as possible.

Limit your water usage

By limiting your water usage, I just mean don’t waste water for no reason. Taking a shower in a van, turn the water off while shampooing your hair, and turn it back on to rinse. Not only you won’t be wasting water, but you will be saving water inside your water tank as well.

Turn the water off if you don’t need it. Use the quantity you need too. You don’t necessarily have to take more water than needed.

Make your trip plastic-free

Making your trip as plastic-free as possible is a great way to minimize our impact on the planet. As much as you can, use reusable items along the way. Wash them as you go to keep them clean. 

If you absolutely need to use some single-use plastic, make sure you recycle it. 

Bring some reusable coffee cups, cutlery, water bottles… This way, you won’t be using as much single-use plastic.

Fill up water bottles to avoid buying a case of bottles that will end up in the recycling. When we are road tripping, I usually buy a big water container at the grocery store. Once I’ve used it all I refill it with our tap water at home. We also have a big reusable gallon. Especially while going on a trip in the wild, this can be filled up and used as water for the dishes, to fill up our water bottles, and many other uses as well.

Bring your own reusable containers

To reduce your plastic usage, you’ll have to buy fewer plastic containers which means you will probably need something to use instead.

Bring reusable coffee cups and reusable water bottles. If you are going to have picnics or go camping while on the road, bring cutlery, plates, bowls, etc. that you’ll be able to wash and reuse instead of disposable ones.

Pack reusable bags

Instead of using plastic bags when you go shopping or grocery shopping, carry a couple of reusable bags. Bring some compact ones you can easily put away in a drawer or storage area in your car. This way you won’t be having plastic bags to throw in the garbage afterward.

If you forgot them, you can reuse plastic bags. They can be used for garbage bags in the car or van, put wet clothes in them. If you have a cat or dog they can be used to pick up after them. Instead of throwing them away, make sure to reuse them instead.

Recycle plastic bags

If you have a bunch of plastic bags with you, and you have no use at all for them, check if they are recyclable before throwing them in the garbage. Make sure to recycle every last one of them. At least they will be reused for another purpose.

Say no to straws

I like to carry my reusable straws with me pretty much everywhere. This way, I don’t have to use single-use plastic straws from restaurants.

More and more are switching to compostable ones but having your own is even better as you can just wash them and reuse them.

Make your stay at the beach reef-safe

Planning to go to the beach on your road trip? Make sure to have some reef-safe sunscreen and products with you. Not all sunscreens are mindful of the ocean’s reefs.

The ocean is affected by different products that end up damaging the ecosystem.

I personally love the Sunbum brand for this. Not only are their products reef-safe but they also smell heavenly!

This is a great way to be eco-friendly on your road trip while enjoying the best of nature and protecting the oceans at the same time!

Not traveling in a camper van

If you are traveling in your own car or a rental car, a good way to be eco-friendly once the day is over is to choose some eco-friendly accommodations for your night’s stays. There are a lot of properties out there that will be eco-responsible in many different ways. It’s a great opportunity to experience great properties around the world while still being conscious of your surroundings.

If you are traveling in a campervan, you will have everything you need in one place. Always make sure you are parking in an area where you are allowed to and make sure to clean up after yourself. Don’t leave anything behind. If you need to dump your waste, make sure to do so in designated areas.

I use the app iOverlander to know where the closest dumping station is but also to know where I can fill up potable water, parking spots for the night, and even more. It is definitely a great app for road trippers!

Leave campsites and picnic areas better than you found them

If you are going to camp in campgrounds, camp in allowed parking spots, or just have picnics in beautiful areas while on your road trip, make sure to leave the campsite or picnic area as you found it and even better than you found it.

If you find a piece of trash lying around, might as well pick it up and throw it in the garbage. Make sure to pick up any trash or items you’ve brought with you and put them in a designated area for that.

Clean up after your pet

If you are bringing your pet with you on the trip, make sure to carry the necessary to pick up after them. Make sure to clean up after them every time necessary as to not leave anything behind.

Carry small bags to clean up. Nowadays, you can even find some compostable ones! Which is even better!

Don’t feed wildlife

Try to avoid feeding wildlife on your trip as much as possible. Animals should be left to the wild. Feeding them is not doing them any favors.

By feeding them, they will come back to that area over and over again. At some point, they might depend on that to survive. It could lead them to not even feed themselves anymore other than getting fed by people.

Don’t encourage this behavior because, in the end, animals could end up not even knowing how to survive on their own anymore.

Stick to the trails

If you plan on doing some hiking on your road trip, make sure you stick to the trails while doing so. In that way, you will be respecting the biodiversity and all the natural areas around you.

There are so many species around us that if you get out of the trail, you could be endangering some plant, some mushroom, or any wildlife around you.

Doing so will help preserve the environment.

eco-friendly Road trip with young passengers on board

You can definitely travel around the world with kids and still take an eco-friendly road trip. You can apply all of these tips while on the road. Not only will you be eco-friendly but you will also teach them how they can do it too.

You don’t have to teach them everything. Just by looking at how you do it, they will learn and act the way you do while on the road.

Tell them what you are doing and why. Kids are natural sponges for information and they are curious. They will understand it even better if you tell them the reasons you are doing something this way or that way.

Offset your carbon footprint

Another way to make your road trip more eco-friendly is by offsetting your carbon footprint.

A carbon offset is basically a way to compensate for your CO2 emissions by funding an equivalent saving elsewhere.

Our actions, like driving on a road trip or flying to a destination to go on a vacation, consume energy and produce CO2.

There are many options out there to help you offset your carbon footprint. Depending on what you are looking for, your funding can help projects like reforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through wind energy. There are many different things you could be funding by offsetting your carbon footprint. Just find the one that resonates with you.

These are all my tips and tricks to take an eco-friendly road trip. You don’t have to be doing every single one of them. Trying to do as best you can with the resources you have is already great to help preserve our planet.

Doing these will help do just that. You don’t have to do every single one of them perfectly, but doing a little of them imperfectly is still better than nothing.

What can you do on your next road trip to preserve this beautiful planet of ours?

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love and use!

Ready to take that great road trip but are not sure how or where to start? Make sure to keep reading for my best tips, tricks, and great road trip destinations for you to use!

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