Blue ocean view, stunning sandy beaches, sunbathes, great seafood are perfect for a sea trip. However, when we travel, the role of plastic products is interminable, which can be dangerous to the marine ecology. A sad story happened recently that a whale died of starvation after 80 plastic bags on Thailand’s coast. Plastic bags thrown to the sea, sinking in the water made the mammal think as food, then no real food could be contained anymore after it swallowed too much of them. The whale died after conservationists spent five days trying to save.
Southeast Asia countries including Thai Lan, Vietnam and Indonesia have long coastlines and wonderful islands attracting millions of travellers every year. Therefore, tons of plastic products such as drinking bottles, baby wipes, plastic drinks cups, straws, nappies and so on are thrown away from tourists.
The short-lived use of these products is, quite simply, unsustainable and dangerous. Not only whales found died but also many other species such as turtles, seals, and sea lions, seabirds and dolphins. This toxic waste is damage cause to species as coral reefs and mangrove swamps as well.
We are constantly aiming to dispose of the disposable at Responsible Travel. Here is the guideline showing what you are encouraged to do towards sustainability:
– Prefer plastic free tour operators: many travel companies are working hard to reduce the negative effects of plastic products most obviously Travelife- certificated DMC.  Or you are encouraged to push tour operators by asking them what their policies are, how they pack picnic lunches if they avoid plastic bottles? And so on. Ask and keep asking.
– Reuse plastic package and avoid single use. For example, refill drinking bottles. Luckily, the project “Refill My Bottle” has linked to many restaurants and tourist sites and travelers can easily find refill stations through an app. Tea and coffee containers are of the same kind.
– Seeking other alternatives: stainless steels, bamboo, glass and sedge, ceramic and so on. With plastic straws, for an instant, now you can look for a steel one instead. They come with mini brushes for cleaning them too, in case you wondered. Same goes for chopsticks and cutlery.
– If you are parents and travel with children, there are plastic free, insulated baby bottles, sun cream in tins, collapsible stainless steel drinking cups and reusable cloth snack bags. Using coconut oil to wipe bums is also a good trick.
– Avoid cosmetics and personal care products with microbeads. These products are good but plastic tiny pieces contained will come into the ocean and never disappear. So think before choosing them.
– Be aware of what others do around you, come and talk to them straightly when you notice they have polluted the beaches with their toxin waste.