Is Zero-Waste Travel Truly Achievable?

The sparkling green cove invites you; getting there means navigating the cactus-studded cliffs under the Baja sun, then climbing over rocks on a tiny beach. If you time it right, the waters will be serene enough for a swim, and you might see sea lions lounging on the rocks or even a whale breaching in the distance. However, you may also encounter a few plastic bottles washed ashore.

This well-trodden path in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, became a personal favorite during my almost two-year stay. Now, the quaint town faces the challenges posed by enchanted visitors who end up staying (like me), and it’s striving to avoid the fate of other overdeveloped coastal regions—places lacking the infrastructure to manage rapid growth, resulting in overflowing landfills and pollution seeping into the ocean (think Tulum).

“How can we stop our town from becoming just another overcrowded beach destination?” asks Bryan Jáuregui. She is a founding member of Alianza Cero Basura - Zero Waste Alliance, a community-driven effort to create a zero-waste future for Todos Santos and the nearby town of El Pescadero. Jáuregui’s question carries urgency: These towns sit in Baja California Sur, the least populated but fastest-growing state in Mexico. As the co-owner of Todos Santos Eco Adventures and the boutique hotel Los Colibris Casitas, she believes addressing her town’s waste dilemma is an act of “enlightened self-interest.”

This challenge isn’t limited to Baja. Globally, destinations are wrestling with the need to balance tourism and economic development for locals while safeguarding their natural environments. Despite travelers being increasingly aware of their ecological impact, what practical steps can they take? Is it truly feasible to leave zero waste behind when traveling?

Emerging from the environmental advocacy spirit of the 1970s, the zero-waste movement aims to minimize the amount of material waste sent to landfills. The mantra of the movement is encapsulated in the “five Rs” of a zero-waste lifestyle, introduced by Bea Johnson in her book, Zero Waste Home: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot (or compost).

An increasing number of people are adopting these principles at home: they are avoiding single-use plastics, buying in bulk at grocery stores, and taking food scraps to local composting facilities. However, maintaining this mindset while traveling proves challenging: most travelers dine out frequently and may lack access to safe drinking water, leading to inherent overconsumption.

In certain areas, tourists produce up to double the waste of residents due to the packaged products they purchase, including travel-sized toiletries. Approximately 80% of tourists frequent coastal regions, contributing to the 8 million tons of plastic that enter oceans annually, resulting in the death of 100,000 marine animals each year, as reported by the United Nations Environment Programme. Yet, it’s not just plastic waste that’s an issue; food waste is often neglected. The hotel sector alone generates 79,000 tons of food waste each year, while cruise ships can produce around 1.3 pounds per passenger daily on average. Reducing waste can have a substantial impact, according to Vishal Kumar, CEO of Waste Warriors, a nonprofit based in the Indian Himalayan Region.

“Generating less waste reduces the need for the production, packaging, and distribution of goods, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain,” Kumar explains. When organic waste is disposed of in landfills, it emits methane, which is 20 to 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2. Therefore, striving for zero waste serves as a viable climate solution.

In 2007, Natural Habitat Adventures removed plastic water bottles from their trips, becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company. They then tackled another pressing environmental challenge: waste.

Twelve years later, in July 2019, the company spearheaded the world’s first zero-waste expedition in Yellowstone National Park. To keep 99 percent of the trip's waste from going to landfills, participants used bamboo cutlery that they cleaned between meals and carried a compost bucket for leftover food scraps.

Although Natural Habitat Adventures isn’t conducting fully zero-waste trips now, this doesn’t indicate a failure of the initiative. “We discovered that zero waste is achievable. However, it does require significant resources and time,” explains Court Whelan, chief sustainability officer of Natural Habitat Adventures, reflecting on the 18 months spent researching and planning the journey.

“I don’t believe the strict limitations of zero-waste travel are the ultimate goal. Showcasing zero waste—whether on a specific trip or campsite—creates an inspirational ripple effect throughout the industry.” It’s more about sparking change, and any “waste-reduction movement” is progressing towards the target, he notes.

“We don’t need 12 people executing zero waste flawlessly each year. We need 12 thousand or even 12 million individuals doing it imperfectly.”

One of the most effective ways travelers can adopt a zero-waste mindset while traveling is to consider where their money is being spent.

Alianza Cero Basura has established a method for travelers to support businesses in Todos Santos and El Pescadero that evaluate their waste reduction efforts, featuring a directory of Waste Wise All Stars. In addition to using this guide to discover local restaurants and hotels committed to minimizing waste, travelers can refill their water bottles at Alianza’s refill stations scattered throughout the town. Alianza also set up the first community-driven organic waste farm and research center in Baja California Sur, producing soil-enhancing products and compost while diverting 60 percent of the town’s organic waste from landfills.

Meanwhile, Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten, which prohibited single-use plastics in 2018 and introduced zero-emission vehicles along with hybrid-powered ships, launched a zero-edible-food-waste initiative in April 2024 aimed at reducing food waste to zero grams per guest. Edible food waste from Hurtigruten’s Original Coastal Express vessels, which cruise along Norway’s coastline, will be composted and sent to a local farm to cultivate products that Hurtigruten will incorporate into its menus. Their goal is a “farm to fleet to farm” cycle.

However, the most straightforward way to generate less waste is simply to refuse unnecessary items. Consider this: the more items we accumulate, the more waste we ultimately create. While on the road, reflect on your needs. Can you share meals with fellow travelers? Purchase bulk snacks for your journey? Share gear instead of everyone bringing their own?

Another easy habit is to use reusables—not just a water bottle. You can either buy a zero-waste travel kit or create your own, which might include a reusable tote bag (I take my reliable Baggu bag on every trip); a reusable cutlery set that doesn’t resemble camping gear; and pouches for toiletries. My silicone Stasher bags serve purposes beyond packing snacks; I also use them to carry toiletries, which are stored in my magnetic, stackable Cadence Refillable Travel Capsules.

Travel light and choose items with multiple functions. This approach not only reduces your carbon footprint but also helps maintain your peace of mind and budget. Rather than purchasing new equipment for every adventure, think about renting or opting for second-hand gear. For instance, during my ski trip in Aspen this year, I rented ski pants from Suit Yourself, a mobile outfitter. Kit Lender provides rental options for outdoor gear and apparel, while Patagonia and REI allow you to buy and sell your clothing. (Check out Dinogo’s guide for finding used clothing gear.) Additionally, Root Adventures encourages avoiding new purchases by offering subsidies for pre-trip gear repairs and including rental gear in their trip pricing.

Mindsets evolve—not instantly, but gradually, as our actions build momentum and foster a culture of conservation. One effective way to influence this shift is by letting your spending reflect your values, according to Whelan. “While single-use options might be more convenient, does that really lead to greater happiness as we consistently choose the easiest path?”

Pursuing zero-waste travel is undeniably challenging and even harder to execute flawlessly. When we travel, we constantly push our limits—whether it’s scaling a mountain, catching a flight connection, or attempting to speak a few phrases in Spanish. With effort comes reward, and adopting a mindset of leaving no trace is simply another adjustment to embrace.