Friday, October 5, 2012

Environmentally conscious ways to fly



Flying for work or pleasure is an unavoidable modern day necessity. Along with the ticket, we unfortunately believe that we've bought the right max out on every entitlement. More luggage weight, better in-flight food - just top-it-up for me please! While what we buy is ours, a greater responsibility on our shoulders is to not use up all that is given to us. When you are thinking environment, less automatically becomes more. Here are some practical ways to be environmentally conscious when you fly.
1. Travel light: Travelling light will definitely make your travel more enjoyable, but the lesser your luggage, the lesser the load the airline will have to fly. Unnoticed by you, each extra shirt, dress or shoe that you carry contributes to more fuel being consumed. It becomes more fun when you start to keep a track of the average luggage weight you carry (per day of travel).
2. Eat on ground: Though it has become a practice for airlines to offer food on flights, we generally consume what's on offer not necessarily because we are hungry, but because we have nothing better to do. Eating on ground before the flight is a good way to show that one more person does not want their food-weight to be carried on the flight. Of course, the airline will have already carried the food, but with each subsequent person not eating in-flight, the airline will gradually lessen the food-load they carry.
3. Laundry: For travel of more than a few days, if circumstances permit, see if you can get the laundry done on ground (through the hotel or family you are staying with) rather than carry extra clothes. If you think that hotel laundry service is exorbitant, find a good 24hr cleaners service near your hotel. Think of the extra spend as your contribution to the environment kitty and the extra effort as the one reason you needed to explore the city.
4. Use less disposables: To the extent possible, reuse the disposable cups the airline serves beverages in, refuse tissues with every serving if you do not need it, use only the toilet paper necessary when using the washroom. This reduces the environmental burden due to the disposables, but over time and when enough people do it, the airline will also reduce the disposables they carry in-flight.
5. Newspapers etc.: If you are reading a newspaper in the flight, ensure that you keep fold it back in as close to pristine condition as possible. Place it in the seat pocket as if the airline put it there on purpose. This will ensure that the cleaning crew in the next stop does not dispose of the newspaper and it will be convenient for the next reader to read as well.
6. Give feedback: Take a little time out to give the airline your feedback about their environmentally conscious ways (or the lack of it). Bring it to their attention and reiterate it over email as well. Your compliment for good environmental action taken by the airline or your reprimand for their lack of environmental consciousness will get their attention for sure, goading them to change policy that is better environmentally suited.
Also smile a lot and thank the crew for taking care of you. They sure to give you back a sunshine smile - and we all know how important sunshine is for the environment!
(If you have any practical ideas on how to be environmentally conscious when flying, please add them as comments on this blog.)