An eco friendly holiday, does that even exist?
The environment, I always try to be as mindful of it as possible. The heater only goes on when it's really too cold with two sweaters on, I rarely throw away food, and I don't buy anything I don't need. Furthermore, I do everything by bike, walking, or by metro, and I only use the car if there's no other option.
On holiday, I naturally try to consider the environment as well. However, this is always a bit more challenging. Firstly, because I love to fly and am a big fan of cruises. But aside from the mode of transport I use to get to my destination, it's also a big challenge to stick to all my good environmental resolutions during the holiday.
Food & drinks on holiday
It doesn't matter if I'm staying in a hotel on half board basis or in an apartment with self catering, there's always food waste. At the buffet, there are always portions left that no one takes, which eventually get thrown away. You also often see that someone's eyes were bigger than their stomach when they saw all those delicious desserts.
If you order something in a restaurant and the portion is too big, then there's also something left that goes straight to the trash. I sometimes take a doggy bag with a piece of pizza. But if the kids are with us on holiday, you can imagine that after a few days, there are enough pizza slices in the fridge.
Even if I eat exclusively in my own apartment, there's always something left. Believe me, I spread generously when we're about to go home and the chocolate spread and La Vache Qui Rit cheese wedges are far from finished. The kids get extra chips and cookies on the last day. And the Spanish cakes come with us for the return trip. Yet you can never do it exactly right. So usually, you end up throwing away a lot at the end of your stay. Sometimes you can give something to your neighbors. Not everything, of course. Because let's be honest, you wouldn't take open jars of jam from someone you haven't exchanged a word with, right?
Towel service
Towel service at the pool is something I should be against, but since I take as little as possible on holiday, I always find it very handy if the hotel offers this. For a fee, that's fine by me. All those bath towels that are barely used and already going into the laundry... How wasteful! Just like all those towels in the bathroom that often leave the apartment unused because there are (well intentioned) too many laid out for you.
Water, plastic bottles, and taxis
I apply sunscreen all day and take swims in the sea in between. If it gets too warm in the apartment, the air conditioning goes on. Fortunately, I take a reusable water bottle to the beach, but sometimes I still buy a (disposable) bottle of coke zero at the supermarket. And then there are the cardboard cups used at the all inclusive service. All those taxi rides to nice towns, a few days of rental car to visit all the picturesque spots, and that fun boat trip along the most beautiful beaches! I also prefer to book an accommodation with a pool. When I think about how much water goes into that and how many hotels there are in the world...
You see! In my opinion, a cool environmentally friendly holiday doesn't exist. So I hope that everything I do (and don't) at home richly compensates for my holidays...