HOTEL STAYS:
- Let the hotel know that it's not necessary to change your sheets andtowels every day.
- Reduce the amount of water used for bathing or showering.
- When you leave your hotel room, turn off the lights and TV.
- Place recyclables in appropriate bins.
- Carry a dry cleaning or grocery bag with you in which to carry dirtylaundry home.
- Leave little bottles of amenities in the guestroom if unused.
- Let hotel management know, with your comments to management or a note,that you want them to conserve and that you want to participate.
- Patronize hotels, airlines, tour operators who support "greening"programs.
- It might be wise to pack night lights for hotel stays instead of leavingbathroom lights (and fans) on all night.
FOOD/RESTAURANTS:
- Reduce fast food waste whenever possible.
- Avoid room service and carryout.
- When offered individual packages of condiments, take only what you'lluse.
- If you commonly take home leftovers from restaurant meals, carry acontainer, a square of aluminum foil or a square of waxpaper with you.You'll be responsible for putting less styrofoam into the waste stream.
ECOTOURISM:
- Take only the brochures or maps necessary. Return others to the brochurestand.
- Don't buy endangered species products such as tortoise shell, ivory,animal skins or feathers. Don't purchase star fish or turtle-shellrelated souvenirs or any creature that may have been put to death for thesale of a gift shop. These animals may have been killed specifically fortourist trade. Sea shells are questionable. The U. S. Customs offers alist of items which cannot be imported or brought into the country.
- Make a pledge to yourself not to maim or kill any living creature otherthan enemy or pest insects. Educate yourself as to which are truly"pests".
- Use binoculars and cameras to "hunt" animals.
- Take only photographs. Do not take "souvenirs" from natural areas,historical areas or hotels.
- Leave only footprints. Take everything out that you brought with you.No graffiti, no litter.
- Support conservation programs.
- Pick up at least one piece of litter every day - especially at nationaltourist locations which are vulnerable to huge tourist populations.
OTHER:
- Use your own camera. Disposable cameras are very wasteful and expensive.
- Buy rolls of film with 36 shots rather than 12 or 24. Packaging waste isreduced, and you'll save about 40%.
- Write legibly on your film package. Kodak discards 400,000 rolls of filmannually because the return address is illegible.
- Expensive cosmetic bags are unnecessary and often do not prevent spills. Use lockable plastic bags for cosmetics. Separate bath needs and makeupneeds.
- Rather than buying small size toothpaste tubes, squeeze some toothpasteinto a clean contact lens case or contact lens cleaning capsule. These are also handy for carrying salves or pills. Be sure to markappropriately.
- Give yourself a pat on the back for doing all you can to protect MotherEarth.