Sugar Wrapped in Plastic
Our experiences living garbage-free on the road.
Striving to live a garbage-free lifestyle on the road was downright inconvenient at times and felt like we were swimming upstream. The constraints we put on ourselves had an impact on everything we did–especially when it came to eating. (What is garbage-free travel?) At times, it was overwhelming, but we realized we could either be frustrated and complain or see it as a creative challenge.
We learned quickly that the system isn’t set up for this type of lifestyle yet. Everything convenient was sold in single-use packaging with added sugar and terrible ingredients. The healthier options almost always took a bit more planning, money, and time.
Alternatives to Garbage on the Road
If we had to describe our trip in one phrase it would be Sugar Wrapped in Plastic. From Iowa to Washington state, down the west coast, across Mexico, through Mexico City, and finally to the Yucatan Peninsula, single-use plastic and sugar were EVERYWHERE. Granola bars, peanut butter, juice, and even whole fruits were either packaged in plastic and/or contained added sugar.
Here’s what we learned along the way and how we reduced our garbage:
Planning is everything. Our planning started far before our trip with a garbage-free van build. We anticipated cooking in our instant pot to avoid eating out, refilling a 5-gallon water jug to eliminate single-use plastic waterbottles, and using a small fridge to avoid buying ice bags.
Convenience stores are centers for garbage. We tried our best to avoid even walking into gas stations when filling up. We knew we’d only be disappointed and come out empty handed. Finding anything not packaged in plastic and/or containing added sugar was like winning the lottery. In Mexico, we often found whole fruits and veggies with plastic wrap…Ugh!
Our instant pot was a life saver. Cooking our own food gave us control of the things we put into our bodies and the potential garbage for the planet. We’d throw in a bunch of food in the morning and cook while driving down the road!
Recycling centers were difficult to find. After letting recycling pile up in our tiny space awaiting the next recycling drop-off and not wanting to throw it away, we decided to avoid items even if their packaging could be recycled–especially plastic. Buying whole fruits, veggies, and bulk items were our solution.
A 5-gallon refillable water jug was a must. Having a refillable water jug was a nice to have in the U.S. and a necessity when traveling through Mexico due to not being able to drink water from the tap. We saved money and waste avoiding sinlge-use plastic waterbottles.
Finding a local market or bulk store reduced our plastic waste and provided better ingredients for our meals. When arriving to a new city, one of the first things we’d do was use the Zero Waste bulk locator app to find a grocery store or ask around for a market.
Using eggs as a source of protein eliminated A LOT of our plastic waste. Reducing the amount of waste we had when buying meat on the road was–and still is–a constant battle. We aren’t vegans or vegetarians, although we know doing so would be healthier for the planet due to all the carbon produced from industrial farms, hormones used to treat animals, and plastic waste created to package. To eliminate some of the meat we would normally buy, we used eggs as an alternative protein. In Mexico, the eggs are sold in cardboard containers that we could compost, are very cheap, and taste more wholesome than most eggs we found in the states.
Being prepared when eating at restaurants reduced our garbage. We tried to choose restaurants we knew would have healthy options and serve their food on and with reusable dishware. This wasn’t always available, so we made sure to ask for no straws with our drinks, no added sugar in smoothies, and no sauce packets on the side. Asking for garbage-free alternatives is also a great way to create demand for less wasteful options!
Bringing our own mugs or getting coffee ‘for here’. Coffee shops have the potential to create a lot of waste–cups, lids, straws, silverware, napkins, bags, etc. To combat this, we either asked for our coffee in a ‘for here’ mug or brought our own. Many coffee shops will give you a discount for bringing your own mug.
Sometimes the best option is creating it yourself. Although making our own peanut butter, oat milk, laundry soap, and tea took a little bit of time, we saved money, waste, and unhealthy ingredients by not buying them pre-made in stores. We secretly like to be scientists in the kitchen, so we find creating alternatives to be fun. :)
We were by no means perfect throughout our travels, but continued to grow and learn how to combat garbage. We had–and still have–this fire inside us to make a difference and improve our health and the health of our planet. The image of trash on beaches or plastic bags in the ocean keeps us hungry for change.
Do you have any ideas or ways to limit waste from your travel experiences? Share them in the comment section below, we would love to hear them!
