How to Be a Sustainable Vacationer

This is an opinion piece by the Rainforest Alliance.

I am a passionate—okay, obsessive—environmentalist. I'm one of those people who always takes cloth bags to the supermarket, and at home I meticulously recycle and reuse; I also compost organic waste (I am actually trying to figure out how to compost dog poop). We buy mostly local organic foods, I cook 90 percent of my meals, and when I eat out I order an appetizer as a main course because big plates equal leftovers. Food waste accounts for a significant portion of methane emissions. I walk almost everywhere, conserve water and energy at home, and air-dry my laundry (that's just one benefit of living in the tropics). I even make my own cleaning products.

As much as I love to travel, then, I also feel guilty because I can't control my environmental footprint as I do at home. I get nervous just thinking about the carbon footprint of airplanes. When family members suggest we vacation together at a massive, flashy hotel with buffet restaurants or on a ginormous cruise ship, I roll my eyes. Forget it! Not for me. And those tours where you sit inside a gleaming SUV with the air conditioning blasting while it's 110 degrees outside? Okay, yes, I admit I've done this. I'm not proud of it, but I make up for my rare concession to comfort by being as stringent as I can in other areas of travel.

But it takes preparation, planning and courage. Here are some practices that help me travel (mostly) guilt-free.

News and numbers about the negative impacts of the tourism industry can kill our traveling bug, but did you know that tourism is a key driver of socio-economic progress around the world? According to the 2015 UNWTO Highlights report, the industry creates one in 11 jobs and generates US$ 1.5 trillion in exports globally. Some of these jobs and money go to "big," traditional, and maybe not-so-sustainable destinations, but arrivals to developing countries accounted for 45 percent of the total international arrivals in 2014. Actually, tourism is the first or second source of export earnings in 20 of the world's 48 least developed countries. I sleep better knowing that my leisure and work trips can help boost economies, provide livelihoods and alleviate poverty.

I once thought that a green hotel, an eco-lodge, and a sustainable hotel were the same. That's not the case; they're very different things!

Do your research on a hotel that calls itself a "green hotel"—this term is ambiguous and can mean anything. An "eco-lodge" refers to a hotel located in a natural area that conserves the environment and works to improve the welfare of local people. Eco-lodges try to minimize their impact, protect biodiversity, build environmental awareness, and respect local culture. This is the sort of place where guests come to check out the local flora, fauna, and cultural heritage. A "sustainable hotel" is a business that supports environmental conservation, social development, and local economies. Sustainable hotels will conserve water and energy, source local products for restaurants and gift shops, employ local people as staff, and support community conservation projects.

This is an absolute must for me. I want to stay in hotels and lodges that can demonstrate (as opposed to merely claim) their commitment to conserving the environment and local communities. Certified businesses—which range from giant, all-inclusive resorts to tiny, remote eco-lodges—comply with global standards for sustainable tourism and are regularly audited by reputable international entities. These businesses have energy and water saving programs, help conserve biodiversity, recycle, buy local foods, and even grow their own veggies, and their employees have decent salaries and work shifts.

For future trips to Latin America and the Caribbean, check out the Rainforest Alliance's travel guide to certified sustainable hotels and tour operators.

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Tourism is responsible for about five percent of global CO2 emissions, and transportation generates 75 percent of all tourism-related emissions. Since reducing my carbon footprint is key to reducing my travel guilt, I purchase carbon offsets for flights (you may be surprised to find out how affordable they are), and I hire tour operators and car rentals who offset their own emissions.

I don't let go of my sustainability OCD just because I am on vacation or away from home. I still turn off the lights, TV, and AC when leaving the hotel room; I reuse my towels; I keep my showers quite short; I eat at à la carte restaurants; I carry my own reusable water bottle and I even bring my own shampoo, conditioner, and soap to avoid using the tiny plastic bottles provided by the hotels. Guests generate an average of two pounds of waste per night, and these best practices help bring that appalling number down. By saving water and energy we can help reduce the 20 percent of carbon emissions generated by hotels.

Even if my hotel is a certified sustainable paradise, I push myself to visit local business, museums, wildlife centers, and national parks, and to enjoy tours provided by local entrepreneurs and communities. This is not only a way to enjoy an authentic travel experience, but to support local communities. Some hotels also offer volunteer programs that let you help at a baby-turtle nursery, for example, or join a beach clean-up for a couple of hours.

Many hotels also participate in the Pack for a Purpose initiative which encourages tourists to bring school supplies to be donated to local schools. Visit their website and check out if the hotel you booked participates.

I stopped buying mass-produced t-shirts as souvenirs ages ago. Now I go back home with jars of fruit and veggie preserves, shampoos, and soaps made by local women, as well as handmade bags and other sustainable handicrafts. Investing my money in the right place makes me a happy traveler!

Our travel and purchase choices can leave a positive social, economic, and environmental footprint in the destinations and communities we visit. And at the end of a long day of responsible sight-seeing, I pour myself a glass of organic, sustainably produced wine. I mentioned that I'm on vacation, right?