You can work from anywhere.
And for many, this also means more travelling.
But do you consider how you travel and what it means?
Here at Remote Mission we are a community of people who care about the world and the living beings in it. So as nomads and remote workers who tend to travel often, we think it's only right that we should be looking at sustainable and ethical ways to travel.
We talk about what we can do on our travels that makes a positive difference in our Facebook Community often, especially when we are based all over the world. So we thought we’d put our three easy and key ways to travel more ethically into a little blog post, in case it helps others to think differently and make some changes when they are off on adventures too.
Slow Travel over Fast Travel
"I think slow travel generally encourages a closer look at what’s around you, which in turn encourages you to respect what’s on your path.
We travel mostly by van and will be switching to full time van life in the coming months. The old diesel isn’t perfect for the environment but I think the rest compensates well. We travel slowly, which gives us time to head well off the beaten track and stop at small organic farms and local markets for food. My partner’s a welder and provides on-site, affordable welding to people like farmers needing their machinery fixed.
Slow travel also means meeting and spending time with people, and van life generally also means meeting those people far from the main tourist routes. Another advantage is that we are forced to minimise water usage and waste. Since our food comes from farms and markets, there’s almost no packaging. We’re also converting our toilet to a natural one (wood chips) for a smell- and pollution-free bathroom.“ Marie-Anne Chaloupecky
Support local communities
"I always look for local NGOs or volunteer opportunities. Could be a simple beach clean up - you never know what could lead to potentially new clients. For Example, I had the pleasure of being introduced to a man bringing a recycling facility to Koh Phangan (something most of Thailand doesn't do very well) with the intent of building them on every nearby island. A great project to be apart of!” Young Matt
"In developing countries you're never far from a market or a fruit street seller. I made an effort to support these guys over grocery stores. Especially when you see an old man pushing a cart selling popcorn, you know it's not because it's his hobby. For that reason, I always had cash on me to support these guys.” Shari Nunes
"You can help local communities by trying to buy locally made souvenirs or gifts whenever you can and make sure that they come from sustainable (and legal) materials.” Heather Bain
The little things that make a big impact
"I travel with reusable bags. When I was in Colombia they were so confused on why I packed my groceries myself, but I did. The tap water didn't make me ill so I drank it and stopped buying water bottles. I reduced my meat consumption as well.
Lastly, I try to connect with local creatives to see if there are any interesting projects happening. I really do believe every little helps so I do my part when I can.” Shari Nunes
"I love the fact that more and more people are starting to think more consciously when they travel! Even simple things like taking your own water bottle with you and filling it up at the taps (or buying a massive bottle of water and filling your bottle up from there).“ Heather Bain
"I bring my stainless straw everywhere I go. I know it’s a small thing, but little by little I’m trying to lessen using single use plastic.” Em Quinio
"Always travel with a reusable water bottle. Say no to straws. Travel by train/bus if possible. Make a regular donation to Cool Earth. Leave no trace. Take only photos.” Lorna Morris
What do you do to travel more sustainably or ethically? We'd love to know!
And if you want to join the discussion over in our Facebook community, come on over!