Sponsored by Zoku

I’ll be honest— in the past month, I’ve bought two plastic water bottles. I’ve used at least three different plastic forks. As for straws, I’ve used ten. I know I can do better. For me, better starts with basic eco swaps, or swapping out the single use plastics for their reusable counterparts, reducing the amount I contribute to landfills by a little every month.

It’s easy to be single-use plastic free on long trips where Leave No Trace is at the front of your mind, but it’s harder to Leave No Trace on road trips or day trips. You pack your lunch in plastic bags, or pick up take out along the way. It only takes glancing around popular trails and picnic spots to realize that single use plastics on the trail are a huge problem.

Five Easy Eco-Swaps for Hikers and Road-Trippers

I truly believe that litter on trail and off is largely accidental. When hiking and road tripping, single-use plastics are convenient, but eventually, whether it’s a wind-blown ziplock bag or a forgotten plastic water bottle, some of that plastic is going to find its way out of your bag and on to the trail. One of the easiest ways to reduce that accidental waste is to invest in something that can’t blow away.

Eco Swap One: Stainless Steel Water Bottle

In order to be an effective eco swap for the convenience of a plastic water bottle, I needed something that actually fits both in my cup holder when I’m driving, and fits easily in most backpacks. A big added bonus is if that bottle can keep my hot tea hot, especially if I’m out in the rain.

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My fix? Zoku’s 18oz powder coated bottle. It’s lightweight, good for hot and cold drinks both, and has a loop that easily attaches to a pack or boat.

Eco Swap Two: Pocket Utensil Set

In the past, I’ve used disposable plastic forks and spoons for hot lunches on long rainy day hikes or road trips. Switching to a utensil set with a carrying case not only reduces single use plastics, but a carrying case makes it easy to transport dirty dishes, without having to wash dishes outside.

A Pocket Utensil set works perfectly for a canyonside lunch.

Eco Swap Three: Neat Stack Food Jar

Probably my single biggest offense when it comes to single-use plastics is plastic bags for my trail lunches. I’ve been using probably upwards of 30 a month. A Neat Stack Food Jar will keep your hot food hot, or cold food cold. This is especially great for rainy trail days, or longer trips where you want to make hot food in the morning and keep it hot for lunch.

Eco Swap Four: Pocket Straw

A pocket straw makes a huge difference when it comes to straw use. If you drive a lot and like to sip at sweet, cold drinks then you probably know that the easiest way to sip while cruising is through a straw. You probably also have seen those horrifying photos of turtles with straws in their noses, and feel a little guilty about that plastic straw in your strawberry banana smoothie.

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Eco Swap Five: Tumbler

Nothing in the world beats an early start and morning coffee on trail, and a cardboard to-go mug just doesn’t travel well in the woods. A quick fix? A 12oz Stainless Steel Tumbler. Bonus points for a lid adapted to sip a hot drink, or hold a straw for cold drinks.

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Zoku is a small business alternative to some of the big name brands for outdoor water bottles and eco swaps, committed to planting one tree for every 12oz  Vacuum Insulated Tumbler or bottle sold.

Eco swaps are a great step toward minimizing your own waste, and every tree planted is a promise for the future. While that tree won’t offset the carbon footprint of production immediately, tree planting initiatives like the Eden Reforestation Projects provide jobs today, and that tree pays it forward. In 20 years, that tree will provide shade to people, a home to dozens of organisms, and produce the oxygen we need to breathe.

A tree is a promise for the future, to help offset emissions down the road for the next person. The eco swaps you can make each day will cut your own impact on the environment now, and keep plastics out of our landfills, out of our lakes and rivers, and off of our trails. Tree planting is a symbol of community, and a promise to do better tomorrow. I, and we, can do a little better tomorrow.

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