We’re less than a week away from Christmas and Hanukkah which means, for a lot of people, traveling to see loved ones. Before I had kids, I used to love flying. Flying meant I got to go somewhere I was anticipating, and it also meant some dedicated time to catch up on reading.

But since flying is a time-consuming (and seemingly inefficient) process there are lots of “convenience” items associated with flying, which means a lot of plastic.

Before you even get to the airport, there’s tiny travel-sized bottles of toiletries you stuff into your tiny travel-sized TSA approved plastic baggie. At the airport you grab some over-priced and under-tasty lunch that’s probably packaged in plastic.

On the airplane you’re handed a plastic cup filled with your beverage of choice and a plastic bag filled with some snack you’re not sure you want but open it up and eat it anyways because it was handed to you. Plastic, plastic, plastic.

If you think about it, flying and traveling are a compact and exaggerated version of our normal lives. So, in order to avoid plastic, we use the same tools we do in everyday life.

So, what are some of the best ways to avoid plastic while flying? Glad you asked! Here are my quick tips:

• dry toiletries
• bring a water bottle/coffee cup
• pack food
• bring utensils

Dry Toiletries

If you’re staying at a hotel, avoid the tiny toiletry bottles by packing your own. Even better, instead of packing your own tiny plastic bottles, choose dry toiletries.

You might be thinking, I’m staying with family and they have full bottles shampoo and conditioner. Great point. But if you want to take it one step further and avoid the plastic all together, pack some dry toiletries such as shampoo and conditioner bars.

Regardless of where I’m going, I pack shampoo and soap bars with me. By removing the liquid from these components, they don’t need a plastic bottle and you don’t need to cram them into your crowded TSA liquids bag!

Other items I pack include a bamboo toothbrush, silk dental floss in a glass container, homemade toothpaste, diluted leave-in conditioner, a contact case that I pre-fill before leaving the house, and then a small bottle of sunflower oil as moisturizer.

A number of the containers are plastic as I acquired these containers prior to going plastic-free. When they eventually outlast their usefulness, I’ll replace them with a glass or metal alternative.

On a side but related note, starting in 2023, hotels in California cannot provide tiny plastic toiletry bottles! As I mentioned in New Plastic Laws in California, they will be required to provide a full-sized multi-use bottle. Many hotels like Marriott have already switched to full-sized wall-mounted versions!

Think of the millions of tiny plastic bottles that are normally used maybe once and then thrown away. This will save so many bottles!

Bring a Water Bottle/Coffee Cup

Bring an empty water bottle and/or coffee cup. In most airports you can fill your bottle or cup with water after you pass through security. If there isn’t a dedicated fill station, you can ask a food vendor kindly to fill your water bottle up.

At Dubai, one of the busiest international airports, approximately 11,000 plastic bottles are recycled from security check points EVERY DAY! Avoid contributing to this waste by bringing your own empty water bottle.

I usually travel with both a reusable water bottle and a coffee cup because I like to have both water and coffee or tea. If you’re good with just having one at a time, bringing an insulated water bottle or cup is a great way to cut down on items you have to carry.

As I mentioned in Plastic-Free Holiday Gift Guide, I bought my husband this insulated cup for Christmas last year and he uses it nearly every day. It has two different lids depending on whether it contains a hot or cold beverage. It’s the perfect cup to travel with if you want to only carry one cup.

Pack Food

I usually fly out in the mornings and I know that the food is not my favorite, it’s over-priced, and usually packaged in plastic. So, I make sure to pack breakfast and a snack or pick up breakfast on the way to the airport.

I’ll pack some cheese, fruits, and nuts in a LunchBots container I bought for my kids.

And then pack a sandwich for breakfast or lunch in a larger LunchBots container I purchased for myself.

If you’re in a hurry to get to the airport and can’t pick up food on the way, choose meal options that are more likely to be packaged in paper or foil. My go-to option in airports with limited options is a breakfast wrap at Subway.

If you have a layover and already ate through your packed snacks and sandwich, use one of my 5 Tips for Plastic-Free Dining and sit down at a restaurant to have your meal.

Bring Utensils

So, your Uber got lost or cancelled, and you sweet talked the passengers in the long security line to let you cut because you’re just about to miss your flight. You have barely enough time to grab the salad at the kiosk located next to your gate. I understand, it’s tough to win them all.

But you were awesome enough to remember to pack your utensils! No need for a plastic fork or paper napkin. You’ve got that covered.

I like to roll up some utensils from my kitchen with a cloth napkin and throw that in my bag.

It can be tough to avoid plastics all the time. So, do the best you can and if you end up needing to grab something convenient, try to avoid it the next time. What’s important is that we make a continual effort. It doesn’t need to be perfect but, if millions of people make small changes, that exponential effect can cause real change.

So, what do you think? Can you use these tips to avoid plastics while flying? What are some of your favorite travel hacks? Tell me in the comments!

For related posts, check out:

• Plastic-Free Showering
• Plastic-Free Dental Care