By Jen Rose Smith
September 10, 2024

Try these easy, stylish, and eco-friendly essentials.

What’s in your bag? For your next outing, you might want to give your packing list a sustainability edit. Beyond reducing plastics en route to and at your destination, greener picks amplify environmental strides from the African wilderness to the lush Caribbean islands.

“If you’re going to take a trip to an amazing place, make sure it’s better because of your visit,” Virtuoso travel advisor Sheila Gallant-Halloran says. Start out small with these low-lift packing essentials that the experts recommend. 

Reef-Friendly Sunscreens 

“It can feel like our individual actions are a drop in the ocean, but choosing the right sunscreen can have an immediate and direct impact on fragile marine ecosystems,” says Lawrence Menz, director of sustainability and conservation at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives. He recommends looking for a “reef-safe” label on mineral sunscreens. Next, check the ingredients to make sure they list non-nano zinc oxide or non-nano titanium dioxide, rather than oxybenzone or parabens.

Try: San Francisco-based Thrive Regenerative Skincare crafts its sunblock from plant-based ingredients grown on regenerative farms in Costa Rica. Thrive’s all-natural, reef-safe BodyShield 50 offers strong protection minus the white residue. $30, thrivecare.co.

Refillable Toiletries 

Sustainable packing doesn’t mean skimping on your beauty routine, thanks to a growing list of products that bypass plastic packaging altogether. Solid shampoo, conditioner, and body bars eliminate the need for travel-size plastic bottles, while toothpaste tablets avoid plastic tubes that land in the trash.

Try: Virtuoso advisor Lauren Jones loves the TSA-approved glass bottles in Wonder Valley’s Little Wonders set, which features olive oil cleanser, serum, facial oil, and body oil, all made from Northern California olives. She refills hers before every trip. “The products make my skin glow,” she says. $72, welcometowondervalley.com.

Reusable Shopping Bags 

Buying souvenirs can leave travelers with bundles of single-use bags – not only are they a waste, they also telegraph that you’re a tourist. “I’m conscious of bringing home unneeded bags,” Jones says. “I also prefer to look pulled together when I’m out shopping in a destination.”

Try: She always packs a “playful and functional” Baggu shopping bag made entirely from recycled materials. The Standard Baggu comes in dozens of colors and patterns, holds up to 50 pounds, and folds down to store inside its own five-inch pouch. $14, baggu.com.

Stainless-Steel Water Bottles 

Many resorts have traded plastic water bottles for refillable glassware. But traveling with your own water bottle is still the best bet, says Virtuoso advisor Julie Rose. And if you don’t see a water filling station at your hotel, simply ask, “Where can I fill up?” 

Try: Every purchase of a sleek stainless-steel Ocean Bottle funds the pickup of 1,000 plastic bottles otherwise bound for the sea. The leakproof 17-ounce Ocean Bottle Go fits a built-in straw and slips easily into a carry-on. $52, oceanbottle.co.

Destination-Led Donations 

Sustainable travel goes beyond greener choices – it can uplift communities as well. Virtuoso advisor Erin Green has found room in her luggage to stow items destined for nonprofits, who can inform travelers of the most-needed supplies in their destinations, such as clothing or books. 

Try: Pack for a Purpose partners with Virtuoso hotels and tour operators around the world to get donations into the right hands. On one trip to Belize, Green brought an inexpensive tablet to give to a local school. “It’s a targeted need that makes a difference,” she says. Donations vary, packforapurpose.org.