Easy eco friendly swaps for vanlife

There are so many easy eco friendly swaps that really work for vanlife and family travel. We have been thinking about ways to live a zero waste lifestyle, yet that can be hard when you are a family of five in a campervan, not to mention throwing a dog into our vanlife mix! Despite this, we are always looking at the impact that our vanlife has on the environment and how we can make our vanlife more eco friendly. Here are our easy eco friendly swaps for vanlife!

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Eco friendly swaps for life on the road

Since the pandemic, vanlife has grown in popularity. More people are opting to seek out adventure whilst still adopting a slower pace of living. Many are choosing to enjoy a life collecting memories and not things, seeking out adventures and enjoying the simple life that vanlife brings.

One of the best tips I can give for eco vanlife is to really only buy what you need. Think about if you are really going to use it, and ask yourself do you really need it? Do you have something similar that you can reuse, recycle or repurpose?

Buying what you truly need and using what you already have is essential to minimising your waste. We have experienced vanlife with kids in our T5 camper for the last 9 years and we still try to think of more ways that we can reduce our plastic footprint and to reduce our waste. Space is tight in our converted VW T5 campervan, and we are often trying to find unique storage ideas for a small camper to save space. These eco friendly swaps can really help to make vanlife with kids affordable and can really save space too.

Best eco friendly swaps for your campervan

Here are our favourite eco friendly swaps for life on the road in a campervan, travelling, or whilst camping with kids that may reduce your impact on the planet!

Carry reusable bags

Ditching the plastic carrier bags! I opt for carrying alternative material, or mesh bags. I also try not to use the plastic fruit and vegetable bags on offer in most supermarkets.

Reusable water bottles

Take a water bottle with you everywhere to avoid single use plastic drinks bottles. Did you know that we use over 35 million plastic bottles every day in the UK!? Using a reusable water bottle not only saves money whilst on your travels but also helps to cut out the plastic use.

Eco friendly reusable coffee cups

The key here is to remember to take it everywhere with you, and ultimately to avoid single use cups on your travels. This can sometimes save you money too as some cafes even offer a small discount if you use your own cup.

Switch to a Bamboo Toothbrush

There are a few eco friendly bathroom swaps that you can make for vanlife. switching to a bamboo toothbrush is one! Why are bamboo toothbrushes better than plastic? They are made from bamboo wood, and the handle of the toothbrush is 100% biodegradable. We are huge fans of the Humble Co. bamboo toothbrushes but there are lots of options available including family packs of bamboo toothbrushes too.

Shampoo and Conditioner Bars

Shampoo and conditioner bars are more of an investment but are a great eco-friendly vanlife swap. The bars take up less space in the van and there are no plastic bottles and are therefore a win win for your carbon footprint! You can also purchase tins to help with storage. You can also purchase soap bar skincare sets/ solid soap bars – great for travel!

Solid dish soap/ dish soap bars

Dish washing soap bars are great for vanlife and are a great alternative rather than buying a plastic container with washing up liquid to wash dishes.

Ditch The Wipes

My final eco friendly vanlife swap is to ditch the wipes. There are biodegradable wipes around but we tend to go for the washable reusable wipes and face pads.

If you’re looking for a good company that offers sustainable products and single plastic alternatives, you can check out Global WAKEcup they also offer lovely personalised items too.