Recycla and her family are heading to London today. Yeah, yeah, it’s a rough life for a super hero.
While Recycla could tell you about how she’s going to offset her carbon use by donating to a worthy cause, she is instead going to tell you about the EASY green steps she has taken in preparation for this trip.
First of all, before leaving the house, Recycla and her family will unplug most electronics so that there will be no unnecessary use of electricity during the family’s absence. Recycla’s husband will turn off the hot water heater and turn down the heat. They will then drive their fuel efficient Mazda 3 to the airport two hours away. (Bet you thought the family’s ride was a Prius. See, they’re normal superheroes, just like you and are green even without a hybrid car. )
The family tried to pack light and have only two medium suitcases, for all four of them, but then Recycla checked the weather forecast in London and added more sweaters to the pile, which lead to the addition of another suitcase. When packing, instead of buying small sample sizes of the family’s toiletries, Recycla instead poured shampoo and other products into small, reusable travel bottles that she’s had since the 20th century.
Recycla and her family will not be buying junk food at the airport in anticipation of all those hours of captivity and near starvation on the airplane. Instead, Recycla will pack snacks, some of which will be healthy (raisins, nuts, granola bars) and others of which will be less so. (Chocolate goes a long way toward keeping children well behaved on a plane.) Rather than buying single-use packages, Recycla will pack the snacks in reusable containers that will come in handy during the vacation.
It’s a well known fact that airplane air is dry and that everyone should drink lots of liquids while en route. Since the TSA has decreed that no one can bring liquids through security, Recycla and her family will have empty reusable water bottles. Once they’ve gotten through the long painful ordeal that is American airport security, they will go to the closest food court and fill their water bottles with water and ice.
Once Recycla and her family land in London, their plan is to walk or take public transportation as much as possible. Why add another car to London’s already congested roads? They will be renting a car for their days traveling through the countryside, but they made a point to rent a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicle.
In hotels and B&Bs they’ll be staying in, if given the option, Recycla and her family will opt not to have their linens changed daily. Since they packed their own toiletries, they won’t use those little sample bottles.
As for food, the plan is to visit markets to stock up on fruits and veggies for snacking and some lunches. For meals out, the family will choose local restaurants and pubs instead of international chains or the American stand-by — McDonald’s. Recycla loathes McCrap.
Beyond that, Recycla doesn’t have any other definite plans about how she’s going to save the planet while on vacation. She’ll figure things out as they happen — recycling when possible, not getting plastic bags when she makes purchases, and so forth. Mostly, she’s just looking forward to traveling and experiencing another culture. She plans to observe British eco practices and share then with you when she returns.
