5 simple sustainable swaps to make before you go on a family holiday

Congratulations, you have been making more eco-friendly and sustainable swaps in your life. But now, your family holiday is rolling around and you are worried that, like all good habits, your eco-friendly practices are going to fly out the window. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sustainable swaps are possible, even when you are on holiday. 

Here are five simple sustainable swaps to make in preparation for your family holiday...

1. Swap your single-use habit with an on-the-go eco-friendly kit

What is an on-the-go eco-friendly kit you ask? Simple! Think about all the things that you would usually buy single-use while on holidays - water bottles, cutlery, shopping bag, takeaway coffee cups, straws…. The list could go on but it will be unique to you. At Little Urchin HQ, we all have a pencil case (or unused clutch) in our bag with all the essentials so we are always prepared - holiday or no holiday. 

Pro tip: create and start using your eco-kit BEFORE you go on holiday. You will get used to it and also figure out what you use or don’t use. This will allow you to refine your very own, bespoke eco-friendly kit that works for you and your family. 

2. Swap your sunscreen for an natural, reef-safe alternative that is suitable for the entire family

Little Urchin’s natural* sunscreen is a crowd favourite and for good reason. It is a broad-spectrum UVA & UVB sunscreen that is suitable for everyone from 6 months old to 100 years young (yes, even if they have sensitive skin). Its smooth, clear and non-greasy formula makes it a favourite with the kids.  And being non-toxic, reef safe and free from animal testing, it is a favourite with the adults too! And best yet? It doesn’t break the bank to keep your family safe from the sun! Be sure to stock up before your holiday - shop here. 

3. Swap new for borrowed or secondhand

Holidays usually have you heading to the shops; whether it is snow gear for a ski trip, boogie boards and sand buckets for the beach or just big enough luggage to fit all your belongings. But what if you asked friends and family to borrow their equipment? Or what if you headed to Facebook Marketplace to search for these things secondhand?  Not only will it save you a lot of money, but it is also a much more sustainable way to prepare for your holiday. 

4. Swap ticking ‘no’ for ticking ‘yes’ to carbon offset when booking flights

Did you know? A return flight from Sydney to Melbourne can be offset for less than $2? Well, it can! And look, we get it! Flights are expensive especially when you have kids in tow. The last thing you want to do is add yet another expense into the mix. But by ticking ‘yes’ to carbon offset, you may be paying a little bit extra BUT it will help fund verified carbon offset projects in Australia and around the world. These offsets mitigate your share of the unavoidable carbon emissions released during your flight. 

5. Bring your kids into the conversation

If your children are old enough to understand, bring them into the conversation. Talk about why having an eco-friendly holiday is important and how they can help get involved. Not only will it serve as a good bonding experience for your family to be working together on a shared goal, but it will also be a great learning opportunity for all. 

This holiday live by the words; “Take only photographs, leave only footprints” - your bank account and the planet will thank you for it. 

* Little Urchin uses the term ‘natural’ because the ingredients in our products are ones found in nature that are unharmful to the body and used in their natural form or are refined, purified or transformed in the laboratory from sources in nature.  The refinement, purification and transformation processes of certain ingredients are chemical processes required to make the underlying, natural ingredients suitable for use in a sunscreen or moisturiser product.  These processes do not involve the use of synthetic chemicals.

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