If you already make efforts to be a “green” traveler, what does it take to be even greener? This week we will explore various ways to step up your green travel efforts using our shades of green travel spectrum. If you’re not familiar with the spectrum, it ranges from “pea green” travelers who are least likely to make extreme efforts to travel green; to “Kelly Green” travelers who make moderate efforts to be eco-conscious while traveling; to “forest green” travelers who will go to almost any length to leave no impact while traveling.

Bottled Water

Although water bottles may seem like an unimportant part of traveling green, with the sheer amount of waste produced by bottled water each, even one bottle can make a difference. So what are the “shades” of green travel with a water bottle?

Green or Pea Green: Buy Bottled Water

Green travelers may not own or want to carry their own reusable bottle on their trip, but they don’t want to buy and waste a new bottle each time. Thus, a green traveler might buy a bottle of water at the airport, and reuse that same bottle for most or all of their trip, refilling it many times.

Greener or Kelly Green: Bring Bottled Water

A greener traveler is also reluctant to bring her own reusable bottle - she thinks “maybe I’ll lose it, maybe TSA will confiscate it, maybe it won’t look professional.” So, the greener traveler brings an empty, non-reusable bottle from home. Then at the end of the trip she can recycle it. (Note that you shouldn’t refill bottled water bottles more than a few times, as it’s not good for your health.)

photo credit: aarontait

Greenest or Forest Green: Bring a Reusable Bottle

The greenest travelers bring their own reusable bottle. If you already own it, any reusable bottle is better for the environment than buying bottled water. Besides being environmentally friendly, bringing your own bottle of water can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a trip. If you are concerned about what type of reusable bottle is best for your personal health, next week we will write a comparison post of reusable water bottles.

This post is part of our Shades of Green Travel series. Check out the last post on green transportation.