Traveling sustainably is an important aspect of modern-day travel, and being mindful of our environmental impact while traveling has never been more critical. Fortunately, there are simple things we can all do to help preserve the environment and make our travels more sustainable. From using reusable items to picking up litter, shopping locally, and reducing our carbon footprint, these small actions can go a long way in helping protect the places we love to visit. In this blog post, we’ll cover some easy ways to travel sustainably while enjoying all that the Ketchum area has to offer.
Bring reusables!
Did you know that Americans use over 100 billion plastic bags each year? If 25% of families used 10 fewer bags per month, we would save 2.5 billion bags per year! Grab that reusable bag and water bottle and hit the town! This is a simple way to do your part when out and about and stopping in shops and groceries. Plus, our local tap water is out of this world.
Pick it up!
It can be a damper to roll up to a campsite, trailhead, lookout, or even a park and see pieces of trash around. Be sure to pick up your own trash and if you see anything else around you, pick it up! This is such an easy way for you to do your part and make the space more enjoyable for the next person, or for your return! For more information, check out the multiple ways to recreate responsibly.
Shop locally!
Our local farmer’s markets begin in the summer and are a great way to connect with local farmers and artisans. If you are on the search for local goods, check out our local groceries for things like locally-made bread, veggies, and seasonal fruit!
Getting around!
With a bike path that runs from North Ketchum to Bellevue and a free ( that’s right, free!) bus service in town, what is the desire to drive around? Grab a bike and enjoy our bike-friendly communities or hop on a Mountain Rides bus and enjoy stress-free and sustainable transportation. Mountain Rides even has electric buses on many routes to get you to where you need to go with even lower emissions.
Enjoy creature comforts reasonably!
Avoid cranking up the AC or heat in your spaces, and turn the lights off when you are heading out. As simple and silly as this can seem, it really can go a long way! If you turn your lights off you have a much better view of our night sky, a big bonus! If you are staying in a hotel, don’t ask for turn-down services.
Pledge for the Wild!
We are fortunate to participate in Pledge for the Wild, which is an easy way to donate directly to our community. Enjoyed some of our local trails or bike path? Donations to Pledge for the Wild go to the Blaine County Recreation District which helps maintain the beauty and access to our wild spaces.
Reduce your carbon footprint!
Driving to Sun Valley is not always feasible, and we are fortunate to have many flight options coming into our local airport. Carbon offsets are a reduction of emissions created by travel. There are a few easy things that you can do when flying to offset your carbon footprint when visiting us, or anywhere!
Pack light (er)
One easy way to reduce your footprint is to pack less. This can help reduce the overall weight of the plane thus lessening the impact your flight will have when traveling. One consideration is to rent gear when at your destination. You’ll avoid lugging the extra weight and minimize your impact on the airline load. If you’re heading here in the winter, we have a great blog for renting gear locally.
Additionally, there are some great resources from Mount, a company that sets hosts up with rental opportunities for all sort of items in their hometowns.
Low emissions flight booking
Flying non- stop as well as booking economy seats are two small but impactful ways you can help. We recommend checking out Google Flights for a great way to sort your search flights by their carbon emission.
Donate
When other things can’t be avoided, you can calculate your carbon emissions from a trip and offset them by donating. It can be as small as $12 dollar to help reduce the impact that your wonderful trip made!
On top of donating to climate funds, there are a number of other local entities that you can contribute to that will aid in the usage impacts of your visit. The Wood River Trails Coalition, Blaine County Recreation District, Wood River Land Trust, and Sawtooth Avalanche Center are all great local outdoor entities. The Spur Community Foundation is an equitable option for helping you to decide best for where your donations should be allocated locally.
Kindness!
When thinking sustainably we think of the natural world around us. Often, what can get overlooked is the impact that your kindness can have on individuals working in the communities you visit. Reducing worker stress and fatigue, tipping service employees, and showing kindness can help prevent turnover and encourage job retention. We invite you to Stay Sunny.
Additional Resources
Leave No Trace– take on responsibility in the space you are, respect, and beware, and be educated on local customs.
Recycling in our community– Help keep recycling out of the dump! In smaller communities, recycling pickup may not be available at a rental. Make sure you know where you can drop off your recycling to ensure it gets properly recycled. Let’s do our part for a cleaner environment!
When you travel sustainably in a more eco-friendly way, you not only help the environment but you also create a more meaningful and rewarding travel experience. So, let’s pack our reusable bags and water bottles, pick up trash we see, shop locally, and reduce our carbon footprint. Even small actions can make a big difference! Let’s enjoy our travels while being responsible stewards of the planet and spreading kindness wherever we go.