Travel brings a sense of adventure and freedom unlike anything else. Seeing new sights, meeting new people, and experiencing local culture is a sure-fire way to broaden your horizons and challenge yourself with new ideas.

Unfortunately, modern travel isn’t always kind to the environment. However, travel is still a worthwhile endeavor and one that you can improve with a few easy steps. Here are five ways you can travel more sustainably this year.

Consider Transportation

Most modern transportation methods have a negative impact on the environment. Aircraft emit thousands of tons of CO2 into the air and account for 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the American transportation sector.

While flying is unavoidable, there are ways you can reduce your impact when choosing a flight. Google recently added carbon emissions estimates for each flight in its search results. You can compare airlines as well as seats on the plane, as first-class tends to produce more carbon emissions, and newer planes produce less pollution.

Google also created an “eco-certified” tag in search results for hotels, making it easy to find sustainable options when researching your trip. To continue making eco-conscious decisions when you get to your destination, try walking or biking when possible.

Reduce Waste

You can keep your waste low while traveling if you take some time to prepare. Consider what you’ll need and what you’ll be doing, and ensure you have a sustainable option for each activity.

Pack a refillable water bottle, and think about investing in a heavy-duty filter so you can purify your own water in countries with poor sanitation. A reusable bottle will help you avoid using an excessive amount of plastic.

To avoid plastic wrappers, pack homemade snacks and bring reusable containers for leftovers. Mason jars and Tupperware are a much better option than styrofoam to-go boxes. You can also invest in small, refillable toiletry containers to avoid using hotel soaps or having to buy products as you go.

Do Research

Before you visit a location, do research to ensure you understand how to safely engage with the wildlife. For instance, in some locations, you may not be able to hammock without damaging the trees, so knowing basic park rules is critical. Avoid tours that hold animals captive or are otherwise destructive to the local ecosystem.

It’s essential to plan your trip ahead of time to avoid working with hotels, tours, and restaurants that greenwash their products and services. While it’s fun to be spontaneous during travel, last-minute decisions and hunger pangs can influence you toward choices you normally wouldn’t make.

Support Locals

One of the positive effects of tourism is the way it can stimulate local economies. Use your finances to support local restaurants, farmers, and craftspeople whenever you can. Above all else, avoid souvenir shops that sell plastic merchandise from overseas. Although local creations may be more expensive, they are also much more valuable.

Local flavor can add a lot to your travel experience, so make sure to do your research on popular restaurants and products that will support the people whose country you’re visiting. Be respectful of cultural sensitivities, and consider opting for simple pleasures over exploitative tourist traps. This will be easier on your budget and kinder to your destination.

Create Principles

To travel as sustainably as possible, try creating a set of principles for yourself that will make eco-friendly decisions easy. Here are a few examples of goals you could set to make travel more sustainable:

I won’t accept single-use plastics.
I’ll only travel ___ miles this year.
I won’t eat at international restaurant chains.
I won’t interact with local wildlife unless I’ve done my research.
I’ll eat at least one local restaurant at every destination I visit.

Creating boundaries for yourself will help you make choices in the moment that you’ll be proud of later. Do your best to be realistic and prepare to meet your own needs so that following your goals is easy. For instance, you can pack your own snacks so that refusing airplane food is no problem.

Let’s Go!

Travel is immensely exciting and helps people learn to see beyond their own culture. Although most transportation negatively impacts the environment, there are ways that you can reduce your impact and travel more sustainably.

Follow these five steps to reduce waste and avoid supporting unethical companies as you travel. To reduce the effect of transportation, you can also consider traveling closer to home — there could be an incredible experience in your own city just waiting to be discovered.

Easy Ways to Start Traveling Sustainably This Year