Most of the waste that builds up on a day out comes from a few items: water bottles, coffee cups, bags and packaging. You do not need to rebuild your travel habits from scratch to reduce it; three or four pieces added to your bag remove most of the daily waste. What is more, most of these pieces also make travel more comfortable; that is, nothing is given up.
A few pieces to add to your bag
The list is deliberately short. The aim is not to carry a complete set but to have with you a few pieces you will really use during the day.
- A refillable water bottle
- A foldable cloth bag
- A thermos or a cup with a lid
- A small cloth napkin or handkerchief
- A small reusable container; useful for taking leftovers away
All of these are light and take little space in your bag. The water bottle also makes it easier to keep track of your fluids on hot days; one habit does two jobs. The cloth bag lets you gather everything you buy during the day in one place.
What the city offers
Keeping these habits up in Istanbul is not hard; the city's everyday rhythm already suits them quite well. In most cases the only thing you need to do is ask.
- Many cafés agree to fill your own cup when you bring it
- In restaurants and cafés it is possible to ask for a jug of water instead of a bottle
- Getting your bottle refilled at businesses is common, just ask; do not rely on street fountains for drinking water
- Using a cloth bag at markets and greengrocers is perfectly normal
- Public transport is already the lowest-impact way to get around; the ferry is its pleasant version
- Most neighbourhoods of the city can be explored on foot; this is both the lowest-impact and the most pleasant option
At meals and when shopping
Most of the waste during the day builds up around eating and drinking. A few small choices reduce it markedly and take nothing away from the experience.
- Sitting down to eat instead of takeaway directly reduces single-use packaging
- Not taking extra bags and napkins at street food stalls is a small but effective choice
- Gathering what you buy in a single cloth bag stops you taking a separate bag from every shop
- Sharing a portion both reduces waste and lets you try more variety
- Not asking for extra packaging when you buy gifts also saves space in your suitcase for the way home
Where you stay, and leaving waste in the right place
Time spent at the hotel is short, but a few choices make a difference here too. None of them requires giving up comfort.
- You can say that towels and sheets do not need to be changed every day
- Use your own products instead of the single-use toiletries in the room
- Switch off the air conditioning and lights when you leave
Leaving the waste you could not reduce in the right place is part of the job too. In the city, recycling bins are found in separated form in some districts; if you are not sure, carrying the waste with you and leaving it at a suitable point is better than putting it in the wrong bin. In seafront and park areas the simplest rule applies: take away what you brought.
In short
Sustainable travel is not sacrifice but preparation: a water bottle, a cloth bag, a thermos and the habit of leaving waste in the right place. This much removes most of the waste produced on an Istanbul day and takes nothing away from the pleasure of the trip.