Marie from @Astrovan_family, our ambassador , has been traveling with her family in her Volkswagen T4 since the birth of their little Hugo. Very committed to the protection of the environment, she shares very concrete and practical advice to reduce her ecological footprint on the roads.

And to discover the portrait of this pretty family and their various articles, its found here !

 

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TIPS FOR AN ECO-RESPONSIBLE ROAD TRIP
told by Marie from @Astrovan_family

In 2022, the climate issue is omnipresent, and we believe that it is urgent to react. When traveling by van, the question arises every time. We will never be perfect, but how, with our polluting vans, can we reduce our carbon footprint during our roadtrips?
In this article, I share some easy-to-apply tips to limit our impact on the environment.

 

Travelling ...
  • Slow travel : to discover incredible places, you don't need to travel thousands of kilometres. France offers an incredible richness of landscape! Take the national roads and discover your region : this will allow you to travel fewer kilometers and use less fuel. It will also be good for the wallet! Why not take the opportunity to try eco-driving?
  • Avoid places of mass tourism in high season to limit the impact of human life on the landscape to be preserved: it will be more pleasant for you, and nature will thank you because it will be less impacted!
Vanlife - eco-friendly travel - driving

     

    On the spot...
    • Organize a small trash pickup adventure on the area around your van to enjoy all the beauty of nature. Thanks to the applications now you will no longer have difficulty finding a spot. But it is not uncommon to arrive at a place soiled by previous visitors...
    • Avoid lighting fires on the ground and check that the area is clear. Do not do it in summer because the risk of fire is far too high (you can use a foldable barbecue or gas plancha for example!)
    • Defecate naturally away from waterways and paths (if you don't have dry toilets in your van). Make a hole with a shovel and then fill it, and finally take your toilet paper with you! 
    • Avoid leaving food or feeding wild animals in order to respect the nature around you.
    • Avoid picking the plants that make up this incredible biodiversity.
    • Leave no trace of your passage (even the compost). Before leaving, take a tour of the spot to make sure you haven't left anything. #leavenotrace.

    Spot vanlife zero waste

       

      Hygiene and waste water
      • Use biodegradable soaps. If you are a fan of outdoor showers, there are cosmetic products (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) that are solid and biodegradable , which will have a minimum impact on the nature around you. Remember to move away from the waterways (about 1 meter) so that the fauna and flora of the river are not polluted.
      • It is essential to empty the gray (or black) water in the dedicated areas , where the water will then be treated like at home.
      • Do not hesitate to use ecological products for the dishes.
      Hygiene vanlife - Zero waste

         

        Waste
        • Selective sorting. In a van, it's not always easy to sort and have several bins. You can make a bin of unsoiled recyclable waste (cardboard, glass, paper) and another with all dirty waste. Each time you enter a village or a campsite, you will be able to get rid of your waste daily, not accumulate it in the van and sort glass, cardboard and plastic.

        Waste sorting - zero waste vanlife

           

          If you want to make your road trips and trips more eco-responsible and leave no trace, we have selected for you the zero waste accessories in a dedicated collection.

          Discover our selection of zero waste accessories

           

          In general
          • Raising awareness : Acting is important, but you can share your actions and raise awareness about environmental protection!

          This is what we try to do through our sharing on social networks, and above all these are the values ​​we want to transmit to Hugo, our son, so that he too can make environmental protection a daily struggle and that he can enjoy the same landscapes as his parents...

          Awareness - Vanlife zero waste

          Bonus: you can offset the carbon footprint of your trip thanks to associations such as Reforest Action , but don't forget: the best carbon footprint is the one you don't consume!

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          Don't forget that if you want to continue traveling by van, continue to admire the most beautiful things nature has to offer, today is the time to act.

          Traveling, at home, at work, every little bit counts! #leavenotrace #noplanetb
          March 13, 2023 — Ori & Aurel

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