Green Flying Tips

Do you travel often for business? You can green you flying! Flying isn’t exactly healthy or environmentally friendly, but as a recent article at Green Your proves, you can take steps to be as green as possible.

Of course, green flying starts with traveling on airlines that have pro-active environmental policies. As the author at Green Your writes,

Does the airline have a newer, more fuel-efficient fleet? For example, easyJet is building its own fuel-efficient planes, and Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner, scheduled to enter service in 2008, will cut fuel use by 20 percent. jetBlue Airways and Flybe use a regional jet model that is lighter and more fuel-efficient than older models.

You as a traveler can make a difference too. Here are some green flying tips:

• Travel as lightly as possible. It takes more fuel to fly a heavier airplane. (Green Your notes that “Alaska Airlines found that it could save $10,000 per year in fuel costs by removing just five magazines per aircraft!“)
• Spend the extra money to book a direct flight. It is the taking off and landing that is worst for the environment.
• Throw your trash in the provided bags. That’s not only environmentally responsible – it is also polite.
• Bring your own snacks. That way, you can go with something organic and avoid excess trash from plastic-wrapped goodies that the airport provides.
• Decline the cup. Most airlines give you your bottle or can of beverage along with a cup. Instead, just get the beverage and bring along sanitizing wipes to ensure you’re being clean.
• Fly economy, not business class. Business class seats are responsible for 1.5 times more CO2 because they are bigger and an inefficient use of space.

If possible, the best tip I have is to choose not to travel. You can use video conferencing, phone, and email to keep in touch, and if you must travel, by train or by bus is always the better option. Keep that in mind the next time you book a flight!

Picture via sxc.hu.