Summer travel is one of the best parts of the year. New places, new energy, and a bag you get to pack entirely on your own terms. But here's something worth knowing before you start tossing things in your suitcase:
The average traveler generates 4 to 5 pounds of waste per trip.
Most of it is single-use plastic — toiletry bottles, cotton swabs, disposable razors, and those tiny hotel freebies that get used once and tossed. Multiply that across millions of trips every summer, and the picture gets big fast.
The good news? You don't need to overhaul your entire routine to make a real difference. A handful of thoughtful swaps — products that actually perform, just without the plastic — is all it takes to build a travel kit you'll feel good about using anywhere in the world.
Here's what to pack.
The Plastic-Free Packing List
Swap 01
Toothpaste Tube → Toothpaste Tablets
Standard toothpaste tubes are notoriously hard to recycle — and the TSA 3-1-1 liquid rule makes flying with a full-size tube a game of Tetris in your quart bag. Toothpaste tablets solve both problems.
Our Zero Waste Toothpaste Tablets with Nano-Hydroxyapatite come in a small, refillable glass jar that passes through security without a second glance. Nano-hydroxyapatite is a mineral that naturally strengthens enamel and remineralizes teeth — no fluoride required. Just pop a tablet in your mouth, chew, brush, and go.
Clean ingredients. No tube. No mess. Travel-ready from day one.
Shop Toothpaste Tablets →Swap 02
Plastic Toothbrush → Bamboo Travel Toothbrush
Over a billion plastic toothbrushes are discarded in the US every year. They don't break down. They pile up. And most of us replace ours every 3 months, which means the math isn't great.
Our All-in-One Bamboo Travel Toothbrush is designed specifically for life on the move. The bristles tuck neatly into the handle, so it self-caps without a separate plastic cover — one less piece, one less thing to forget on the bathroom counter. Made from sustainably sourced bamboo with soft, bio-based bristles that are gentle on gums and effective on plaque. And compostable at end of life.
Same clean. Built for wherever you're headed.
Shop Bamboo Travel Toothbrush →Swap 03
Liquid Bottles → Travel Soap Bars
Liquid body wash, shampoo, and conditioner account for a huge portion of the plastic waste travelers generate, and most of those bottles get left behind in the hotel bathroom, half-empty.
Solid soap bars are compact, plastic-free, and not subject to TSA liquid limits. Pack one bar instead of three plastic bottles, and you'll wonder why you ever did it any other way. Our plant-based bars are made with simple ingredients and no synthetic fragrance so your skin (and your carry-on) will thank you.
One bar. No limits. No plastic left behind.
Shop Travel Soap Bars →Swap 04
Disposable Cotton Rounds → Reusable Hemp Rounds
If you use cotton rounds to remove makeup, apply toner, or cleanse your face, you're likely going through dozens of them on a single trip. Disposable cotton rounds are used for seconds and thrown away, and conventional cotton is one of the most resource-intensive crops on the planet.
Our reusable hemp cotton rounds wash and dry easily, pack flat, and last for hundreds of uses. Tuck a small mesh laundry bag in your kit and you can wash them right in the sink. One small switch, zero ongoing waste.
Same routine. No throwaway.
Shop Hemp Rounds →Swap 05
Single-Use Samples → Repurposed Jars and the Everything Tin
Before you buy anything new, look at what you already have. That empty moisturizer jar sitting in your bathroom? Rinse it out and fill it with your favorite balm, sunscreen, or salve. Glass and metal jars are ideal travel companions — durable, easy to clean, and they don't leach anything into your products.
And if you want one container that does it all, our Everything Travel Tin is exactly that. Use it to organize your solid toiletries, stash jewelry, keep hair ties and bobby pins from escaping to the bottom of your bag, or hold anything else that needs a home. Compact, plastic-free, and endlessly reusable — it earns its spot in your kit every single trip.
The goal isn't to buy more stuff. It's to use what you have, smarter.
Shop the Everything Tin →Why Your Travel Kit Actually Matters
We're not going to tell you that swapping your toothpaste will single-handedly reverse plastic pollution. But we do believe that the choices we make consistently, especially in small, daily rituals like brushing our teeth or washing our face, shape the kind of market that gets built around us.
When travelers choose products that are better formulated, better packaged, and better for the planet, brands take notice. Supply chains shift. More options become available for everyone. That's how it works.
A plastic-free travel kit isn't just lighter to carry. It's a quiet statement about what you're willing to accept.
Your Plastic-Free Travel Checklist
| ✓ | Toothpaste Tablets with Nano-Hydroxyapatite — TSA-friendly, fluoride-free, enamel-strengthening |
| ✓ | All-in-One Bamboo Travel Toothbrush — self-capping design, compostable, Bio-based medium/soft bristles |
| ✓ | Plant-Based Travel Soap Bars — replace body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in solid bar form |
| ✓ | Reusable Hemp Cotton Rounds — washable, packable, zero ongoing waste |
| ✓ | Everything Travel Tin — use the tin to organize and corral the rest of your travel needs: floss picks, cotton swabs, hair ties, jewelry, you name it! |
Ready to pack smarter?
Build Your Plastic-Free Travel Kit
Everything you need for a cleaner summer, packed into products that travel as well as you do.
Shop Travel Essentials →
