Travel has a massive impact on the world, but it also leaves a pretty heavy footprint if you aren’t careful. Spending a month volunteering in Morocco this past summer made me realise that sustainability abroad isn’t just a buzzword, it’s about the small, daily choices you make to respect the place hosting you. For me, making my placement sustainable meant looking closely at how I moved around, how I spent my money, and how I could align my time with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The biggest thing I had to tackle was transport. Instead of booking private cars or hailing tourist cabs, I stuck to what the locals used. For longer trips, that meant squeezing into shared group taxis, which was not only a brilliant way to chat with people but also massively cut down on emissions per passenger. For daily commuting to my volunteer site, I completely skipped motors altogether, choosing to walk or use a pushbike. It kept my carbon footprint next to nothing and forced me to slow down and actually take in the neighbourhoods I was living in.
Water scarcity is another massive issue in North Africa, so resource conservation was always on my mind. I kept showers short and used a refillable bottle with a built-in filter to completely avoid buying single-use plastic bottles. It sounds simple, but over a month, it saved a massive amount of plastic from ending up in local landfills.
I also wanted to make sure my presence supported the local economy, which ties directly into SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). It’s easy to fall into the trap of using massive international chains, but I made a point of buying my food from independent markets, eating at small family run spots, and buying bits from local artisans. Ensuring my money stayed directly in the community felt like the bare minimum I could do to give back.
Volunteering itself taught me that sustainability isn’t just about the environment; it’s about people. Working alongside local residents on community projects meant we were focused on long-term, positive changes rather than just dropping in and leaving.
Most importantly, my time in Morocco showed me that you don’t have to compromise on an international experience to be eco friendly. By swapping private cars for group taxis and bikes, cutting down on waste, and keeping your spending local, you can ensure your time abroad leaves a positive mark rather than a heavy footprint.
