Holidaymakers costing the planet with over-loaded luggage

Greenwise Staff

23rd July 2010

Overstuffed holiday luggage is contributing to climate change, according to a new study.

The survey by travel group TUI, parent of Thomson First Choice, released today shows a third of holidaymakers are not using a quarter of what they take away. In fact, just 16 per cent of us actually use and wear everything we’ve packed.

The extra load is causing aeroplanes to use more fuel and to emit unnecessary carbon emissions.

The aviation industry is responsible for two per cent of the world’s man-made carbon emissions and six per cent of the UKs, while passenger numbers are expected to grow threefold over the next three decades.

In a bid to get its customers to cut their carbon emissions, TUI is asking travelers to reduce the items they take on holiday – including clothes, shoes, toiletries and towels – by 25 per cent. The company said this would save 7537 tonnes of CO2 a year – the equivalent of taking 2,216 family cars off the road.

Holidays Forever campaign

The call is part of TUI’s 'Holidays Forever’, a sustainable tourism campaign to protect holiday destinations and cut the carbon emissions of the tourism industry.

Jane Ashton, head of Sustainable Development for Thomson said: "The weight of the aeroplane makes a huge difference in how much fuel is needed to fly and how much carbon dioxide waste gets released into the atmosphere. This is why one of the 20 commitments we have set ourselves through our Holidays Forever campaign is to reduce the weight of our aircraft in order to save fuel."

Measures being implemented through the campaign include using paint, which is 55kg lighter per aircraft, and using lighter catering equipment.

"Customers can also help us on this journey by taking the simple step of thinking of the environment when packing their suitcase," said Ashton.

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