The home exchange community continues to grow worldwide. Some of the main reasons for this tendency are savings and flexibility, but there is another trend that deserves to be mentioned: world climate change awareness.

“Green travelling” has two main premises: 1.- Avoid increasing the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the trip, and 2.- Preserving the environment you visit. As we have mentioned before, home exchange seems like a perfect option for sustainable travelling, because:

There is no additional CO2 released into the atmosphere by any means during the swap, as you live as if you were in your own home.

You can decrease the CO2 emission due to transportation to your destination if you also include car exchange in the package, as you may travel by train or other mean of public transportation. Keep in mind that planes and cars have the highest rate of CO2 emission per traveler. Also, you may reduce the environmental cost of transportation by travelling nearby and visiting areas where things that interest you the most are within walking distance (for example: the beach, the ski slope, the market, etc.)

By consuming local food and cooking yourself, which are feasible choices when you have a complete kitchen in your destination, you do not increase the emissions from freight transport to move “ingredients” around. For example, if you eat local seafood in a coastal town, it probably only “travelled” a few miles (or “yards”) to your plate.

Go green! Go swap!