26 Ways to Travel More Sustainably in the Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands is a long way from experiencing overtourism, but travelling outside the busiest period can still help spread visitor spending more evenly throughout the year. Consider visiting from May to October, rather than during the December to March peak season, to support accommodation, restaurants and year-round operators when demand is lower.

Operators around Majuro generally remain open throughout the year, although some remote resorts and watersports providers close during the wetter months. Check availability before booking, then weigh up the seasonal trade-offs in The Best Time to Visit the Marshall Islands: A Month-by-Month Guide.

Spread the benefits of tourism beyond Majuro by taking a trip to Arno Atoll, one of the easiest outer atolls to reach. Depending on the boat, the journey can take around 1 hr 30 mins or less, making it a practical side trip without needing to organise a full expedition.

Spending time in Arno supports local transport providers, guesthouses and small community businesses, while giving you a quieter glimpse of lagoon life away from the capital. Just confirm boat schedules and accommodation before setting off, as services can be limited.

Reaching the Marshall Islands usually involves a long-haul flight and limited connections, so make the journey count by staying longer rather than rushing through a short visit. A longer trip spreads the carbon impact of your flights across more days and gives you more time to explore beyond Majuro.

Use the extra time to visit outer atolls, support locally owned accommodation and book more community-based experiences. You’ll leave with a much fuller picture of the islands, which is surely better than flying all that way for little more than a suntan.

Plan a longer trip with the help of our Marshall Islands Itinerary: 14 Days / 2 Weeks or Marshall Islands Itinerary: 10 Days (Majuro & Arno).

Depending on your flight route, consider spending a few days in places such as Nauru, Kiribati or Honolulu instead of passing straight through the airport. Turning necessary connections into proper stopovers helps you make more of the long journey while spreading your travel spending across several island destinations. Check out flight routes using Which Airlines Fly Directly to the Marshall Islands?

It is also a seriously exciting way to reach the Marshall Islands. Rather than treating the flights as something to endure, you can build a wider Pacific island-hopping adventure, experience several distinct cultures and return home with far more stories than another airport sandwich could ever provide.

Guides to these islands could be coming soon to South Pacific Pocket Guide, if not already there, so go check them out!

Bring a reusable water bottle, shopping bag, cutlery, coffee cup and food container to cut down on the single-use items you collect during your trip. These small swaps are especially useful when buying takeaway meals, snacks and drinks.

What's more, supermarkets charge for grocery bags (at least they are paper bags), so you could save a few cents too.

Forgot something? Reusable containers and other handy travel essentials can be picked up from EZ Price Mart in Majuro, so one missing lunchbox does not have to derail your good intentions.

Shampoo bars are both a great way to save money on haircare (they last much longer) and reduce the amount of plastic used. Plus, this will also help you avoid the use of mini-toiletries in your hotel that are extremely plastic-inefficient.

We like New Zealand-made Ethique shampoo bars but you'll easily find brands all over the world.

When exploring the Marshall Islands, carry a small bag for your rubbish and keep it with you until you find a rubbish or recycling bin. Litter is already a noticeable problem, so please do not add another bottle, wrapper or takeaway container to the scenery.

Better yet, reduce the amount of rubbish you create by avoiding heavily packaged products and using the reusable items you packed earlier. Mt Trashmore, Majuro’s landfill and rather unfortunate “only mountain”, certainly does not need help growing any taller.

Standard sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate can harm coral ecosystems. Use reef-safe sunscreen when swimming, snorkelling or diving to help protect the Marshall Islands’ spectacular reefs.

Forgot to pack some? Reef-safe sunscreen is available from K&K Island Pride Supermarket in Majuro, so there is no need to choose between sun protection and protecting the underwater world.

Check out our favourites in The Best Sunscreens for the Marshall Islands + Sun Protection Tips.

Choose a plant-based mosquito repellent, such as a lemon eucalyptus spray, and cover your arms and legs when mosquitoes are active. A roll-on or pump spray can also help reduce unnecessary aerosol drift near beaches, lagoons and waterways.

Always follow the product instructions and reapply when needed. See the 10 Best Natural Insect Repellents for the Marshall Islands + How to Avoid Bites for more practical advice.

Getting around Majuro does not have to mean hiring a private car. Shared taxis pick up several passengers travelling in the same direction, while a public minivan runs as far as Laura Beach, helping more people share the same journey and reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

Fares are usually around US$3 for trips around the island, making public transport far cheaper than travelling alone by taxi or rental car. See How to Get Around Majuro: Public Transport, Taxis and Car Rentals for routes, fares and practical tips.

That’s right, there are more options for travelling sustainably in the Marshall Islands! Majuro is relatively flat, making a bicycle a fun, fuel-free option for shorter journeys. Learn more about where to hire bicycles in The Ultimate Guide to Cycling in the Marshall Islands.

Scooters are also available to hire and use much less fuel than cars! Learn more about whizzing around the atoll on these bad boys in Scooter Hire in the Marshall Islands: Where to Rent, Cost and More.

Pretty much every airline offers options to offset the carbon footprint of your flight, however, most are not so transparent and are questionable in how much real "carbon off-setting" they actually achieve.

We always recommend looking into your own choice of carbon off-setting. If you haven't got the time, we recommend myclimate.org or flygrn.com which offer better options than those offered by most airlines.

Hotel laundries are notoriously heavy on chemical detergent and water usage, so consider keeping your towel for a few days.

All you’ve got to do is hang your towel to dry instead of leaving it on the floor; the housekeeping staff will get the message... They may sometimes forget to replace them.

Rooms can be cooled in a matter of minutes using the air conditioning, so there’s no need to let it run all day.

Before heading out, do a quick check around your room and turn off all the appliances to help decrease the power consumption during your stay.

Air-conditioning machines have to work extra hard when set in larger spaces… And there is no larger space than the great Marshall Islands outdoors!

Make sure to keep your doors and windows closed when cranking up the A/C in your room. It will significantly reduce your power usage. Better yet, switch off the A/C, open the doors and windows at the front and back of the bungalow and use nature's A/C: the ocean breeze!

Instead of using mini-toiletries in your accommodation that are extremely plastic-inefficient, use your own soap (and reusable soapbox for easy travel)! Not only will it reduce waste, but it means that you can stick to your loved and trusted brand and avoid any nasty surprises.

If you choose to use the mini-toiletries included in your resort’s room, take them with you when you leave. No matter how much of it you have used, it will be discarded by the housekeeping staff and that’d be a shame.

Some activities allow you to explore the Marshall Islands while making very little impact on the environment.

By choosing human-powered activities, you can enjoy the lagoons without fuel use, engine noise or direct emissions. Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are both excellent options, allowing you to glide between beaches, coral reefs and small islets at your own pace.

Learn more about where to hire equipment and the best places to paddle in Kayaking and Paddleboarding in the Marshall Islands.

Majuro’s supermarkets are packed with tempting imported foods, but check Local Market or MISCO Market first for fresh local produce. Buy what you can there, then head to the supermarket for anything else you need, helping more of your food budget stay within the local community. See A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in the Marshall Islands to learn more on the subject.

The same goes for souvenirs. Choose locally made obõn wall hangings, flower earrings, kili bags and other handicrafts made from local materials rather than imported magnets and plastic trinkets. According to local sellers, many imported souvenirs are stocked simply because tourists ask for them, so your choices genuinely shape demand.

See the 10 Best Souvenirs from the Marshall Islands for more ideas.

Relaxing on the beach and snorkelling are not just two of the greatest experiences in the Marshall Islands, but also two of the most sustainable. Both allow you to appreciate the islands’ natural beauty without fuel use, engine noise or much equipment.

The scenery above and below the surface is arguably the country’s biggest selling point, so why not enjoy it without the added fluff of a motor-powered tour? Find inspiration in The Best Beaches in the Marshall Islands and The Best Snorkelling in the Marshall Islands.

Speaking of snorkelling and relaxing at the beach, another thing to be mindful of when looking to travel more sustainably in the Marshall Islands is how you impact coral. Try not to stand on coral or break any with your fins; it takes years to regrow.

Enjoy coral from a safe distance. Besides, there is some marine life you will not want to touch anyway, as outlined in our Marshall Islands Safety Tips: Is it Safe to Travel to the Marshall Islands?

Recycling bins are widely available in the Marshall Islands, especially at hotels and resorts, so use them for aluminium cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles. The Majuro Atoll Waste Company recycling facility at Batkan Landfill processes millions of containers each year, helping keep valuable materials out of the general waste stream.

According to MAWC and RMI EPA data provided to The Marshall Islands Journal, around seven million cans and five million plastic bottles are recycled annually, with some years seeing even higher totals. That is a lot of containers given a second life rather than joining Majuro’s growing rubbish problem.

Just don’t wishcycle. Remove bottle lids and place them in normal waste, then recycle only the materials accepted by the bin.

Restaurants in Majuro are gradually getting better at avoiding plastic straws, but it is still hit-and-miss. When ordering, politely ask for no straw, no drink lid and no plastic cutlery unless you genuinely need them.

It might feel like peak eco-warrior behaviour at first, but one polite “no thanks” helps show businesses that customers do not always want extra plastic.

Find more places to put your reusable container to work in The Best Restaurants in Majuro and The Marshall Islands Food Guide: Places to Eat, Prices and Local Dishes.

Look for local dishes on menus and give them a try! Fresh fish, breadfruit chips and other island-grown ingredients usually travel far fewer food miles than imported meals, while supporting local fishers, growers and cooks.

Choosing local food is also one of the tastiest ways to learn more about Marshallese culture (sustainability with a side of lunch). See Traditional Marshallese Food: 10 Foods to Try for more ideas.

Choosing a vegetarian meal now and then can help reduce the environmental impact of your trip. Look for dishes made with breadfruit, coconut, rice, noodles and vegetables, or ask restaurants in Majuro which meals can be prepared without meat or fish.

Vegetarian choices may be limited, so a little flexibility goes a long way. See Vegetarian and Vegan Food in the Marshall Islands for places to try.

A water purification bottle, such as LifeStraw, allows you to refill from your hotel tap while reducing the number of single-use bottles you buy. Check with your accommodation about its water supply first, then follow the bottle’s filtration instructions carefully.

You can also refill larger water containers for a small fee per gallon at Payless Supermarket, EZ Price Mart and Do It Best. Keeping a larger supply in your room is cheaper than repeatedly buying small bottles and helps you avoid creating a mountain of plastic to rival Mt Trashmore.

See Is the Water Safe to Drink in the Marshall Islands? for more information about drinking water, filtration and refill options.