Vanlife Truths: Pros and Cons of Sustainable Living on the Road
This post and the photos within it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you.
Vanlife has been on my bucket list for years. I had ideas for building my own, researched online, learned about conversion, etc., until I met my partner, who had two vans in the past and was building his third.
So, I could live my dream and experience van life. How freaking cool, right. After a few trips, the question appeared in my head – how sustainable is vanlife actually?
I had to find the answer. So, let’s look into it together. First off –
👋 Who we are & setup
- Us: Me and my partner Rory, traveling in his self-built van
- Van: 2020 Peugeot Boxer, self-converted by my partner, insulated with hemp and eco materials where possible
- Power: Solar panels + backup charging from the engine
- Water: Filtered drinking water, and grey water are disposed of responsibly
- Travel style: Slow travel, non-touristy areas, mostly wild camping
Our route
Started with shorter journeys in Spain and Scotland; now on a one-month trip from northeast England (Whitley Bay) to Bulgaria (Sofia & Vratsa), passing through ~10 countries:
England → France → Belgium → Netherlands → Germany → Austria → Slovenia → Croatia → Serbia → Bulgaria (+ maybe Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia)
What “sustainable van life” means
Sustainability isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention. (For us) it means:
- Reducing plastic and food waste
- Cooking plant-based meals
- Traveling slowly
- Using solar power + filtered water
- Being mindful of our consumption habits
Where van life is more sustainable
Water use
In a house, it’s hard to see really how much water you use. The average person in a UK/EU household uses around 150L/day for long showers, laundry, flushing toilets, dishwashers, etc.
In the van, it’s a different story. Every drop is tracked and used carefully. We need to plan when the next spot we can re-fill the water tank, so we use water very mindfully.
We use ~20L/day for two people. That covers cooking, washing dishes, drinking water, and basic hygiene (like brushing teeth or wiping down with a cloth).
We take short showers at gyms and campsites or skip a day when we’re off-grid. And we do laundry laundry only about once every two weeks.
(Almost) no food waste
We plan and cook most of our meals, and eat everything we buy. Leftovers get repurposed.
Veggie scraps go in our little compost container (more on that later). We try to waste nothing, even though we ain’t perfect.
City life = convenience food, fridge-forgotten veggies, more plastic. (Households waste about 1/3 of all food bought.)
Waste-conscious habits
We’ve cut down our trash to about ~one small bin every 4–5 days, and don’t use plastic bin liners; instead, we empty the bin into public or campsite containers and rinse it out. It’s a simple swap that saves plastic and space.
We carry reusables with us — jars, cloth bags, cutlery, metal straws, containers — so we’re rarely caught off guard when shopping or eating on the go.
We also focus on what goes down the drain, not just what goes in the bin. We use natural cleaning products, like vinegar and eco-friendly laundry powder, so our greywater is safe to dispose of.
Our personal care routine is plastic-free, low waste, and chemical-light: shampoo bars, natural toothpaste, and reusable razors. Recycling can be tricky while crossing borders, but we sort what we can and dispose of it properly whenever possible.
Off-grid energy
Grid electricity is often powered by coal or gas. In the van, our setup has a much lower impact — and it naturally makes us use only what we need.
We rely on a lithium battery system paired with solar panels, which powers our lights, fans, laptops, and other devices 100% off-grid.
In the summer months, the battery is usually fully charged by the time we wake up. Plus, we don’t charge devices overnight — only during the day — to avoid draining the battery unnecessarily.
Most of our devices run on USB-C, which saves energy by avoiding power loss from conversions. And when there’s no sun, the battery recharges while we drive — so we always have backup power.
This setup means we stay powered even during cloudy stretches, and it helps us keep our energy use efficient, simple, and sustainable.
Slower travel, no flights
On this journey, we’re making our way slowly from the UK back to our home in Bulgaria, weaving through Western and Eastern Europe over a month or more.
Instead of rushing from one destination to the next or hopping on flights, we’re taking our time — spreading the journey over a month (or more).
We’re avoiding flights and, even when visiting big cities — like Amsterdam — we tend to park outside the center and use bikes or public transport to explore.
Often, we find ourselves loving the smaller towns even more: places like Leiden in the Netherlands or small random places off the main road.
Housing footprint
The van is tiny. We don’t heat or cool rooms we’re not in. We use collapsible furniture, cook in one pan, and only own what we truly use. Less laundry, less lighting, less heating = less impact.
Living in a flat or house often means = heating empty rooms, appliances on standby, and buying things “just in case.”
Where van life falls short
Diesel use
Yes, the van runs on diesel. Even with slow travel, fuel is our biggest footprint. We plan to offset emissions after this trip.
Some platforms like MyClimate or Carbonfootprint.com are good options to calculate the emissions and offset.
Still, visiting over 10+ countries in Europe could potentially involve lots of flying, staying in hotels, etc. Vanl life replaces that, plus it is spread over time.
Composting is… messy
We carry a compost bin and separate food scraps. But compost bins aren’t always easy to find – especially across borders.
Many countries don’t have public options… and keeping a bucket of rotting peels in a hot van? Not fun.
We do our best. Sometimes it works. Sometimes we have to toss it. It’s probably the thing I feel worst about.
Packaging (still) happens
Still, in lots of shops = most stuff is wrapped in plastic. We aim for 90% plastic-free groceries — but let’s be honest, it’s not always possible.
Trying to stay plastic-free 100% of the time is hard, and unrealistic. Sometimes we have to compromise. We choose better when we can, but we’ve learned not to obsess. Been there, ain’t fun.
The materials
Even though my partner built the van himself with sustainability in mind – using hemp insulation, upcycled wood, and salvaged bits where possible – the reality is: that building out a van still requires a lot of (new) stuff, and not all has an easy-to-find eco-friendly alternative.
Wires, fridges, batteries, water tanks. That’s all part of the footprint, too. Furnishing a regular home also involves fridges, plumbing, insulation, energy systems, and often far more square meters. The difference is scale. A van is a fraction of the space – but you still feel every item you bring in.
In some ways, the smaller the space, the more intentional every decision becomes. But even in a van, “low impact” doesn’t mean “no impact.”
Favorite tools that help us stay sustainable
- Water filter – saved us from buying plastic bottles across 10+ countries
- Solar panel kit – powers our lights & devices off-grid
- Dry toilet – waterless + chemical-free
- Park4Night app – for camp spots & waste stations
- Natural personal care & cleaners – safe for us & greywater
- Jars & cloth bags – reusable, light, for shopping & refills when possible
- Collapsible food containers – lifesavers for fridge space
So, what’s the real impact?
Do we try to produce almost zero waste? Yes. Do we produce zero waste? Nope. It’s not 100% exact, but here’s where we’re at, more or less:
- Trash: One small bin every 4-5 days. No bags.
- Water: Estimated <20L a day for two people.
- Electricity: Solar powered + regenerative while driving.
- Food: 100% vegan, 80% cooked by us, 70% plastic-free.
- Fuel: Still the biggest culprit. Will calculate it post-trip.
If you asked me right now…
“Is vanlife sustainable?”
I’d say: Yes – if you do it slowly, mindfully, and with honesty. It won’t be perfect. But it can be better.
Vanlife sustainability: The recap
✨ What’s worked:
- Cooking (vegan, low-waste) meals
- Solar-powered + zero bottled water
- Short, mindful showers
- 80% less trash than usual
- Living our values – weird compost stops and all
😬 What’s tough:
- Composting across 10+ countries
- No sun = no solar power
- Finding plastic-free groceries in remote spots
- Accepting imperfect low waste days
💬 Let’s talk
Are you trying to make vanlife more sustainable? Got questions, tools you love, or things you struggle with? Share them in the comments. 🙂
