Pack it in and take less luggage to help save the planet

A new study shows that a quarter of holidaymakers spend between two and three days packing their bags for their holiday, but once there, only 12 per cent actually use and wear everything they've packed.

In fact, when asked, more than a third of people from Yorkshire do not use 25 per cent of the clothes they take on holiday.

In an effort to cope with so much unnecessary weight, aeroplanes are using more fuel and, therefore, creating more carbon dioxide.

The study, commissioned as part of Thomson's new sustainable tourism campaign, Holidays Forever, found that half of us have never considered the environment when packing, and that has led to calls for British travellers to start taking into account the impact their heavy loads are having on the planet.

Television stylist and fashion guru Brix Smith-Start is supporting Thomson's Holidays Forever packing campaign and says: "Everyone wants to look fabulous when they are on holiday, yet too many of us don't think about what outfits we'll actually want to wear, and so we end up with clothes that won't see the light of day once we are away."

Jane Ashton, head of sustainable development for Thomson says: "The weight of the aeroplane makes a huge difference to 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. Things like using paint which is 55kg lighter per aircraft and by 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. Together, we can make our holidays more sustainable and drive real change."