Why I wrote this

I spend a lot of time testing gear, flying, sitting on buses, hiking, and building products with factories in both China and Europe. I hear the same comment too often: “Made in China is crap.” It isn’t. Bad specs and bad purchasing decisions are crap. Overconsumption is crap. If we buy throwaway items and then blame the country that manufactured them, we’re hiding from our own habits.

Here’s the truth I’ve learned: the easiest, most honest way to reduce waste – along with wasted money and stress – is to choose quality, make purchasing decisions wisely, and use what you buy to the very end, including repairing it when you can. Not a lifestyle makeover. Not a guilt trip. Just a thought-through, conscious decision that travels with you every day – on tour routes, flights, work trips, and weekends. To keep it practical, I’ll also walk through the small, minimalist kit I carry – the compact, durable items that genuinely earn a place in my bag.

This article is a simple guide to how I make decisions and what I always carry, why it matters, and how those small choices add up. I’ll also explain my principle on manufacturing: quality is a choice, and choosing less, better is the cleanest way to change the system from your side of the counter. Whenever you can, opt for made-to-order so you’re not filling discount carts later just to clear out your bad choices.

My small “carry-always” kit

This is the kind of kit that cuts the most waste with the least effort. Choose your own versions; I’m brand-agnostic. Well – almost. I like Apple, so many of the products I carry daily are Apple-related. Designed in California, manufactured in Asia.

1) Reusable earplugs (and/or noise-cancelling headphones)

Why: Planes, long bus rides, noisy hotel corridors, street musicians at 2 a.m. – whatever it is, noise erodes sleep and focus, and it’s more than an irritation.

How this cuts waste: Stop taking those “freebie” earplugs on planes and buses that you use once and bin. Bring one pair of high-quality silicone or foam earplugs in a tiny case. You’ll keep them for years and sleep better. I also carry over-ear headphones with a plug-in cable – many places still offer wired entertainment, and sometimes I need more noise cancellation than earplugs provide. I also want better sound quality when I record videos or similar content. And yes, I just learned Apple has released a new version of AirPods Pro with excellent noise cancellation, which might replace my 6-year-old pair.

Pro tip: Noise-cancelling lets you keep volumes lower, protecting hearing over the long term.

My rule: I never accept the airline earplug kit. I carry my own. It’s not a moral performance – it’s simply better.

2) Refillable water bottle

Why: Bottled water has a heavy environmental footprint compared to tap. One life-cycle study in Barcelona found impacts up to 3,500× higher in certain categories for bottled water versus tap.

How this cuts waste: You avoid single-use plastic bottles, reduce microplastic exposure from bottled water, and save money – a bottle can cost €0.50 or €4 depending on where you are. The product is the same; the price changes with location. When it’s safe, drink tap.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure about local water, use a small inline filter or purification tabs. Most airports now have refill stations, and in Europe, it’s common to find public taps and filling points.

3) A bunch of adapters

Why: So you’re prepared for the weird situations life throws at you. I live on the road and can’t carry heavy gear. My kit has two USB-C cables (actually three—my power bank uses its own cable; believe it or not, I like white cables and keep them clean), plus a small set of adapters so I can power my kit, charge what’s necessary, connect everything to my computer and phone, and go wired to the internet when needed. I also connect to the products I’m developing and manufacturing – useful for configuration and pulling logs. Different standards exist all over the world; adapters keep me connected to whatever life puts in my way.

My rule: Only the essentials – compact items that fit in my smallest Thule accessory bag. If there’s no room, I find another solution. Thankfully, USB-C is everywhere now, so that’s my central connector.

4) Mini SSD, USB stick, and microSD (with SD adapter)

Why: Offline is what I’m used to. I still need to save, check, develop, and move files. I often need extra space for very large files and RAW photos, and my laptop’s internal drive isn’t always the best option due to its limits. A small SSD fixes that – I carry a 500 GB Samsung drive. The USB stick lets me go old-school when needed (surprisingly often), and microSD cards let me interface with my products and transfer files when required.

Bonus: All of these come in mini sizes. I also carry a tiny USB smart-card reader.

5) Packable tote and/or pack bag(s)

Why: You know the story – bags of bags. Keep one tote and a couple of mesh produce bags in your daypack. They weigh nothing and they work for groceries too.

Reality check: Even paper bags need multiple reuses to beat plastic in many LCAs. Carry a durable bag that lasts, and repair it when it rips.

6) Refillable toiletry set (ditch hotel minis)

Why: Those cute hotel bottles are single-use plastic in disguise. Many hotels are moving to dispensers and bulk; policy in Europe is also shifting away from avoidable single-use formats. Your own refillable kit is cleaner and consistent. Also, I care about what goes in my mouth and on my skin, so bringing my own toiletries helps me stay healthy and control the footprint I leave behind.

Pro tip: Solid shampoo and soap bars don’t leak and last a long time. Refill where you can.

7) Universal charger and one good cable

Why: The EU standardised USB-C across most devices to reduce e-waste and simplify charging. One charger, one cable – less clutter and fewer random purchases. My adapter set helps here too. I also carry a small USB-C power bank with a single in/out port. My main USB cable has multiple USB-C connectors that I can pair with adapters as needed.

Impact: Electronics are a fast-growing waste stream globally; only about a fifth is properly collected and recycled. Don’t add to the pile with extra chargers and mystery cables.

8) Playing cards

Moomin playing cards from Moomin World in Finland, bought with my youngest son. Cards entertain, pass the time, and create quick moments of being together – on trains, in hotels, or anywhere you don’t have other “nice” things with you.

9) Laundry slip kit

A small natural (concentrated) soap (or a laundry strip) and, when hiking, a lightweight wash bag. A quick sink wash = fewer clothes in your pack (and likely fewer owned overall) and less need for hotel laundry bags or plastic wrap. The biggest footprint reduction comes from owning fewer garments and wearing them more. I avoid plastic-heavy clothing when possible; when I do own synthetics, I choose recycled materials built to last – and keep them going with a bit of design sense and a needle.

10) Notebook + pencil

Why not only digital? I do both. I write lists, sketch, and map next steps without opening a screen. It saves random scrap paper and, honestly, helps me think clearly. A small notebook is always handy. Writing by hand also gives my hands something to do and changes posture from the phone – which, unfortunately, is one of my most-used work tools, and I can’t just switch it off given the business I run across half the globe.

Why single-use is targeted preference?

The EU has already moved to restrict some of the worst single-use offenders: cutlery, foamed food containers, certain cups and lids, balloon sticks, cotton buds, straws, and more. The point is simple: these items are used for minutes and then live for decades (or centuries) in landfills, rivers, and oceans.

Coffee cups are a classic example: billions used globally each year, plastic-lined, and hard to recycle at scale; reuse is the saner path if you will actually reuse.

Bottled water is another: the LCA numbers are brutal compared with tap, even when you factor in water treatment.

Electronics waste? Fastest-growing stream in the world, with most of it not properly recycled yet – hence the EU’s push for a common charger and better labelling.

The health angle (because sustainability isn’t just carbon)

Noise is an underrated part of well-being. Protect your sleep on the road and you protect your immune system, your decision-making, and your mood. WHO guidance ties environmental noise to health risks; protect yourself and you’ll travel better. Earplugs are a tiny item with big returns.

* LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a “cradle-to-grave” measure of a product’s total environmental impact – from raw materials and manufacturing to transport, use, and end-of-life – so you can compare options fairly.

How I think about “Made in China”

I manufacture in China and I care deeply about quality. Here’s my approach:

Write tight specs. Materials, coatings, stress/temperature ranges, IP ratings, connectors, packaging drop tests – clear and measurable. Audit and test. Approve samples, document failure modes, demand fixes, re-test.
Design for repair. Spare parts, access to fasteners, standard screws, and non-destructive opening.
Measure field performance. Warranty cases, root causes, and action loops back to design and supplier.

You can source high-quality, responsibly made products in China. You can also buy junk anywhere. The lever in your hand is how and what you buy, and how long you keep it.

So no, the problem is not “China.” The problem is the easy habit of buying low, throwing away, and repeating. When you stop buying crap, you exit that loop. And when enough people do it, factories and brands notice – because of the demand for shift.

Final thought: live lighter, not smaller

I’m not asking you to be perfect or to count grams. I’m asking you to own fewer things you trust, use them every day, and stop outsourcing your choices to freebies and corner-shop packaging. There’s still a long way to go, so think of it this way: if not today, when is the best time to start checking your own decisions and setting an example for the people around you?

Travel feels better. Work feels calmer. And your footprint drops – not because you said the right words, but because you changed your routine.

This is how we shift the system. We spec better. We carry better. We consume less junk. We sleep better. And we keep moving.

Sources & further reading

• EU restrictions on certain single-use plastics
• EU overview on single-use plastics policies and items targeted
• USB-C common charger directive overview and benefits
• Bottled water vs tap: life-cycle analysis from Barcelona (ISGlobal)
• UNEP meta-analysis on single-use beverage cups and reusables
• E-waste key figures and trends (Global E-waste Monitor 2024; WHO)
• WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines & health effects

One last thing I never leave behind: a headlamp – rarely used on my business trips, but the hiker in me insists on being ready when the world goes dark.