Going on a trip may upend one’s carefully crafted sustainability routines, but our last column showed that traveling more sustainably is possible. Let’s focus here on limiting one’s carbon footprint during overnight stays in conventional lodging.

Whether spending the night in a hotel or a short-term rental, just maintain your daily habits. Save water by taking short showers, turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and opting not to have towels and sheets changed out daily. Lower electricity usage by turning off unneeded lights, foregoing daily housekeeping services like vacuuming and adjusting climate control when out and about or sleeping. One can also avoid single-use plastics, including water cups (often themselves wrapped in plastic) and mini shampoo bottles, plus other items bound to become waste, such as soap bars; instead, use your own refillable containers for drinks and pack your own bars of shampoo and soap.

While you are doing your part, some motels, hotels and short-term rentals are doing theirs, too, because sustainable practices both save money and attract travelers. Many luxury hotels now prioritize sustainability, while economy and midscale accommodations owned by Choice Hotels and Best Western began doing so recently. Certification by organizations like Green Globe, Travelife or Green Key suggests eco-friendliness. Distinct though they are, their programs emphasize similar factors — and any certification should be better than none. Hotels that emphasize sustainability will likely post their policies, so read those along with guests’ online reviews to assess whether a given hotel lives up to its promises.

Finding private short-term rentals that emphasize sustainability requires due diligence. Booking.com filters for “sustainability certification,” but only an internet search will clarify the actual meaning of the many different certificates. Airbnb and Vrbo provide no such filtering, though individual Airbnb listings might display a certification of sustainability from Sustonica. For certainty, contact a prospective host to ask about your priorities: energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, smart thermostats, low-flow toilets, composting facilities, etc.

Sustainability is gradually becoming more typical of overnight stays, as demonstrated by the increasing frequency of soap dispensers in bathrooms and encouragement to retain towels and bed linens. Travelers can ensure continued progress by seeking out eco-friendly lodging and rating an establishment’s sustainability policies, either at check out or in a review.

David Conwell belongs to the nationwide advocacy organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby and is a former member of Brunswick’s Sustainability Committee.