Wondering what to expect when you stay in a sustainable or eco-friendly resort? Here’s a glimpse of the features and amenities you can enjoy.
Being eco-friendly is no longer a simple buzzword; it has become a way of life for many people worldwide. With the general acceptance of climate change and environmental pollution turning mainstream, even more, people are coming on board with the idea that we must lessen our impact on the world. Vacations have typically been one of the least eco-friendly options available. Still, with the rise of specialty hotels catering to a new generation of environmentally conscious travelers, more options are now available.
There are many exciting sustainable and eco-friendly vacation options out there, and it’s essential to do your research before you go so you don’t end up in a resort that is engineering in what is known as “green-washing.” To help you out, here are seven tips on what you should expect to see in any sustainable hotel.
1. Organic And Vegan Meals
It is well known that the meat industry is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gases in the world. It is estimated that meat and dairy production combined contribute to around 14.5% of total greenhouse emissions worldwide. Additionally, it destroys rainforests and fragile habitats to create the land needed for grazing. It is so severe that the environmental specialists at www.econosa.com dedicate 5% of their total earnings to the Rainforest Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving the world’s most important ecosystems. Therefore, the more people who change their diets from meat-based to vegetable-based ones, the more they can help the cause. Eco-friendly resorts should serve a range of delicious vegan foods that they have bought or grown on farms that use only organic farming methods.
2. Highly Trained Staff
Any hotel you stay in should hire well-trained and hospitable staff, but it takes a particular type of person to work in an eco-focused resort. When you arrive, they should understand why you chose this specific hotel and appreciate your needs as an eco-conscious customer. This should mean:
- Knowledge of their resort’s ethos.
- An understanding that they might need to go the extra mile.
- Close attention to detail.
- They must follow the sustainable principles they claim to uphold.
- They must be enthusiastic about teaching you how to save the planet further.
3. Waste Recycling System
Every hotel that claims to have green credentials should engage in intense recycling. Although hotels cannot fully recycle some things, these items should be kept to a minimum wherever possible. This means:
- No single-use plastic items.
- No single-use water bottles.
- Water refilling stations around the facility.
- Setting up compost for waste food.
- They use toilet paper made from sustainable forests.
- Water recycling (using greywater to water the gardens).
4. Sustainably Powered
It doesn’t matter how much you may want to banish electricity from your lives; it is an elusive task for many. People rely on their phones and their computers to earn a living these days, so going completely off-grid is typically not an option. What is possible, however, is to receive this energy sustainably in the form of renewables. For example, the resort should produce a large amount of their energy from solar panels and wind turbines where feasible. Even if they cannot provide all of their power requirements from renewable power alone, it should be at least 50%.
5. Green Cleaning
Cleaning products are some of the most polluting products you can buy. They are often made with harsh chemicals that destroy as they degrease and ruin as they rinse. Resorts that purport to be eco-friendly should take steps to limit the use of such harmful substances where it is possible to do so. This can mean using specialist cleaners made from natural substances to reduce the number of times they clean the rooms. While their housekeeping staff should clean the rooms every day, it doesn’t mean that they must wash the sheets and towels each day.
6. Eco-Friendly Transportation
Depending on where the resort is located, it should have the option of eco-transportation. Any form of an electric vehicle is fine, and some even use electric golf carts that have been modified to suit their needs better. If the resort is far away, an electric vehicle might not be feasible to pick you up from the airport, for example, but it should be acceptable as long as that is the only gas-powered form of transport during the trip.
7. Education About Sustainable Practices
Any eco-resort worth its salt should take every opportunity to educate and inform their guests about what they do and what their customers can do when they get home. Eco-sustainability doesn’t start and stop at the resort; it is a lifestyle that everyone must embrace.
If you plan to stay at an eco-friendly resort, you should ensure that they follow most of the tips in this post. This will ensure that you get the most from your trip and can take away some valuable lessons.
