🍃[FESTIVAL] How Can Airbnb Host Gain a Sustainable Badge?🍃

[Laurelle3]

What drew my attention to a Sustainable Symbol for STR (Short Term Accommodation) was in New Zealand at Christmas when we were looking for places to stay and came across these symbols which were of green leaves 1-3 as to what criteria and level of sustainability that the property fits.

Sustainable tourism has been a growing trend and travellers are becoming socially aware of environmental sustainability and have become more conscious. They want to minimise the depletion of natural resources and often choose a place to stay where the accommodation promotes a sustainable symbol.

Hosts who are trying to be green or eco-friendly are trying to make tourism accommodation more sustainable with our energy. Looking at different ways to reduce consumption can be by using LED lights, motion active sensor lights, smart devices and energy star rated appliances. If possible, installing solar panels, batteries, or a small wind turbine can help. Along with recycling, buying in bulk or use eco-friendly cleaning products.

Conserving water is another way of helping the environment with flow restrictors showers, low flow flush toilets and checking for water leaks around your property. You can also collect rainwater in tanks, drums, or buckets so that it can be used on the garden, lawn or washing. Or if possible, grey water can be recycled on the lawns or gardens.

Hosts need to educate guests, inspire others, and influence them by making information readily available in their manuals. Whether it be by recycling paper, glass, and plastic, use compost bins or a worm farm.

Another way for Hosts to save on travel miles is by shopping locally for food, meat, groceries, and fresh vegetables. This leads to planning your trips, using your car less, if possible, walk or cycle to the shops. Sourcing your products locally means shorter supply lines, saving you in transport costs and reducing carbon emissions and you will be investing in your local community and supporting local businesses.

By trying to be sustainable means a lifestyle change by the way we do things and become more active in our preservation of our changing environment.

In 2020 the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) announced its “One Planet Vision” where it strives to enhance the resilience of tourism, balancing the needs of people, the planet and prosperity (information obtained from the internet 7/4/2023). I feel that most Airbnb Hosts do try to fit in with the “One Planet Vision”.

Sustainability is a journey and not a destination and small changes take time with rewards at the end. If Airbnb hosts were able to show that they have a Sustainable Symbol, it should promote their accommodation to the like-minded travellers.

So, I am asking Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky with his administrators to come onboard and be proactive with climate change and sustainability for Airbnb. By providing Hosts that qualify to have a Sustainable Symbol. For example, when Hosts reduce, reuse, repair, rebuild, refurbish, recycled, or compost they are being innovative, and it can enhance their business by advertising with Sustainable Symbols that they are eco-friendly.

So I say again Brian, Come on! Get with the climate change.

[Bhumika]

Hi @Laurelle3 ,

Thank you for such great ideas and for sharing more on how this can be implemented. 

As Quincy said, we will make sure to keep a note of it and pass it on for the Airbnb Teams. 

Absolutely love to see your dedication to sustainability and hear your ideas on how Airbnb can contribute to it.

[Felicity11]

HI @Laurelle3 

Great to hear from you and to hear your thoughts on a Sustainability badge. I think many hosts would like to work towards something like this but before most hosts get started on this we need to raise awareness of the measures that hosts can take to reduce their emissions.  I would like to talk more with you about this and what we can work on for hosts in Australia!  

All the best 

Felicity 

[Mar125]

I BARELY respond to international posts, but this is a wonderful idea. Airbnb shall allow host or guest to earn a green badge with energy saving equipment or certificate 

[Laurelle3]

@Mar125 yes, it would be great if Airbnb would look to the future for our environment. If there was a Sustainable Badge or Logo for hosts, it would promote that as hosts we care,and we try. With different levels it allows hosts  because of circumtances (age -historical or newly built, high rise or remote) of their properties they can all achieve a level in different catorgries. 

This would allow hosts to choose to be competative on the same plateform of other advertising companies. Is it not reaching out to more people and capturing the market of who cares?

What we need is more action from hosts to go further into the future. 

[Mar125]

@Laurelle3 

can’t agree more. 

And I think host can recognize the guest’s “green” initiative too using the green badge in guest’s profile. We can provide feedback that guest follow energy and water efficiency rules, some thing like that. 

And I provided this environmental friendly thing to Airbnb a long time ago, and Airbnb doesn’t do much about it since I guess it’s not making money for Airbnb, so Airbnb doesn’t take that initiative. However, indeed, green badge or environmental friendly guests shall receive some credits on Airbnb considering how many units airbnb is doing across the globe. 

[Hilary292]

This would be great! As a host, I have worked to become more sustainable. I've changed from small bottles of shampoo & condition to a reusable bottle that I refill. I've stopped giving guests sponges but now use a bamboo brush for them to wash their dishes. We buy most of our furniture second hand to save things going to a landfill and we love vintage! It would be great if guests knew the efforts we take!

[Jennipha-Lauren0]

@Quincy Training to spot human trafficking through city or state agency. Florida USA is now requiring all those that provide public accommodation be trained even hosts. Montana where we are is beginning their program even training delivery drivers on how to spot it and where to report it 

[Stephen1729]

Hi @Quincy , I've just come across this article and would like to endorse what @Laurelle3  suggests.

Three years ago we did a barn conversion in Norfolk, UK, as sustainably as we could. Part of this conversion is an Airbnb let. the sorts of things we did were; sustainable materials for insulating internal walls, rainwater harvesting tank, Air Source Heat Pump for all heating and hot water, solar panels, a house battery, a renewable tariff for grid electricity used as well as recycling waste. This means that guests visiting us between April and October each year can know that the property is 97%+ self powered for all heating and electricity usage.

These could all be things to add to the profile.

Let's get a sustainable symbol added!

[Laurelle3]

@Stephen1729 It is great to see that you agree with what I have written.

@Quincy, @Felicity11@ I think the ball is rolling and gathering moss.

A Sustainable Symbol,  is an important symbol that Airbnb needs to implement if they want to keep up with today's image of making a difference with Climate Change,

It begins with at home. I have to ask, Isn't this t is what Airbnb is about? 

I thought it was about sharing and caring for our homes with guests that are like-minded..

The sad thing is that we have competion out there in this world of STRA. For example B dot.Com have an emblem that is given after your property has been verified. 

For me I only use Airbnb site as I am booked most of the time except when I have blocked off dates for my own personal space, holidays or family commitments. and I don't need or have to rely on other STRA sites. But I would still like to be competative.

So with the topic of sustainability on the CC Forum page I decided to mention sustainability in our listing. In that we have a  "Eco-conscious lifestyle and we strive for sustainability, featuring insulation, solar energy, water tanks, recycling practices, waste reduction and a commitment to local shopping. I forgot outside power pont near driveway for EV charging with an extension lead for slow charging.

.

It is interesting that we now have request bookings and that some of the  pre booked guest are mentioning gardens and they like that we are offering in sustainability. This is comming from the age group of late 20's and 30's. When other guests are shown the kitchen and mention the compost bin and used in my worm farm, most of the guests are heipful or they want to know more. The children want to empty the bin and see the compost. 

It would be better with a little more help from Airbnb. I have copied and pasted what I found on google the article is written by Angela Rush and Last Updated: July 28, 2023

The article is  "What Does it Mean to Practice Airbnb Sustainability as a Host?"

Airbnb sustainability is taking the vacation rental industry to the next level. With over 360k environmentally friendly properties listed on Airbnb’s platform alone, sustainable stays are increasing in popularity. Travelers are replacing traditional hotel stays with vacation rentals in the hopes that their accommodations will better the planet. As an entrepreneur within the vacation rental industry, practicing Airbnb sustainability will elevate your listing. 

So @Quincy and @Felicity11 I think the evidence is written that there are over 360k environmentall friendly properties are out there. Surely this means someting to Airbnb and Brian Chesky and Share holders.

Lets keep the sustainability rolling.

Laurelle from Downunder.

[Fozia4]

thanks for sharing