🍃‌Get involved in the Community Center’s Festival of Sustainability 2024🍃‌

[Rebecca]

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Back in January, we asked for your input on the topics you’d like to see more of this year, and we were absolutely delighted to see that ‘sustainability’ was top of the list!

Sustainability is such a crucial concept when it comes to protecting our environment and ensuring that we coexist harmoniously with all living creatures on our beautiful blue planet, minimising our impact and living in a way that respects and preserves the world around us.

We’ve been inspired by the amazing efforts of some of our Hosts who have already made significant changes to their Hosting practices in the name of sustainability, and we’re equally excited to support and encourage those who are just starting out on this journey.

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our upcoming third annual Festival of Sustainability, from April 22nd to April 26th! This is our chance to once again come together as a community and celebrate the progress we’ve made and the changes we’re making for the future. The festival is entirely online, full of great topics and fun conversation. You can revisit last year's festival by having a look here: Festival of Sustainability 2023.

We’re on a mission to spread the word about sustainable practices and empower individuals to make a positive impact in their daily lives and we’d love for you to be a part of this exciting journey. Will you join us?

Here are two ways you can take part:

1. Community Photo Collage: 📸

Share a photo of yourself somewhere “green”. It could be in your garden, a local beach cleanup, in the jungle or at the park. We will stitch all the images together to make our very own community collage that we will share as a featured post at the end of the festival. We’re a diverse community from all corners of the world and we’re surrounded by amazing outdoor spaces and scenery; from mountains to coastlines, from deserts and rainforests; even the spaces around our hometowns offer an opportunity to grab a picture! 

How this works: 

• Take a selfie of yourself somewhere “green”
• Landscape or portrait
• Clear, quality photos using your smartphone (or other device if you prefer)
• Ideal image formats: JPEG or PNG 
• Send your submissions to airbnb-cc@airbnb.com to be included in the grand reveal at the end of the festival or post it below.

2. Create a detailed topic all about sustainability: 🖋️

Whether your impact is big or small, we want to hear about it! Some topics to consider are renewable energy sources, recycling, planet friendly products. We’ve got some other topics up our sleeves too, so feel free to reach out if you’d like some ideas/inspiration!

We are asking for a maximum of 750 words (if you can!)

If you’d like to create a topic to be included in the week, please comment below or contact me via direct message and we can brainstorm together!

We’re really looking forward to this year's stories and photo submissions. Together, we can explore practical solutions and inspire others to join us in creating a more sustainable future.

**Deadline for article submissions is Apr 14, 2024

 **Deadline for photo submissions is Apr 28, 2024

*Disclaimer 

By submitting your image to the email address above, you authorise Airbnb to use your media, your first name, profile photo, and city and country of residence in marketing materials to promote Airbnb.

[Laurelle3]

@Rebecca yes I am in for Sustainablity in 2024. I am sure I can find words for the topic that I have an interest in. 

I am sure that there are other Airbnb hosts who have the same interest even by taking small steps,  and we can make a difference. 

[Sophia]

Hey there @Laurelle3 love to see your enthusiasm, great to hear that you'd like to get involved 😊. I completely agree with your sentiment, every little helps!

We'll reach out to you soon with more information! Thank you 💚

[Marg11]

Guests often question that our city requires landfill rubbish like chook bones to be bagged & recycling like broken glass not wrapped.

They frequently have problems understanding what goes in which bin? 

We have city pamphlets with pictures on the fridge and in the bin lids showing soft plastic goes in the red lidded landfill bin and hard plastic in the yellow lidded recycling bin. 

However, many contrary guests insist on doing what they do at home.

It appears my life's work is to gently encourage guests to reduce landfill and to recycle as much as possible.

We also have a charity bag for 10c refund marked bottles and cans. 

Those who understand are invited to donate food scraps suitable for our worm farm as well as other scraps for the compost.

It is interesting which nationalities practise recycling seriously.

[Laurelle3]

 @Sophia and @Paula I am on my way to writing for this year's Sustainable Festival this year. 

It has become an annual event now.

This is my 3rd year.

It is amazing how our Climate  is Changing  and Sustainability  plays a part in the chain of breaking down life.

Here is some photos that we witnessed in Antartica on a cruise  a month ago.

 

 

[Bhumika]

OMG! @Laurelle3 , such a fascinating photo❄️🏔!! So keen to read your insights on sustainability (also super eager to hear about your trip to Antarctica😉, hope you'll be posting something about it soon😍). It must have been refreshing experience for sure!

On a side note, I've always been so keen to visit Antarctica and been discussing about the expeditions on ice-breaker ships with my husband just last week😂. Will DM you for sure to get some tips and details when we start planning it😛.

[Helen427]

@Laurelle3,

Pray tell was a lady named Wendy from Auckland on your tour?

We have just seen photos of another friends adventures to the Antarctic. and they jumped off the boat into minus 1 degrees.

Did you go for a dip?

@Bhumikayou may have to start working another job and start saving to travel there as those we know who have done this trip tend to be in their twilight years after working long hours.

[Laurelle3]

@Sophia @Paula and @Bhumika

I was unable to add to last photos

this iceburg was close to our ship

floating away

[Laurelle3]

some photos of penguins we visited on Falkland Islands 

[Laurelle3]

[Bhumika]

@Laurelle3 What a breathtaking view 😍 . Hope you're having a great time exploring and soaking in the beauty of nature and adorable penguins 🐧  🎉. 

[Jue0]

@Rebecca This is great. I’m in .✅

[Rebecca]

Hey @Jue0 👋

Thank you so much for popping by. I'll send you a direct message with some more information. 🌱

[Bettye6]

What a great question and one I am really passionate for.

I have my Brita water dispenser for my personal use ( I can easily drink 2 lites per day) and try to limit my use of plastics.  For my guests I provide bottled water as I found the Brita was just nor being utilized.

If guest leave food/drink that is still fresh, I leave it and play it forward to my next guests. My guests appreciate it, utilize it and play it forward too. I feel if a guest questions, say an open carton of almond milk that has yet expired, it is their choice not to use it. I have never had a problem. I also use a sharpie to remark expiration dates clearly on all food products. (Dang they are hard to find sometimes otherwise)

I recycle and encourage my guest to do the same explaining and giving a list of what is and what's not in my House Rules Book. I actually have very little garbage as I focus so much on recycling.

I do a lot of walking and since I was a teenager, which I carried on to my children as well, is to pick up no less than 2 pieces of garbage per day that we see lying on the ground.

Now if everyone would do that imagine how much cleaner the world would be. 

Bettye6

[Paula]

Hello @Bettye6 💚, amazing! I am striving to drink 2 lites of water per day as well, and I also have a Brita water dispenser. It's incredible how much plastic you can reduce with just this practice.

We would love to invite you to share more about these great sustainable practices with our community. I will reach out to you through DM to talk more about this.

Thanks for sharing!