🍃[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.

[Jennifer3225]

Laurelle, 

This is such an important topic for those in the Host Advisory Board, advocating on your behalf for something like a badge for those Hosts who truly live the sustainable lifestyle and showcase to their guests ways to travel more sustainably. 

This past weekend, I hosted guests from Germany (1 hour east of Hanover) and they were incredibly conserving of the electricity being used. They composted, they were incredibly wonderful guests, and I could see their sustainable efforts, likely naturally engrained because of the energy crisis in Europe. 

Your Article is amazing. Have a look at my listing. I am a B Corp certified Airbnb and a GSTC Gold Certified Hosts. These are accreditations you can acquire while we sort out the badging. I can tell you that these accreditations are very good for you to be able to create a report card and a score of where you are at.. for me, it was a big huge pat on the back from the big green giant of sustainability.

Here are the links to the organizations. 

BCorp

B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

B Corp Certification demonstrates a company's entire social .https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification#:~:text=B%20Corp%20Certification%20is%20a,chain%20p.... 

GSTC

gstccouncil.org 

[Felicity11]

Great comments @Jennifer3225  and some very good advice. It is very hard to showcase to the guests out commitment to the best sustainable practices in our country and to reach guests with out a sustainable badge or search feature. 

Like you, I have many guests who stay and love to compost when on holiday and love all the sustainable features that we have promoted at the cottage.   In many parts of the world a compost bin is as common as a recycling bin and the emissions we can save if food is composted are significant!  I find my sustainable guests make for wonderful guests who are respectful, thoughtful and are happy to pay a premium for the home we provide.  

The rise of the sustainable traveller is here I just wish we could attract them more easily to our listings and help get many more hosts on board! 

Thank you for the links to the Certifications! 

We will keep raising the topic on the Host Advisory Board for those who believe in this way of life and to help attract this type of guest to stay with us. 

[Laurelle3]

@Jennifer3225 thank you for the information about the B Corp Certification but we are not registered as a buisness and is not required to be an Airbnb host in NSW Australia. The B Corp would be a benefit to those who have links to other businesses for a living as well as Airbnb.

I personally show my guests through the cottage and show them and explain the compost bin for the worm farm. Often it is a show and tell of  the worm farm for the children or overseas guests. 

Most Australians understand separating the garbage with recycling so we have no problems with our guests.

I think it should be your mantra every time you meet to get a symbol for green hosts. Maybe Brian is reading and listening.

As @Felicity11 has said we are seeing more sustainable travellers moving around Australia and a green symbol would allow hosts to be promoted for like minded travellers.

[Alison1142]

@Jennifer3225 What an amazing thing you've done by becoming a B Corp! Thank you. I'm in the early stages of a mid-career pivot to sustainability after decades in journalism. Would I be able to ask a couple questions about your experience? I'm a student in UCLA Extension and I'm working on a paper about sustainable hospitality. Thanks for your consideration.

Alison

[Alison1142]

https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/105460101 (my guest profile)

 @Jennifer3225 

[Felicity11]

HI @Laurelle3 

Thank you for your great article.   As a fellow Kiwi I am so happy that you picked up on the recognition for Sustainable Accommodation that is becoming more apparent in parts of New Zealand.  However many guests are not aware of this search feature

With more and more guests aware of there carbon footprint many will think twice about long distance travel.  We as hosts can work towards offering accomodation that creates lower emissions and reduces waste than standard homes and hotels.    

Research is showing us that there are many guests out there who would pay more for accomodation that is taking meaningful steps to lower its emissions.  The trouble is it is very hard to connect the host with the guest and ensure hosts are not greenwashing.

I was pretty chuffed to find this review from my latest repeat Airbnb guests who left on Earth Day - one of the reasons they love coming to stay with me is because of all the sustainable initiatives we have in place including our compost bin!!   - and they want to come back and stay again - I love these types of guests! 

I agree we need recognition for hosts who are taking steps to lower emissions and reduce waste at their properties!

Sustainable loving guests reviewGuests review - they love the compost bin

[Laurelle3]

@Felicity11 as I had written I stumbled upon the green leaves when looking for accommodation. As a Kiwi you would have observed that the country is more conscious and aware of the climate changes and most equipment has to be shipped in to New Zealand. Hence the country and government makes choices.

Some Australians are slow learners especially those that live in the cities where things are on tap. But they are slowly learning with the cost of electricity, petrol, water rates, high price of vegetables or no supply of food because of climate disruptions.

Where as people living in the country have often endured water restrictions, bushfires and or floods as part of their daily life.

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Laurelle3,

It is impressive to see your dedication towards sustainability and I agree that it is a consistent journey where the small changes eventually make a big impact. Thank you for sharing your ideas about this topic and outlining how Hosts can attract sustainable guests. I will share your suggestions with our team.

Many thanks,

Catherine

[Laurelle3]

@Catherine-Powell thank you for your acknowledgement in Sustainability and your help on working towards a hosts Sustainabile emblem.

[Delphine348]

Hi @Laurelle3 ,

I love to read how many effort you put in hosting in a sustainable way. I personnaly get my inspiration from various labels such as this one https://www.greenkey.global/online-hcmi/ which is where I found the basis for my environnemental chart. 

I have not engaged the certification file yet, I only do my best to follow the guidelines along with the european ecocertification.

As a host, I am always happy when my guests notice my efforts and it's more often than before. It gives me hope and it's an additional reward. I am confident that we will find a way to advertise our sustainable practices better, thanks to many hosts like you who share their ideas ! Thank you !

[Louise782]

Would be great if Airbnb as a company could work towards becoming a B Corp 🙂 

 

[Delphine348]

Hello @Louise782 ,

B corp is one great certification indeed.

Did you know that Airbnb aim to become a net zero company by 2030?

https://news.airbnb.com/becoming-a-net-zero-company-by-2030/

[Quincy]

Hi @Laurelle3, just coming back to your idea regarding a sustainability badge. Currently, there are no plans to implement a sustainability badge. However, I will share your feedback with the Passport team as this could be an interesting addition for the future.

What other things would you add to the profile to show Hosts’ specialities? 👀

[Laurelle3]

 @Quincy 

I have thought about your message, and I think if Airbnb undertakes and implements the Sustainable Badge or Logo it should promote and enhance to improve their image with tourism, and they are trying to be proactive in today’s market.

I am sure Airbnb some hosts want to promote their properties with a Sustainable Badge to the like-minded Guests and the younger generation is demanding and looking for this when they are looking for places to stay and preserve the planet.

Here in Australia, you can look for Eco friendly places to stay whether it be by the beach or in the bush. How they go about this is by gaining some form of certificate or have stars as to the level that have earned.

When reading most have implemented:

Renewable energy – solar panels and lights

Water saving devices – water tanks and reduced water shower heads, duel flush toilets

Recycling with garbage and compositing

Reducing plastics and throw away items – buying in bulk and refillable bottles.

I think there was many more ideas from @Felicity11  and @Jennifer3225 who were a great team when they put up lots of ideas for Ups and Downs of Sustainability.