[FESTIVAL] Lowering Guest Emissions

[Felicity11]

What do we offer as a sustainable listing?

Over the years we have had the privilege of meeting guests from all over the world and many appreciate the little things we do to offer guests a low emissions accommodation option.

Tourism is starting to come back, and many more guests are aware of the emissions they create when they travel and are looking for options to lower their carbon footprint. It’s easy for hosts to make a few changes to their listings that can have a significant impact on the emissions our guests create during their stay. 

What does low emission mean, you might ask? It simply means the emissions created by staying in your listing are the lowest they can be, eg power, water, waste.    

We try to make this easy for guests who stay with us by setting up our listing to have the lowest carbon footprint that we can offer.  Here is a breakdown of what we do in each of the key areas that emissions are created when guests stay with us, I hope it might inspire you. 

Power – we generate over 75% of our electricity through our roof top solar system, we buy the remainder of our power from a renewable electricity provider (if this is not an option for your listing, it is often possible to buy renewable energy certificates). We also use energy efficient lighting and appliances.  Our cottage is fully insulated and has thermal backed curtains to make it more energy efficient.

Waste - to help guests minimise food waste, we provide reusable containers to keep leftover food in, and a compost bin for kitchen scraps. The compost helps keep our garden looking great. To further help guests lower their waste while staying with us we offer reusable metal water bottles and coffee cups. 

Transport - to help guests lower their emissions when getting around Sydney we provide public transport cards and route maps they can use while staying.  While we are not set up for charging electric vehicles, we have rapid car charging stations close by that guests can easily access if needed.   

Recycling - we are lucky to have municipal recycling bins for paper and cardboard, glass plastic and metal containers, and garden clippings. We provide separate labelled bins in the cottage to help guests separate their trash. 

Water - we have water tanks that collect rain that are used for some toilet and garden water. The cottage also has water efficient fittings throughout.  

Linens - inside the cottage we use cotton sheets and towels that are laundered on site and dried on an outside washing line. We minimise the use of synthetic fibres to lessen the amount of microplastics going down the drain. 

Products - all cleaning products and personal use products have minimal harmful chemicals in them.  We order in bulk and refill containers for shampoo, soap, dishwashing liquid and dishwashing powder as needed. 

As hosts there are lots of simple changes that we can all make that will lower our emissions and help attract like minded guests.  Our guests are also a great source of inspiring stories about how others reduce their impact on the planet.

[Huma0]

@Helen744 

I suspect in that case, it's probably a combination of hosting tourists (who maybe pack lighter and don't bring things such as reusable water bottles or understand that the tap water is safe) and being off-site.

Piles of plastic bottles (and other excessive plastic usage) was common when I hosted short term guests. Now, very few of my guests buy bottled water at all. It's really a very small minority. 

You get the odd one who cannot remember to take a bag to the shop (I supply loads of reusable bags if they need one), but most long term guests actually bring their own cloth shopper. Again, this was not the case when I hosted short term guests. I always take a reusable shopping bag with me on even the shortest of trips, but it's the sort of thing most guests will forget to pack (or just not think of).

Because the shops here charge for plastic (or other) shopping bags, I find that most people here will make an effort. That includes long term guests, who don't mind buying something like a reusable shopper or water bottle or coffee cup, because it's something they are going to use over and over again.

[Huma0]

@Helen744 

PS, here's one example of short term guests' plastic. This is from ONE breakfast. At least they recycled it, but it seemed excessive to me.

Yes, I do blame the manufacturers and supermarkets. Deli counters for things like fresh meat and cheeses, as well as loose fruit and veg, used to be common here (and still are in many other European countries), but now, in London at least and outside of very large supermarkets, they have vanished. Instead, everything is packaged in plastic and you can't buy the quantity you need, only the pack size they sell, which means extra food waste too.

[Helen744]

@Huma0 that is scary H

[Felicity11]

Hi @Huma0 

It is really interesting to hear how over time you have noticed that your guests are now refilling drink bottles and using reusable bags and coffee cups.. 

I think the awareness around the world is growing and when stores now charge for shopping bags people do make the effort to take their own. 

It is great to hear you have noticed these changes with your guests. 

[Huma0]

@Felicity11 

I definitely noticed a change in the use of plastic shopping bags (not just with guests, but people in general) as soon as the government made it mandatory to charge for them. 

I am not sure how many guests use refillable coffee cups though (some cafe chains here have started giving a discount on hot drinks if you bring your own cup) but most definitely use refillable water bottles. The amount of plastic water bottles in the recycling has reduced dramatically. There is no government incentive for this but it's obviously a lot cheaper to refill from the tap than to buy bottled water. I think it's a combination of that and increased environmental awareness.

There has been so much discussion of the damage caused to the oceans and to wildlife from plastic bottles that I think most young people do think about it these days. If only they had the same awareness regarding energy efficiency and water consumption. Guests who will make a real effort to reduce their plastic use will still put the washer/dryer on a ridiculously long cycle for two t-shirts and a few socks.

[Felicity11]

Hi @Huma0 

Its great to hear your comments about the changes you have seen with the plastic bags and your government making it mandatory to charge for them. - If only this were the case in other parts of the world. 

In some of the big cities in Australia we are seeing some coffee shops use a swap and go system for reusable coffee cups so if you are out and about and grab a coffee in the morning on your way out and then later in the day if you want another one you can just go to a participating cafe and drop off your dirty cup and then pick up a fresh one.    I love seeing things like this.   Do you have any systems like this where you live?

[Huma0]

@Felicity11 

I am not sure of the swap and go system. I've not seen that here myself but, as I mostly work from home, it's not often that I grab a coffee on the go. However, I do know that Pret A Manger, which is probably the most popular cafe chain here in London, give a discount if you bring your own cup. I am guessing they are probably not the only chain that does that as I noticed reusable cups for sale in Starbucks too. I am not sure how popular these schemes are, but at least it's a start.

[Felicity11]

Hi @Huma0 

Great to hear from you and thank you for telling us more about the discount Pret A Manger gives to those customers who bring their own cups. This is fantastic to hear a large chain like this is supporting this initiative. 

I see a lot of smaller cafes giving discounts if you bring your own cup it is great to hear large chains are also doing this and helping the option to bring your own cup become more mainstream.  

In New Zealand, I noticed at some markets I visited they often had a mug library and plate library so that if you wanted to buy a drink or something you eat you could borrow a plate or mug and then return it when finished with it.   I thought this was a great idea to reduce waste and I took it to my children's school.  We now have a mug library in the garage that I lend out to the school for events like morning tea so we can reduce the number of single-use coffee cups that get used. Initially this initiative took a few goes to get going but now it is being embraced.   if we all do a little bit .. it helps! 

[Huma0]

@Felicity11 

I've never heard about the mug or plate libraries before. Sounds like a great idea.

As I mentioned before, I think that here there is definitely a growing awareness of plastic and other packaging waste. We are starting to see those stores pop up here and there where you can take your own containers and buy food unpackaged. 

Where I feel that we are really not improving fast enough is in reducing household energy use. People are talking about lower emission vehicles or alternative heating systems or buying electricity and gas from renewable sources only and all that is great, but no one seems to talk about the simple act of being less wasteful with the energy that we have. 

My brother, for example, has just bought an electric car and he will really lecture my mum if he ever sees plastic water bottles in her house, but in his own household, they waste an enormous amount of energy. Lights left on in every room of the house the whole evening, heating pumped up so high that you have to go outside to cool down! It's just not something they seem to think about at all.

[Felicity11]

Hi @Huma0 

Great to hear from you and yes its all very good to be using renewable energy sources for our power but we do need to cut the use back.   

Many people do not realise that even looking at the heating in there home and keeping heating to a minimum setting can have a huge effect on their energy consumption.   In Australian and other parts of the world we seem to build huge houses and they are not as well insulated as in other parts of the world. 

Still I think that being mindful of what we can do to lower our emissions and waste is important and making small changes when we can, all helps in the end.   We can not be perfect but we can try and make small changes. 

[Felicity11]

Hi @Helen744 @Huma0 

Thank you for you comments and the points you raise. 

I agree that we are not responsible for our guests consciences and what they do and don't do when it comes to recycling. One of the best we can do is offer homes that have clear easy to follow recycling instructions. If guests can easily follow instructions then they are more likely to follow along.  If processes are complicated or require to much intevention we will loose the participation from the guests.   

Any recycling instructions need to easy to follow and explicit in detail as recycling from country to country and city to city and even from suburb to suburb is different.  For example here in Sydney we have some councils who will collect compost from each home once a week, I also know of a suburb that has a neighbourhood system where each home takes there compost to a community collection point usually within 500m from there home and the council takes care of it from there and then there are other councils who offer no compost collection so it is left to the individual.

It is very interesting to hear of the different options that are available around the world. 

I think it is important that we help our guests to easily be able to recycle with clear easy to find instuctions and this may mean having a printed out copy in a cupboard and in a guest information book and so on. 

I remember having a lovely Chinese family stay with me and they were very interested to find out more about what could be recycled and what could not.  I had another family from Singapore stay with me and they had no idea that recycling had to be sorted at the home as in Singapore all rubbish was taken away and then sorted.

However we also have guests who just do not care and are not interested in recycling.  So we can but try! 

[Huma0]

@Felicity11 

Here we also have food waste collected weekly for composting. Most guests seem to get this. It's pretty straightforward.

Where they get confused is with the recycling and yes, there are clear, illustrated instructions  in the kitchen, but guests rarely refer to these, so I do talk them through it. Where I live, you don't have to sort the recycling. It all goes loose into one bin. BUT, you can only put certain types of packaging in, especially when it comes to plastic, and the labelling on products does not necessarily correlate to what my local council does and doesn't recycle. So, I can see why this can be really confusing for guests.

Most will make an effort (not sure if they would if I wasn't living here too) but there are some that just see it as a major inconvenience and resent having to do it. This normally comes with an attitude of "We don't bother with recycling where I come from, so why should I bother here?"

[Felicity11]

Hi @Hum0 

Great to hear from you and to hear your feedback.

That is interesting to hear your feedback about the composting and that your guests embrace this.  This is wonderful as emissions from food waste it one of the biggest contributors to climate change - I think it is # 4 or #5.    This is wonderful that they do this with you. 

Oh the recycling is tricky isn't it especially with guests who are not used to doing it.. and then there are people like me who travel and if we can't find the recycling bins we bring our reeking home to put in our own recycling bins..   I think like the move to phasing out plastic bags this to will come and we just have to keep trying to help guests but it does try your patience some times.. 

I love hearing about the iniatives you have going at your home. 

All the best

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Huma0 I hear what you say and agree to an extent but in my personal experience the definition of acceptability changes just after we make an investment.

We bought a diesel car - They are now vilified for particle pollution!

We spent a small fortune on a biomass boiler burning wood pellets - They are now claimed to be environmentally unfriendly when you take into account the pollution caused by creating/transporting the pellets.

Just two examples but my attempts have been costly failures so far!

[Huma0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

Sorry to hear about that. Yes, I can see how frustrating that must be. It's not helpful that advice and regulations on these matters keeps changing. One would think the 'experts' would have a bit more foresight and of course they should consider the energy consumption used to produce/transport any 'alternative' form of fuel from the outset. 

The only costly change I've made to the house in terms of energy is to update the boiler and radiators, which is something I would have done anyway, regardless of environmental reasons. The boiler had to be moved/updated due to a change in regulations and the radiators were both ugly and either defective or insufficient for the space. I have no idea if I have recouped those costs yet in terms of energy savings, but I'm guessing if not, I soon will given current fuel prices.

There is a limited amount I can do to the house given its age and that it's in a conservation area. There are some things that I might be allowed to do but wouldn't because it would destroy historical features or just be too costly to do it in a sympathetic way. A neighbour, whose house is a fair bit smaller than mine, has been getting quotes to have his Victorian windows replaced with new ones, but in the same style. The quotes have ranged from £45,000 to £75,000!!! I would need to double that for my house.

So, I am getting a carpenter to try to repair existing windows as best he can, to let less drafts in, put seals around them etc. I am going to try the thermal film on the glass and see if that helps. This winter I will be looking into getting heavier, more thermal curtains and maybe door curtains as well.  As for the car, I got rid of it a few years ago, but of course that depends on location and personal circumstances. None of my current neighbours, even the ones who have school age kids, own cars anymore, because around here you hardly need one. It's easy enough to hire a Zip on the occasions when you do.

I was talking more though about small, everyday behavioural changes that, when performed en masse, can make a difference. I have never seen the point of leaving lights on all over the house when those rooms aren't being used or filling a whole kettle to make one cup of tea or preheating the oven an hour before any food is going into it, but people do that stuff all the time. And don't get me started on people who pump the heating up to full and then leave all the windows open or walk around in their underwear.

I think this mentality will start to change, for people who pay their own bills anyway, because with current and upcoming fuel prices, it's going to start to feel less 'convenient' to waste energy. The problem that many of us face right now though is that most guests simply don't give a **bleep** because they are not the ones paying for it.