Is there a sustainability logo for Airbnb if so how do you apply for it?

[Laurelle3]

 I noticed this on @Claudia331 article Lecco city lights for Celebration 2022.

I have never noticed this before. Am I missing something as I feel that my property could fit into this category?

I am interested and I am sure other Airbnb hosts would be too in this current climate environment that is happening around the world

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Laurelle3 

Thank you for bringing this topic - I am also interested in this category. We are totally off grid in N California!

[Laurelle3]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 yes I read your article on being off the grid last year. I think you have strong commitment.

The sad thing some guests want everything with whistle and bells that work.

Then there are guests who are mindful and want to give it a go and experience of  living with less to save our environment and the planet.

I think it is worth giving it a go knowing that not all hosts are able to adapt there accommodation for the future because of location, cost and local laws.

But we can take baby steps and add some each week or month but we need a list to tick off and a  goal to aim for.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Laurelle3  @Jenny @Angela1056 @Helen3 

Hi Laurelle! 

Thanks for stating the not so obvious...

When asked, we teach how to live off grid and do it well.

As you and I know, the "cheap and simple country life" is not as advertised. We have a thoroughly modern home, with all the bells and whistles. It is a huge investment of funds and time, monitoring and maintaining.

Our solar installation is state of the art, so is the solar hot water system, and the gear to run it all. Everything has to be backed up with generators and propane, because winter happens, or demand on the system exceeds its capacity to supply.

Our internet comes from a remote mountaintop tower, and at substantial cost. The owner of the tower's mobile phone is on speed dial. He has solar and generator for his system up there, and when the wildfire took down all the other towers in the not so distant past, he stayed up and running for his subscribers and for emergency services all over the county.

Our guests run the heater up to max and the A/C the same, not really understanding how it all works, but being comfortable is their legitimate goal and expectation.

There is no "away" for trash, nor for the toilet. Our amazing plumber is on call for debugging the septic system when someone - from habit - flushes floss or a tampon. 

As hosts, we quietly maintain the illusion for them ~ think backstage at Disney or a cruise ship at sea. Are there any solar cruise ships? I'd be the cruise guest who would want a tour of the engine room,  and asking a multitude of questions about plumbing and other infrastructure. Where does everything come from, and where does it go? All the things we learned to take for granted come from and go somewhere. 

Everything we have here is up to code, and local laws. When we went to planning and zoning for our permit to have an STR here, they required a packet with all our permits and blueprints for building. Our fire fighting system is on file, and our evacuation plans for fire season. Our fire breaks are maintained and manicured. We keep food & supplies for the possibility that the road may fail and our guests get to stay over with us. Our well water is tested.  Private road surfaces & culverts are maintained for drainage and for any sort of vehicle to use.  Our permit is regulated by ordinance that regulates the number of guests, the prohibition of fires, of camping,  our safety provisions, and our business insurance. We collect and submit TOT - bed taxes - as required by law. Ordinance requires us to be present on the property for the safety of guests. For VR hosts, where it is not a home share, hosts or property managers are required to be close by and available at a phone call. 

We warn guests to not leave food or fragrant trash in their vehicles. Yes, we have bears, and they know how to open a car door. Safety while hiking is important, and we do have abundant wildlife here. Yes, we do have a plan for accident or injury, knowing that we take calculated risks ourselves daily. 

When our fellow hosts are legal and permitted, we sleep well at night. When they evade the local laws, we trust the county is running Host Compliance regularly, thus making sure that our fellow STR businesses are in line with public health and safety. It is a serious responsibility being a host, and we understand it is a responsibility for the health and safety - even the lives of our guests. 

Living mindfully and sustainably is a juggling act, no matter where one lives. Doing so while maintaining our off grid infrastructure is another dimension. 

We live and teach by example. I call it dropping pebbles in a pond, creating ripples that touch lives that we will never know about. Ripples go on forever.....

Kitty

[Laurelle3]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 thank you for your full information which explains how you manage your home and I know that there is a great cost outlay and time taken to maintain the equipment for good working condition.

But as we say "if if this a way of life we choose to live we make ways to overcome the challenges". I give credit to you both.

I have seen my brother living on a remote farm off the grid and I know that a lot of effort and time has been taken to get to a certain level and he is always investing and improving.

I do like what your your local laws related to fire safety. My brother lost a lot of equipment and buildings in the last years bushfires in NSW. Fortunately, they had been surveyed by the authorities a month before the incident happened otherwise they could have lost more.It is good to know that rules are made for a reason.

However, what we need is greater interest and involvement in the environment from people. Today, we are fortunate that our children are learning through experience and education, along with scietific evidence of how to improve or try to restore our environment around us.. Sadly, it can be different for each of us in different areas around the world.

My aim of starting communication of the "Sustainable logo" was for Airbnb to think about how we can implement it for our STRA properties. So that hosts can make a contribution to our environment. I know that some hosts can make a huge change with a will and a way. Whether it is in a small way or that some have the oppurtunity to make big changes.

I am sure it will be taken up with interest as it will promote our STRA properties with the guests that want to contribute to the future. When you look around a lot of buisness have adapted to this way of adverisement relating to the environment to promote thiier business. So, I don't see why Airbnb can't join the bandwagon and promote our environment. 

Again thank you for the futher information and your effort that you have put into your STRA on your property

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Laurelle3 

Thanks for telling me about your brother's experience with the fire there. We built a fire shelter building here, using information from an Australian family who built theirs preventively.  They successfully made it through those fires with that building as a refuge. We also visited with other people living in the outback of this region about their shelters, what they'd do differently, etc. Here in  California we have to think proactively about these things. As former volunteer wilderness/resort firefighters we are already in that groove.

We also have legislation here regarding single use plastics, which is important to us. Our recycling abilities are imperfect, our dumps are very full, and resources are finite. We also have food waste regulations, which involves restaurants, event centers, and lodging with food service.

What you are doing with this idea is valuable and appropriate. 

[Helen3]

No there isn't. Look like Lauren has created this design with the Airbnb logo and another logo. @Laurelle3 

[Laurelle3]

@Helen3 I would say she has used her initiative for design. We did see this leaf on an advertisement for accommodation in New Zealand. I might have to work on something for a page for our manual.

[Helen3]

Yes looks like it. @Laurelle3 

But you do need to be careful when using other people's designs as they own the copyright and can sue you for using it without their permission.

[Jenny]

Hi @Laurelle3 

Thanks for sharing!

I think this is a really interesting idea, so I've taken a note of your post, to feed it back within Airbnb.

I can't promise anything but it's definitely a cool idea.

Jenny

[Laurelle3]

@Jenny thank you for looking into this topic because there has been several articles on CC page last year  and Sustainability month in April 2022 even a quiz word search by @Sybe 

[Angela1056]

Hi @Laurelle3 @Kitty-and-Creek0 @Jenny @Helen3 there is no special category but you can download the leaves here:

http://www.lovesustainability.it/

[Laurelle3]

@Angela1056 thank you for the the love sustainability site. Great suggestion.

I like the ideas of the energy saving. Unfortunately  in Australia we don't have mandated laws for temperature levels.

But I am going to make a leaf label with suggested temperature guides for the air-conditioner

 As we have experience past guest just arrived from Singapore and found the  bedroom handpiece set  on 30 degrees when it had been 18 degree overnight outside. 

I hope the leaf will.make people think before using. All we can do is try.