DOING OUR BIT FOR THE PLANET. WHAT CAN WE DO??

[Melanie528]

AS A COLLECTIVE I'M SURE THERE IS SO MUCH WE COULD DO.  ONE IDEA, WHAT IF WE ASKED GUESTS TRAVELING BY CAR AND ONLY STAYING FOR ONE OR TWO NIGHTS TO BRING THEIR OWN TOWELS.??? WE COULD REALLY BIG IT UP THROUGH THE ENTIRE AIRBNB COMMUNITY AS 'DOING ONE SMALL THING' THAT CAN MAKE A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.  THEIR ARE THOUSANDS OF US AND IMAGINE HOW MANY WASHES THAT WOULD SAVE IN A YEAR.  THE GUESTS COULD GET A 'SUPERGUEST' BADGE FOR THEIR EFFORTS!

ALL SUGGESTIONS WELCOME - THEN WE CAN ASK AIRBNB TO PROMOTE THEM FOR US. 

ANOTHER IDEA IS THAT SUPERHOST STATUS INCLUDES SUSTAINABLE HOSTING - EG RENEWABLE ENERGY, ECO FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTS, LOCAL PRODUCE ETC....

[Ana1136]

@Melanie528 I agree that there is much more we could do. But how bringing their own towels will help? Those towels will still need to be washed, it is same no matter if we do it or the guests. As to renewable energy, where I live that is a very serious investment and only big companies ( most of them foreign ones) invest in that. It would be very hard for a small homeownes with a spair room to separate the funds to do that. But local produce should always be preferred if available. I am aware of how important this is for our future and we all as individuals should contribute to the cause but involving Airbnb and having these things promoted is unsustainable model in my opinion. Hosts who are environmentally responsible will do these things on their own and those who are not, or are not able to implement these things won't do it anyway. I think hosts use local ingredients anyway, they are helping the economy with that and they are providing local experience to their guests.

[Helen3]

I agree @Ana1136  Asking guests to bring towels only benefits the host @Melanie528 . It doesn't benefit the environment as they still needs to be washed.

Much better would be for hosts to use environment cleaning and washing products, cruelty free shampoos and conditioners and having recyling facilities.

And for them to reuse old towels and bedding by donating to homeless and refugee organisations,.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ana1136I think @Melanie528  thought those guests would reuse their own towels for more than 1 night.

What we do is to give 2 towels + washcloth/guest/ week and place them in the closet, not on the bed. Our towels are folded in a special way so we know which one is used and which one isn't. Most guests don't use all the towels so we save a lot on laundry costs and do something good for our planet.

The same with extra pillows and extra blankets.

The duvet and pillows are inside the cover so we don't have to wash the entire duvet and pillow after each guest, just a cover/pillowcase/sheet.

Our towels are not the thickest and biggest ones on the market so we can wash more of them in one load and they need less time to dry.