Do you encourage waste separation and recycling in your listing?‌‌

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Do you encourage waste separation and recycling in your listing?‌‌

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Hi everyone, 

 

As today is the annual Global Recycling Day, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to discuss how to play a role in protecting the environment and giving our waste a second life. Sorting household waste is an effort in which many people try to participate. 

 Depending on your local community's rules, your type of accommodation, habits, and what is possible for you, I imagine your experiences may be quite different, and I would love to know more!

 

- What level of waste sorting is available near you? 

- Do you provide travellers with several bins for sorting and/or a compost space?

- How do you encourage sorting? For example, do you leave them a message, explain it in person, or maybe you even mention it in your house rules?

- Is this a point on which you receive questions and requests? 

 

I can't wait to read your answers. 

 

Thanks

Nick

 

55 Replies 55
Stephen1156
Level 10
Brogo, Australia

We're not quite at @Lawrene0's level, but we're very clear for our two cottages (we're in a rural location on 100 acres) that we run as sustainably as we can. To that end we ask guests to:

- separate recyclables into a different bin after rinsing

- place organics in a special compost bin we provide that then goes to an in-ground worm bed for our vege garden

- place used coffee pods in a special container we collect from and send pods on for recycling

- separate soft/crushable plastics like bread and freezer bags so we can take them to the supermarket for recycling

- keep landfill to a minimum where possible

 

It's not yet where we want it to be, but it's a start. Guests get it right about 80% of the time.

Laurelle3
Level 10
Huskisson, Australia

I have the same sentiment as @Stephen1156. In Australia we have been teaching school children obout recycling, composting and reducing waste for over 20years. Schools now have their own classroom gardens when they compost, grow, reap their food rewards and cook to share. This has been happening for more than 5 years.

When showing my guests through the. cottage I explain my simple system of a green waste bin for my worm farm. 2 waste bins 1 x purple liner for recycling, 1x white liner general waste. This seems to work plus, the benefit of 10c for drink bottles and cans.

Ithink my guests are all trying to working together to save our local environment and our planet. 

Lastly, I  think all Airbnb hosts try to do their share, a little or a lot for their environment

 

Trude0
Level 10
Stockholm County, Sweden

Interesting topic!

 

I'm in a suburb to Stockholm, Sweden.

 

In some areas, you HAVE to do waste separation/recycling, it's mandatory.

 

But in many/most areas, especially areas with houses (not apartments), it is voluntary.

Most of us choose to do it, though.

 

In my area, houses have 1 bin for "foods" (compostable bags), 1 bin for "gardening" (grass, leaves, fallen fruit), and one for "mixed". These are all emptied weekly, by the city.

 

But most of us also separate plastic packaging, metal packaging, glass packaging, cartons and newspapers.

Then we spend our weekends driving to the nearest recycling station with all of this - great way have a chat with your neighbours... 🙂

Soft drink bottles and cans we bring back to the grocery stores and put into a machine, and we get refunded a small amount.

And then we of course separate batteries, light bulbs and gas cans etc - these we drive further away, on a more irregular basis.

 

But when it comes to my guests, who stay in a tinyhouse in my garden, I don't feel I can (or want to) demand this level of waste separation or recycling. 

 

- The house is so compact, that I don't want to put several bins for different kinds of trash inside.

- Plus they are on holiday...

- But the outside bins (they ones emptied by the city) are only a few steps from the guest house entrance.

- In the house, I leave the composable bags, in case they want to separate foods.

- In addition, I'v put a box with a lid next t the bins, where I encourage guests to put metal, hard plastic, cartons, glass and cans. All mixed in the box - I'll sort it all later.

 

And then I let them choose:

If they want to do waste separation, they can - if they don't, then that's OK too.

The information on this is in the information folder in the house, along with information how to use the air conditioner, the fans, the blinds, how to order take-out, directions...

 

 

 

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

I'd say that is a nice, relaxing approach @Trude0 especially for the guests- it certainly helps if there aren't fines and such 🙂 

Susan990
Level 10
Redmond, OR

If Airbnb wants to be pro-active on this subject they could add a section in the House Rules for garbage wast and recycling so a Host can detail those management protocols for their properties. This would be an easy add on to that section.

Susan

It all sounds wonderful, but in reality its hard to achieve

Patricia2156
Level 10
Barcelona, Spain

In my study I have trash cans, and luckily many of my guests separate the waste properly.

But I must confess I have pending to point out all the small initiatives from the accommodation and the small actions that my guest can take during their stay for a more sustainable accommodation.

On my way!

Patricia de Castro
Louise0
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

In my area of Sydney we have very stringent recycling and sorting requirements.  Guests are required to separate clean cardboard and paper, certain types of containers according to the recycling code printed on the base and whether they're refundable, non-meat and dairy food waste, botanical waste (i.e. dead flowers), coffee capsules (awful bloody things that they are), e-waste and then the rest.  This is explained in my House Manual, in the House Rules and reiterated on check in.  Around 10% of guests follow the requirements to the letter, 50% make a VERY cursory effort and 40% ignore them entirely.

 

I despise single use plastics and until recently didn't even use bin liners in the kitchen bin, but added them after a guest complained.  I'm now about to ditch them again as I'm fed up with guests shovelling all their crap into a plastic bag and dumping it in the bin as a sneaky way of avoiding sorting.  

 

I also previously had a House Rule that required the guest to pay the $72 waste transfer station fee if they didn't follow guidelines.  This is a fee I pay if I have to dispose of my rubbish privately in instances where the council won't collect it because it's not sorted correctly.  However, I decided that doing my own dumpster dive and re-sorting it myself was preferable to getting 1 star reviews from disgruntled guests because I had the temerity to enforce my House Rules.  Oh, and I also had a rule that no bottled water was to be brought onto the property; my 'secret code phrase' was 'Ban the Bottle'.  Gave up on that one too.

 

Interestingly, the worst offenders are consistently younger people.  Seniors are excellent sorters, and an enthusiastic effort is also made by 40 somethings with children in tow.  The most vile environmental vandals are the younger crowd.  They generate massive single use plastic waste, rarely sort it, take epic showers (using a fresh towel every time instead of hanging it out to dry), leave every light blazing 24/7 and then depart leaving the heating on full and windows open for fresh air.  

Interestingly, this behaviour mirrors the statistics on the uptake of renewable energy.  Down here the early adopters of domestic solar panels were predominantly retirees and they are also the demographic most likely to subscribe to 100% green energy.  Whilst I concede this may have something to do with greater disposable income and no mortgage pressure, I like to think it's from growing up in households where string was saved, socks were darned over a wooden mushroom and sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper.

@Louise0 My mother had a big box in her bathroom cabinet with old lipsticks in it. You would have had to use a tiny coke spoon to dig the dregs out. I don't know if she ever actually used them but maybe she was afraid of not having any lipstick to wear in the end times.

 

The young people I know are quite environmentally conscious and trying to make a positive difference , but maybe the ones who aren't figure the planet is doomed, so why bother?

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

I was about to ask the percentage of people doing this, but realised you've already mentioned everything @Louise0 It seems Australia has very strict regulations on recycling - which is a good thing. Others in different cities commented along those lines. 

 

The surprising thing to me is the age groups you mentioned. I would have thought it would be the other way round, just for the simple fact they would have to live with the consequences for longer, let alone having more access to information as more tech savvy. 

 

Although you do make a very valid point about the households they grew up in. My first thought also had to do with mortgage, but you do make a good point there. Very interesting.

Till-and-Jutta0
Host Advisory Board Alumni
Stuttgart, Germany

Depends: For STR guests we collect their bottles only, for recycling. As we have LTR now, we teach our guests the complete procedure:

 

Recycling planRecycling plan