Information - ETHICAL, SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

Morika1
Level 2
Queensland, Australia

Information - ETHICAL, SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

There is an urgent need for humanity to take action against cruelty, the decimation of our planet

Would be wonderful to create a separate forum discussion board providing information to AIRBNB users about Ethical, Sustainable consumerism. An Invitation to the Airbnb community to collaborate and create a new era of possibilities for our planet and all those who live in it.

 

Ethical consumerism can be defined as the practice of purchasing products and services produced in a way that minimizes social and/or environmental damage, while avoiding products and services deemed to have a negative impact on society or the environment.

 

Airbnb could be the first accommodation chain in the world to lead the way in innovative co-creational change with hosts and guests working towards a better, kinder world.

 

This forum could help to provide Airbnb users with the facility to make more informed decisions about the products they choose to have in their homes and encourage positive buying. This forum would provide Airbnb users with information about fair trade, organic or cruelty free products, latest technology and inventions available in all aspects of creating a sustainable home, making it easier for the Airbnb community to learn about new advances in these areas.

 

Negative purchasing also means avoiding products, which cause suffering to animals such as cage eggs. One example of a product, which affects all Airbnb Hosts, is DOWN (found in bedding and other items). Down products are in the spotlight once again and Airbnb Hosts can help to lead the charge away from products which still rely on the extremely painful process of geese being plucked for their DOWN while still alive - again and again.  Despite “Responsible Down Standards” farms are still live plucking. There are fantastic alternatives to DOWN such as bamboo bedding. Bamboo breathes and is sustainable.

It is a sad fact that somehow we have arrived at a point where cruelty in consumerism has become a choice. Perhaps this discussion board will provide information to make choices that do not cause suffering for animals and the environment.

 

Airbnb have created a global community that can lead the move towards supporting progressive companies that make a positive difference to our environment and all living things.

 

The Airbnb community can help to make this a kinder and more sustainable world!!!!

 

A new and inspiring era waits.

Hi Lizzie hope we can make it happen @Lizzie

 

7 Replies 7
Morika1
Level 2
Queensland, Australia

Interested to hear from hosts who think that creating a new different forum discussion topic with a seperate heading entitled INFORMATION ON ETHICAL, SUSTAINALBE CHOICES would be helpful to them?  

 

 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

Good idea.

It was documentary on tv about tourist resorts in Mexico, about their huge hotel loundry rooms where they wash 3 towels, 3 leinens, bath mat and a pillow case for each tourist EVERY SINGLE DAY because USA guests requires so. They polute sea and air with cleaning products to wash practically clean stuff ... 😞

When tv people faced tourists with facts how much damage is done to the nature  and how locals work there the entire month for peanuts, they said: oh... yes... it is terrible... but we like fresh towels and we will continue to request fresh towels etc every day

I wonder if they change their bedding and towels every day at home.  I doubt.

Annabel44
Level 2
Daylesford, Australia

I was just coming onto the Community to bring this discussion up, so thank you! In response to your proposal, I agree, I and I think your sustainable and cruelty free practices should be listed along with whether you have wifi, or a smoke alarm. I started hosting earlier this year and I felt like I was taking a leap of faith to see if I could host sustainably and how would the guests respond. I can now report that people LOVE it and my hosting is going really well.

Some things I have implemented (there are many) but I think these are basics everyone could do.

 

- Zero landfill. I have a sign next to the baskets in the kitchen which explains that we have managed zero landfill for 2 years and we hope that the guests will be happy to try it out. I ask them to look at what they are throwing away and sort it in the following way - 

if any of it is compostable - put it in the compost bin.

if it is clean paper - put it in the paper bin to start the fire.

if it is dirty paper - sanitary waste for example - put it in the fire.

if it is soft plastic - anything that will scrunch in your hand like packets, bags etc - clean it and put it one bin. We take it to Coles to be recycled.

If is is normal recycling - clean it and put it in another bin. 

Often there is nothing else, but if it is left over then it goes into land fill.

 

many guests have LOVED this and noone has complained. Many mention it in their praise of their experience in their reviews. Only one couple have totally messed this up and put all their waste together.

 

My home is built from earth, I am on tank water, solar power and the toilet is a compost toilet so I am happy with my level of sustainability on these fronts. However I have a note on the toilet explaining what to do with sanitary waste and ask them to google 'keepcup'. (I hope people do as this is one reusable item for the whole of a womans life and is fantastic).

 

Instead of having cling film in the kitchen drawer I have wax wraps and some clean take away containainers people can use.

 

All cleaning cloths are squares of scrap material that I have cut up. They are pretty. They are laundered with the tea towels etc and work much better than single, or short use, kitchen cloths.

 

The cleaner has only biodegradable cleaning products and also has a large supply of squares of scrap material that I have cut up.

 

All toilet paper is 100% recycled office waste. Available in almost all supermarkets or from 'Give a Crap' online and there is is no excuse not to make this simple choice in my opinion. Fancy toilet paper has plastic in and does not break down for years. It also uses virgin wood which is not sustainable.

 

I buy large blocks of soap at the local market which does not have palm oil or plastic wrap. I cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. Very easy.

 

I ask people to bring their own supplies of bread, milk etc to suit their dietory needs so that is not wasted by getting things people don't want. But I have an amply stocked larder of fair trade, organic products like coffee, teas, all hebs and spices, rice, pulses etc.

 

I hope this helps others think about how they can run their property more sustainably. We have a fantastic opportunity to raise the bar and give people an experience which hopefully inspires them.

 

my property is Castle in the Sky, Musk Vale, Victoria, Australia.

 

love Annabel

 

 

Marie82
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

@Morika1

this is the interesting debate, I know from my little experience i leave Recycling bin (noted RECYCLE) on it and another bin and explain to guests that our building recycle if they could please respect that, 95% of guests completely mixed all bottle/with normal garbage and completely dismiss the whole recycling, myself or the cleaners always go through and take out bottle and glasses.

 

And the sad part of all, every single part of the world is aware of Recycling war but far too many plays dumb about it when they are on vacation.

 

But it is an excellent idea if ABB could incorporate it into putting a little green leaf on Environmentally friendly listings/or emphasis listings on recycling

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Annabel44  I too strive for zero landfill, but I don't it acheive it as well as you manage to. I compost, and can recycle plastic bottles, metal, glass and cardboard. Paper can of course be burnt. I usually end up with a small shopping bag of actual garbage I can't do anything else with once a week.

My guests are pretty good about complying- guests who book places like ours tend to be in the environmentally aware camp to start with. Sometimes I have to sort through the garbage can in their room to pull out the recyclables. I do show them the recycling box in the kitchen, but some guests don't bother to bring their stuff down, so I'm going to put a container for those things outside their room on the balcony when my hosting season starts up again.

As far as the toilet paper- it maybe available "in almost all supermarkets" where you live, but don't assume that is the case in other places. There is no such option available here. And I can't order stuff like that online- the shipping would be prohibitively expensive and I don't get any mail delivery where I live.

Nor are there any big blocks of soap I can cut up. I did discover, in the supermarket here, quite by accident, in the baby section, these little bars of soap- about twice the thickness of those little hotel soaps, and comes in a little cardboard box, no plastic. So those are perfect for guests and if there's some left over, I just use it up myself. I know some people are grossed out by using a bar of soap someone else has used, but I'm not- the whole raison d'etre of soap is that it kills bacteria, so a little rinse of the outside of the bar and I'm fine with it. Half my guests never even use it- a lot of guests seem to travel with their own toiletries. And I buy huge bottles of liquid soap at Costco and just refill small pump containers. Yes, it's a big plastic bottle, but 1 lasts me for about a year and a half.

 

Ben3837
Level 2
Northwich, United Kingdom

If you have a spare 5 minutes please can you complete my questionnaire if you have ever used the sharing economy (Airbnb, HomeStay, etc) thank you
https://mmu.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Apm1wHn3rbfsDc

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Why have you pulled up this thread from last summer on environmental issues to promote your survey @Ben3837 ????