SHORT PRESENTATION
I travelled to Australia in 1997 and one of the main reasons was because it was considered the “meca” of sustainable tourism. I had fallen in love with the concept in my university degree, in the Ecology subject.
Since then I implemented a lot of measures in my personal life and was a little “bug” putting pressure on friends and family to take action doing small changes that seemed so easy and simple to do to me but that other people tend to classify as “fundamentalist”.
Finally, I am in fashion! Now everyone wants to do something to change the way the world is spinning.
Believe that simple gestures count. They do. This is the proof. The fact that a few people persevered made governments to take action. Laws are being created; public services are going plastic free; restaurants and hotels are banning plastic straws.
People are starting to refuse Palm Oil to save the animals living in the forest. Soon companies will see those products decrease in sales and naturally will change the products. It is becoming a natural circle. The circle of life.
BE A PART OF THIS! YOU WILL FEEL PROUD! REMEMBER THERE IS NO PLANET B.
Teresa Vilas Boas, manager of Turaventur
- First REDUCE
- Then REUSE
- Last choice, RECYCLE
NEVER cross your arms
AT OUR FARM WE:
- Recycle all garbage;
- Give food leftovers to animals;
- Invite you to save water;
- Give you free filtered tap water so you can avoid single use plastic bottles;
- We have plastic bottles of water for cyclists because we have not found a different solution yet. Suggestions are welcome;
- Avoid pre packed fruit and vegetables when we go to the supermarket;
- Abolished film/cellophane and avoid foil as well. When we use this one, we wash and re-use;
- Have partnerships with local producers: see our wine list and our little grocery shop. Try amazing products;
- Have an organic vegetable garden and orchard;
- Substituted some of the lights which guests forget to turn off by automatic switchers;
- We are always open to improvements!
SIMPLE TIPS
AVOID SINGLE USE PLASTIC AND EXCESS USE OF PAPER
- If you do a 7 day tour and we give you 1 bottle of water per day you will use 7 bottles. If we do 1000 clients per year x 7 bottles this means 7000 bottles. If you refill your water bottle instead of using a new one, in total we will use 1000 instead of 7000. In guided trips, 5 liter water bottles are supplied throughout the day for you to refill. Better even, bring your own re-usable bottle. We won’t give you one because most people already have one and we would only create more rubbish.
- Mini-shampoo bottles and the so-called “amenities” are a terrible invention. And your own shampoo is always better quality. Please avoid using individual amenities provided by hotels. Bring your own.
- Choose soap over shower gel. Soap is wrapped in paper. No plastic. And you will use much less, which causes less chemical pollution.
- When we buy something, even if something really small, we always get a bag. Many times we accept it without even thinking about it and, as soon as we get home, there it goes to the rubbish. Kindly refuse the bag. And don’t be ashamed to share your philosophy with a smile “I don’t need a bag thank you; I am trying to go plastic free”. Paper bags are not an option either. There aren’t enough trees in the world to sustain a sustainable society living on paper based substitutes. The word is to REDUCE.
- Refuse straws. When you order please say “don’t bring a straw, I am going plastic free”. If you don’t say it many times it comes already in the drink and then it’s too late. There are millions of straws in the beaches and oceans. And it is SO SIMPLE not to be a part of that!
- Use the cloth bag we gave you to take your things to your room in the end of the day and bring them back in the morning: your towel, bikini, book, camera, wallet and others all fit there! Less one plastic bag!
- Why do we take fruit and vegetables home in single use individual plastic bags?!?! Get thin cloth bags and use and reuse! Choose shops that don’t use pre-packed fruit and vegetables.
- Don’t use disposable plates and cutlery. Take inspiration in our picnics! We wash your dishes afterwards, at night at the hotel! A lot of work, but we feel SOOO good!
- Stop buying film/cellophane. Aluminum paper is not good but better; bee wax re-usable paper is a great option. And glass containers even better! And cloth! Remember the bread loaf wrapped up in a cloth? Beautiful! J
- Wrap your Christmas presents in newspaper. Most wrapping paper is not recyclable.
- Think before you print and use both sides of all paper.
SAVE WATER
- Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, when you put on the soap, when you wash your hair, when you go away from the sink, when you are washing the dishes. Think about everyone that lives with 1 bucket of water per day for the whole family.
- Take short showers – count the time you take today and try to be better tomorrow
- Fill up the washing machines before putting them to work. Use full load ECO programs.
- Do you really need to wash the car so often? If so go to a proper garage with pressured water.
SAVE ENERGY
- Turn off the lights… And turn off the lights again… and again… amazing how most people leave a trace of their steps through the lights!
- Bike, bike, bike! JJ
- Unplug everything you are not using.
- Close the fridge! Even if “just for a second”! Don’t chat by an open fridge!
- Turn off the computer
- Air conditioning and heater don’t go well with open windows….
- Turn off the engine when you stop the car; when you arrive to a parking lot; when you were leaving but after all you are chatting with the neighbor…
Share with us any other ideas you may have, we are willing to improve our:
GREEN POLICY