While travelling
Most hotel rooms these days have a card that asks guests to consider using their linens and towels more than once. Some even include literature that suggests ways that guests can use less water. Besides participating in such linen/towel reuse programmes, here are other ways travellers can go green.
Before you go on your trip
Travelling green starts before you even book your holiday. It means choosing holidays that are closer to home, taking fewer and longer trips and, where possible, choosing trains over planes.
But if you are flying, then do it responsibly with direct, non-stop flights and opt for e-tickets. According to the International Air Transport Association, 50,000 trees can be saved a year if air tickets are not printed.
Pack light: the lighter your bag, the lower the fuel consumption — whether you’re travelling by plane or car. And before you leave home, unplug appliances such as the computer, television and microwave oven because they draw power even when on standby mode.
Green accommodation
The number of websites listing green options makes it easier to choose eco-friendly lodgings. Some examples you can look at are responsibletravel.com (which offers options of green hotels worldwide), bedandbreakfast.com (eco-friendly B&Bs), and ecohotel.com.au (eco accommodation in Australia).
When assessing your hotel or lodge, find out if it’s locally owned or operated to ensure that the money generated from your stay benefits the local people or community directly. If such options are unavailable, then opt for a place that hires from the local community. Do also find out the extent of the hotel’s so-called green initiatives – the type of recycling programmes, how they reduce consumption and tap alternative energy sources, as well as their involvement with the local community.
During your trip
Besides reusing your sheets and towels, there are other ways you can make your stay green. Be mindful of the amount of water used and practise the same eco-friendly approaches you would at home, such as turning the tap off while brushing your teeth or shaving, keeping your showers short and if it’s a hot day, opting for cold showers.
Also, remember to switch off the television, lights and air-conditioning (if the room doesn’t have an auto switch-off) before you leave your hotel room.
Getting around
Use public transport within the city, or better yet, join walking tours. This not only minimises your carbon impact but also allows you to get up close and personal with the city.
Alternatively, if it’s available in your destination city, opt for bicycle-sharing programmes such as Paris’ Velib, which is aimed at supplementing the city’s public transport system and to make it easier for people to move around the city on their own steam.
Short trips of 30 minutes or less are virtually free but keeping the bike for the whole day will put a dent in your pocket because this is not a bike rental programme, and its aim is to keep the bikes in circulation. C
heck also with your lodge or guesthouse if it has bicycles that you can use. If you need to rent a car, or are on a driving holiday, travel in a group and opt for the smallest vehicle that is comfortable for you.
Travel responsibly
If you’re using a tour operator, pick one that’s environmentally responsible. Some of criteria for selecting your accommodation would apply, such as the hiring of local guides, the choice of hotels as well as their involvement with the local community.
Travelling responsibly is also about getting more out of your holiday than visiting palaces or museums or maxing out your credit card at the department stores. It means getting to know the people and culture, as well as nature. When you’re on the road, buy and eat local. Bring your own refillable water bottle.
In places where tap water is unsafe for drinking, refill your bottle with boiled water or purify with chlorine dioxide tablets. Responsible travel also means respecting local cultures like photographing people and places of worship — when in doubt, ask.
At work
Going green in the office isn’t just about companies reducing their carbon footprint. It also translates into reducing costs, improving the bottom line and enhancing customers’ and stakeholders’ perception of the company and brand.
The process begins with an estimate of where the organisation or company stands with respect to carbon emissions — how much fuel, water and electricity is used, what’s the fuel usage, what’s the extent of staff travel and vehicle use, among others. Once this assessment has been completed, the organisation can then come up with a plan aimed at reducing waste and resource use (some even employ a chief green officer to implement and manage their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint). When implementing green policies, it’s important to get the cooperation of all employees and monitor the progress of the plan. Here are some ways to create a green office.
Optimise energy use
Set computers and laptops to energy-saving mode and shut down when you leave for the day. Printers, scanners and other equipment that are only used occasionally can be unplugged until they’re needed. When buying new equipment, choose those that have Energy Star ratings as they typically use 30% to 75% less electricity than standard equipment. Turn off lights in spaces that are unoccupied.
Go digital
Keep things digital to eliminate the need for hard copies. Keep files on computers instead of in file cabinets (this also makes it easier to make offsite back-up copies or take them with you when you move to a new office).
Use green products
If you must print, use recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and minimum chlorine bleaching, says Treehugger.com. Alternatively choose Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper, suggests WildAsia, a social enterprise working to promote sustainable practices. FSC-certified paper requires that wood products be responsibly and sustainably handled from the forest where they were harvested to the pulp purchased by the paper mill and to the printer that manufactures the end product.
In Malaysia, you can buy FSC-certified paper from companies like Imprint and Antalis, says WildAsia. Do also print on the both sides of the paper.
Greening the office also includes using recycled or recyclable furniture, low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and compact fluorescent lights or LED desk lamps. Consider using refillable pens and markers. Use biodegradable soaps and recycled paper or cloth towels in the bathroom and pantry. Buy in bulk so that shipping and packaging waste are reduced, and reuse the shipping boxes.
Greening the commute
Hours and gallons of fuel are wasted every day in the commute to work, and some of this strain can be eased through carpooling or taking public transport. Carpooling is not a new idea in Malaysia but it does not appear to have caught on, the main excuse being not being able to find people to car pool with. Sites like carpoolworld.com help you identify carpooling buddies in your neighbourhood. Companies can also provide incentives for employees, such as parking perks for those who carpool, flexible work schedules or even cents-per-km reimbursements for those who take public transport to meetings.
Working from home
With emails, instant messaging and video conferencing, working from home has never been easier or more effective. Consider also the possibility of a consolidated workweek — work four 10-hour days instead of five eight-hour days. You reduce the energy and time spent on commuting, and enjoy three-day weekends to boot!
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