Sustainability – Playing a small part in a very big world

I recently read a very interesting article, one that made me think of world around me and the impact that we have when we travel. The article talks about the future of travel and mentions many unique and diverse trends that are on the horizon. I became intrigued by such things and wanted to share one of my favourite trends: Tradecations.

Tradecations definition: “cooperating with radical plans by hotels and resorts to slash their carbon footprint in return for carbon reward points that can be traded for visits to local sites of interest, spa treatments or dinner and drinks - ‘fly-and-swap’ holidays where travellers spend time helping the local community and environment, or with a regional non-governmental organisation (NGO) in return for extra holiday perks.”

This was something I was super intrigued by - what a great concept (not to mention a great name!) As a company that works in the tourism sector, we are aware of the impacts we have the on the earth. This is why we have always strived to create the smallest impact on the earth, with our tours, as well as right here in the office! This inspired me to question what we do at work to be sustainable, and I compiled a list of things we do here at EcoColors to play our part in sustainability.

Some of the things we do to be sustainable:
- recycling (paper, plastic, glass)

- Compost

- Reusing paper (when printing)
- Making sure all electric outlets are unplugged at night and when not in use
- LED Lighting

All our tours are run as sustainable as possible as well and we work with local communities, donating proceeds to local organizations such as Amigos de Sian Ka’an, in return helping preserve our environment. We also work with international companies such as the Coral Reef Alliance, which we help to promote the preservation of coral reefs in the area to guests and other companies. We work with local school groups as well, inorder to educate students. EcoColors realises that every step counts and we strive to play a part in protecting our environment!

Don’t forget Earth Hour March 26th, 2011 & Earth Day April 22nd, 2011 Do your part – it’s easy!

*Sources: The Future laboratory: 13 : 12 : 2010. Thomson holidays: sustainable holiday futures (Ask me for the complete article to read more!)