Traveling soon? It can be difficult to rely on our typical means of sustainability when traveling. Since all Evergreeners will be on the move next week, Troy is sharing his top tips with the team to help us on our way.
On the Go:
Reusable Water/Coffee Bottles: Everyone probably knows this one but, putting it into practice takes planning (and remembering). Traveling with an insulated bottle that can act as a water bottle and a coffee cup is a great way to stop unnecessary waste.
- Most coffee shops will fill your reusable bottle and airports pride themselves in offering bottle-filling stations.
- Think Local: Big corporations thrive on the luxury of familiarity. Try to patron more local and smaller businesses. They often do work with smaller enterprises that don’t require global shipping and unethical practices creating a win for equity and the environment.
- Ridesharing: When you can, find some friends to Uber or Lyft with. Try to choose nearby drivers with more eco-sensible vehicles. If your destination isn’t too far away, tighten your shoelaces and consider getting those steps in.
At the Hotel:
Skip the Daily Service: Most hotels now offer to not clean sheets and towels daily as a green initiative.
- Some hotels offer a hotel credit for those that opt out of housekeeping as they see it as a win-win. A Doubletree Hotel saw that 1,000 guests saved 13,000 gallons of water and more than $12,000 of savings. Marriot has seen a 13.2 percent reduction in its energy usage, 7.7 in its water use and 15.8 percent in overall greenhouse gas emissions.
- Turn off the Lights: It can be easy to want to self-indulge in long showers and leave the lights on when it doesn’t come back on your utility bill. Just like anywhere else, simple efficiency habits go a long way to the greater good even when not at home.
- Adjust your Air Conditioning: Ask your favorite ECG field specialist what they would do. Hint: it probably includes setting the temperature to something more reasonable and remembering to adjust even further before you leave the room.
Bonus! Evergreen works to offset its carbon emissions from the team’s travel. Every year we assess the company’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (learn more about scopes here) and offset these by investing in renewable and energy-saving projects that wouldn’t otherwise be funded.
This last year we helped fund two major projects, these included:
Tribal Renewable Energy Fund Offset: This project supports tribal renewable energy projects through programs developed to provide energy independence, resilience, and reduced energy to the tribal nations. It also supports hands-on workforce development and local STEM education.
Parque Eolico Maldonado Wind Farm: This project is helping support Uruguay to reach its wind energy potential. The project will supply 25 turbines with a capacity of 50 MW of clean energy which will displace over 100 mT Co2 annually.