5 Tips for Running a Sustainable Holiday Let

Environmental concerns are more prevalent now than ever, so the travel industry must adapt to becoming more sustainable. More and more guests are also turning to UK staycations in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint, and are passionate about travelling in a more eco-friendly manner. Below we give our top tips for running a sustainable holiday let.

1. Recycling

Recycling is one of the easiest things you can implement to ensure that no unnecessary waste goes into landfills. Airbnb guests tend to go above and beyond and can be expected to sort out recycling during their stay. Please make sure to include instructions on how to recycle; either in the guest handbook or on signs in the property. If recyclable waste is not collected in your area, it would be useful to give information on where guests can take their recycling nearby.

2. Renewable Energy Provider

There are plenty of green energy providers that you can join to ensure your gas and electricity are all 100% renewable. Octopus Energy is a brilliant example – they not only provide renewable electricity but are 100% carbon neutral gas too. They have just one simple tariff for all customers, and allow you to change your monthly payments to reflect quiet periods when fewer guests are staying at your property.

If you are interested in switching to Bulb, sign up using our referral link and receive £50 credit!

3. Cut Single-Use Plastic

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental crises we face today. One way to cut down on single-use plastic is to stop providing individual soaps and toiletries to guests. Instead, you can purchase refillable bottles for soap, shampoo and conditioner from ethical UK-based brand Bramley, or Amazon. Cleaners can then ensure these bottles are refilled in between stays. We would have to inform guests that they will be charged should they take these toiletries home with them.

4. Choose eco-friendly brands

When purchasing dishwasher tablets, laundry liquid, cleaning products, washing up liquid etc we suggest that you switch to eco-friendly brands such as Ecover or Method. Not only do they omit nasty chemicals, but they also use biodegradable plant ingredients and recycled plastic bottles. You can purchase these brands from all good supermarkets so it really is a simple switch! There is also a brilliant toilet paper brand that you can buy in bulk, which uses recycled paper, and biodegradable packaging and donates 50% of profits to charity.

5. Look at energy ratings

Appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers can break down and you may need to replace them at some point in the future. Before you buy them, we recommend checking the energy ratings to ensure they are as eco-friendly as possible. In the meantime, you can swap your lightbulbs to LED so they are more energy efficient.

We hope you found our tips useful, as always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch at info@guesthoo.com.