Sustainable tourism: our commitments
Promoting the sustainable tourism without car. 3/4 of greenhouse gas emissions are linked to transportation. It is therefore necessary to consider our choices of transportation when planning the next holidays! Our place was created in Dol de Bretagne as while being next to the train station, it is more than possible to visit by train or bus our beautiful region. We are also nearby the green way (voie verte) and the gr34, the soft mobility is at the heart of our project. Let’s be adventurous again!
Avoid the “overtourism” in our territory. Congested streets, pollution, trash, overconsumption, drop of local’s life quality… tourism concentrations can have consequences on some destinations. That’s why, we are encouraging to explore all the territory’s treasure, including the unfamous ones! Our team of local experts are regularly writing articles about this subject. You need to travel consciously, to enrich yourself in a cultural way and to explore differently!
Save water: it is a precious resouce and really rare in some countries. The best is to avoid baths and long showers! A sign is present in the bathrooms as a reminder of the impact waste has on our environment. Our showers are timed in the shared bathrooms.
Keep the reflex of “energy savings”. There isn’t any AC at Edd Hostel. We are in Brittany, heat waves are quite rare here, so we offer to open windows instead 😉 . Whenever possible, the light is on timer outside and inside. From the beginning of the hostel’s construction, the idea was to stick with a sustainable tourism approach.
Sort waste while informing yourself on local instructions. Waste sorting bins are available with proper explainations for the best use of it.
Sorting is good but having less waste is best! We have under control our purchases to make sure our products are large sized. We are not using disposable products (like small shampoos), and are favoring the collectif. Our hand-towels are disposable but are recycled papers.
Use of respectuous cleaning products. We are trying as much as possible to use eco-label or natural products like vinegar.
Recycling! As you may have noticed, our decoration is made of old pictures or furnitures. We made the most of this idea by buying second-hand utensils for the kitchen. We are also using the coffee ground for cleaning.
Appreciating short circuits. At Edd Hostel, we are trying to get locally provided. Out coffee is made at Auray, our crêpes at Pleudihen Sur Rance, our beds are coming from Rennes… we are trying to find the best compromise between a reasonnable coste and a local economy.
We are not using any weedkiller in our garden. We are trying to have the green thumb, but any ideas or help are most welcomed!
Finally, a change of scenery is possible without the kilometers included! France is full of treasures and Edd Team tries to make the most of it during its free time. At the same time, we are supporting hexagonal tourism, really impacted by the health crisis. And if the wanderlest call is too strong in you, the best is to leave less often, but longer : it’s our mantra!
To conclude, you got it, Edd Hostel is in a committed process of a sustainable tourism. Of course, we still have to work on it, but what we want you to remember is this value: “75%“. On the ADAME’s view point (Agency of ecological transition), the biggest impact of the tourisme is the transportation since it represents 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions of this sector.
As well as having an ecological impact on tourism, the transportation is also a way to consider tourism. In our opinion, travelling is an adventure! And the adventurers that made us the most dream are those that travelled by boat, train, by foot, etc… . So for those that are not convinced by this ecological approach, maybe will you be convinced by the Indiana Jones inside of you!
To compare your impact, we suggest you to make a use of this comparator that the ADAME has developed.
We still have some improvements!
Here is a small list to continue on our sustainable tourism’s commitments in the future:
3 years project:
- To be labeled (this has a cost and till now, wasn’t our priority). Furthermore, the transportation’s notion wasn’t often valued within these labels when it’s one of our most impactful notions. A word to the wise!
- Install compost bins (working on it)
- To implement energy consumption monitoring sheets. Our hostel has now 3 years, and since we still haven’t reached our cruising speed, our expenses are variating depending of the years, and therefore it makes it hard on us to study.
- Developp more partnership with local producers
- To improve our impact linked to the laundry (2nd criteria that has the most impact from our conclusion).
6 years project:
- Solar panel on the rooftop
- Water collections for the toilets
We are informing ourselves every day and here are our sources:
https://www.voyageons-autrement.com/
https://www.fondation-nicolas-hulot.org/
Les armes de la transition, Pierre Gilbert
Tags: Outdoor, TrainIn: Full day trip