Carbon-neutral flights, sustainable lodging and product re-use.

As the world slowly reopens, we’re all itching to hop on a flight again and explore new places! From relaxing beach vacations to off-the-grid backpacking trips, the Revolution PR team loves to travel and document their journeys around the globe. However, as there will likely be a surge in travel this year, it is important to account for the environmental impact commercial travel has on the planet. 

Luckily, ecotravel or ecotourism is growing in popularity and becoming more mainstream. According to the International Ecotourism Society, ecotravel is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and improves the welfare of local people.” More broadly, it can include anything that offsets the impact of travel and makes it more sustainable. As a leader in sustainable lifestyle PR, we keep an eye on the trends and news surrounding ecotravel. Here are a few stories and announcements in sustainable travel we’ve noticed in the past few months:

1. Last January, JetBlue announced all domestic flights will be carbon-neutral by July 2020. This is a first for a major U.S. airline, and an important one -- flying has the largest environmental impact of any form of travel. Now, Alaska Airlines has made a similar pledge, promising to greatly reduce its carbon, water, and waste by 2025, and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. While this may seem a long way away, major airlines recognizing and reacting to their environmental impact is huge!
2. Speaking of carbon offsets, Health in Harmony is a nonprofit taking an innovative, holistic approach to offsetting carbon-heavy flights. The nonprofit uses its funds to “[focus] on two areas of health: that of the planet, and that of individuals who live in and around rainforests.” Not only does the money go into seedlings for valuable trees, but it also supports the indigenous communities who call the rainforest home!
3. For the most part, travel in 2020 came to a halt, but for many wanting a quick getaway, Airbnb became the perfect option to take a trip while staying safe and socially distanced. A new trend is sustainable Airbnb’s such as self-sufficient off-the-grid homes like the “Off-grid itHouse” in Joshua Tree, California. This rental home combines luxury living and sustainability with 100% solar-powered appliances, a free-hanging fireplace, rainfall shower, and sun deck with panoramic desert views.
4. Ever wonder what happens to the bars of soap in your hotel room after you check out? There’s a good chance the soap is recycled by a company called Clean The World. Clean The World works with over 8,000 hotel and resort partners around the world to collect used soap, recycle it, and then distribute hygiene kits to communities with high pre-adolescent death rates due to pneumonia and cholera. Earlier this month, Clean The World announced that it produced 5.8 million bars of recycled soap in 2019. This is a 52% increase from 2018, thanks to more hotels and resorts implementing sustainability practices.

We’re definitely looking forward to traveling again in 2021! Where are you most excited to visit? Let us know on Instagram @revpr!