Environmental Care for Accommodation Operators

As tourism operators we are dependent on the sustainability of the tourism market Australia-wide. Many tourism areas are located in or near important regional areas that rely on natural attractions for tourism e.g. Blue Mountains, Margaret River. Our mission is to strive for the highest standards of environmental performance in our operations and of our operators by pursuing sustainable and responsible business practices.

We encourage visitors to respect the natural environment and provide easy access to places to stay that involve and are at one with nature including bird-watching, bushwalking and wilderness activities and ecological resorts.

There are a range of activities that we undertake that impact the environment including use of electricity, paper, water and the consumption of non-renewable or scarce resources.

We would like to encourage you, as operators, to think about the environment too, as well as to have impact in a practical way.

 Print guest information and other office information on recycled/unbleached paper
 Only print documents where necessary and retain other documents in electronic formats
 Use environmentally friendly (bio-degradable) cleaning products for both operator and guest use
 Supply recycled/unbleached tissues and toilet paper products
 Become involved in community environmental initiatives such as the Tidy Towns Competition, Clean Up Australia Day, National Tree Planting Day
 Use recycling bins in your office and provide recycling bins for guests
 Use compost bins in your kitchen and provide compost bins for guests
 Install ‘key tag’ switches and/or timers for lights, electrical appliances and heating/cooling systems; OR prominently place reminders for guests to turn off lights, appliances and air-conditioners when not in use
 Install energy efficient lighting (eg compact fluorescent)
 Install low water use product or water flow control devices on taps and shower heads
 Regularly check and maintain taps and toilets to ensure there are no leakages
 Offer natural ventilation (through doors and windows) as an alternative to air conditioning
 Install energy efficient white goods (washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer, etc.)
 Only provide guest newspapers on request, or have a display copy accessible in common areas only
 Offer guests the option of re-using bed linen and bath towels rather than automatically changing these on a daily basis
 Install tanks to collect rainwater for garden watering, cleaning and toilet flushing
 Optimise garden watering plans in accordance with local water restrictions
 Purchase recycled materials, including toilet paper and hand towels, where possible
 Plant native plants in our garden and remove noxious weeds
 Provide opportunities for public transportation, for guests, both to your accommodation, as well as to local activities (e.g. airport shuttles, winery bus tours, push bikes for hire, maps for walking etc.)

As operators concerned with the environmental sustainability of tourism, we encourage you to find out more about Eco Tourism in Australia and to apply for certification where appropriate. If you are unable to check off some of the items on this list, we ask that you consider working toward being able to do so in the future.
Environmental Certification Resources include:

AAA Tourism Green STARS http://www.aaatourism.com.au/
Ecotourism Association http://www.ecotourism.org.au/
Gumnut Awards for holiday, tourist and residential parks at http://www.gumnutawards.com.au.

TakeABreak.com.au operates a business system that is substantially online, rather than paper based. Our office systems include recycling paper and printing pages two to a sheet. We operate a paperless booking confirmation and invoice system. Our cleaners use Enjo/non-chemical products throughout the office and we encourage you to do the same. We support the 'say no to plastic bags' campaign.