Welcome to the sustainable movement; sweeping across the world, more and more people each day are looking for ways to decrease their carbon footprint and make better use of renewable resources. One of the largest contributors in carbon emission is vehicles, yet in the past decade travel organisations have taken strides to reduce their impact on the world and turn to more efficient and earth-caring methods. Whether it be the conversion of Tesla vehicles to be battery operated, for which many suppliers of automobiles worldwide are picking up the same technology, or even the move by Singapore Airlines to use natural fuels and cleaner engines that reduces their impact on the earth, businesses are leading the charge towards cleaner and more sustainable travel options.
For the average person however, switching your home to solar panels or your car to be battery operated isn’t the easiest option, thus we’ve pieced together some best practices to reduce your carbon footprint, whilst also maintaining your life! Moreover however, being eco-friendly doesn’t mean forsaking luxuries or shifting to live out in the woods away from the cities; it’s about being conscious of your choices and taking the care to make your life more environmentally-friendly where possible. Starting as simply as choosing to not use plastic bags at the supermarket, you can build up from here towards making greater impact, but no matter where you begin, every step makes a difference!
New Zealand's Green Thumb
New Zealand ranked at 75.96 on the Enviromental Performance Index in 2018, setting it amongst the leading nations for sustainable travel and adventure. However, there is always room for improvement.
There has always been a lot of talk about going green, yet only in the past decade have businesses, individuals and even governments begun to take strides towards backing up that talk. From opting for alternative energy sources such as wind, hydro or solar panels to growing food from home, people are reducing, reusing and recycling more than ever! Perhaps one of the most iconic movements was by the New Zealand government to ban single-use plastic bags from the start of 2019, which was received monumentally world-wide! However, whilst choosing to be
more eco-friendly from home is achievable and potentially easy, continuing this trend whilst travelling can be difficult, especially when trying to navigate through cities, find food to eat and take advantage of all the iconic sites to be visited and seen. Take a trip with us as we explore the most eco-friendly way for you to see the world including the world’s most eco-friendly destinations, starting from the moment you leave home through to when you return from your mind-boggling trip around the world.
Eco friendly starts at home, and our home is one of magical landscapes, beautiful wildlife and eco-tourism that caters to all types of traveller. Increasingly recognised, sustainability in New
Zealand is becoming a practice driven by the governmental forces and embraced nationwide! Sustainable products and dining options are readily available and easily accessible in our small, but powerful corner of the globe.
By virture of size, New Zealand is able to sustain and maintain a beautiful clean status and for industries including the dairy-industry, the vast abundance of land for cattle makes this more achievable. In the past decade, the New Zealand government, alongside the public have taken great strides towards abolishing plastics and environmental-harming agents, in favour of adopting sustainable and renewable practices that are cost-effective and provide minimal disruption to the everyday life. As a result of this, New Zealanders are keen recyclers and have openly embraced eco-friendliness, seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and minimise their impact.
The Swiss Lead The Way
Switzerland ranked at 87.42 on the Enviromental Performance Index in 2018.
Rated as the most environmentally friendly nation of 2018, Switzerland is a very clean, very green and very eco-friendly destination for any worldly traveller. Incorporating a generation of techniques to enhance their green-thumb, the Swiss are experts at caring for the environment around us and make use of government regulations to control the flow of waste, and stimulate environmental protection.
As part of their mission to combat waste, the Swiss make use of a fee in most towns for the disposal of waste, excluding recycling which is free. This discourages individuals from making waste and results in a cleaner landscape for all. The Swiss tourism industry has also jumped on this movement, offering discounts to drivers of hybrid cars, and making use of local rivers and streams to get energy for their world-class heating systems. Leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, the Swiss also have green lodging options, including the WhitePod Resort that boasts villages of luxurious dome shaped tents in the Swiss Alps, which blend with the environment and protect nature.
Finland Favours Eco-Friendliness
Finland ranked at 78.64 on the Enviromental Performance Index in 2018.
It’s small-wonder that Finland is one of the purest and most eco-friendly countries in the entire world. A leading example in protecting natural environments, Finland has wide-ranging and
detailed environmental data, along with high-end technology that enables them to monitor the impact they’re having on the world, and this is something they actively work on.
In fact, everywhere you look, you’re faced with the effort of an entire nation to create a sustainable environment. Thanks to a highly ecofriendly culture that spreads through cities and countryside alike, the Finn’s love of the outdoors encourages them to keep their oceans, lakes and country clean at all times. To explore this segment of the world, where nature reigns supreme, it is advised that you allow yourself time to look around. Choose train over car if you can, and explore the local surroundings on foot or by bike. All cities (and most small towns) have bikes that are available for rent to allow you to easily navigate through the streets, without causing any environmental damage.