How to turn your Airbnb ‘green’ without breaking the bank…
More and more guests are making conscious choices to be eco friendly with the location and type of property they choose on Airbnb and similar platforms.
Reducing carbon footprint is increasingly becoming a priority for many Airbnb guests. Since Airbnb has been founded, they have discovered that over 88% of hosts around the world now incorporate eco-practices into their holiday rentals.
But what does it mean as a host to go green? What changes do you need to make to be considered eco-friendly?
Firstly, make the most of the resources already in place. If your Airbnb rental is in a urban or city location make sure you inform potential guests of the ease of using public transport. List the bus route options so the guest knows they can leave their vehicle at your property and get around easily by taking a bus or train.
Put together details about your local area, where the guests can walk to get groceries, have a coffee or buy some artisan bread. Suggest local shops rather than the big companies who themselves have a lower carbon footprint if their produce is local. Provide your guests with ample canvas or reusable shopping bags. If you have a local sustainable shop that provides plastic-free produce and sustainable alternatives to everyday item then make sure to tell your guests. A few reusable plastic tubs or glass jars is a nice touch if you let your guest know they are welcome to use them.
Provide your guests with easily identifiable recycling bins and compost bin. Be sure to advise your guests to empty any food waste bins inside the property regularly to avoid insects. If your local council doesn’t recycle glass provide a storage area for your guests to put their glass bottles that can be emptied at changeover.
LED light bulbs are relatively inexpensive to buy. They are not only better for the environment (and cost effective in the long term) but also have a longer lifespan which means you won’t have guests calling you to replace light bulbs regularly during their stay.
Consider an EV charging point at your property. Electric car sales are booming in the UK, in 2022 new EV registrations were 40% higher than the year before. Not to mention the car rental market, with Hertz making a commitment to purchase 175,000 electric vehicles over the next 5 years. A recent study by Expedia showed that 90% of respondents look for sustainable options when travelling.
With constant changeovers at many Airbnb properties they are being cleaned more than the average home, therefore showing a commitment to guests to use eco-friendly products is a small gesture that goes a long way. Chemical free products are not only better for the planet but they are also better for people with skin conditions or allergies. Large retailers all stock a full range now of plant based cleaning and hygiene products so you can have everything from your hand soap, toilet cleaner and shampoo all doing their bit to protect our planet.
It goes without saying to reduce or eliminate single use plastics in your Airbnb property. Provide shampoo and soap in refillable containers not small individual plastic bottles. Swap your usual toilet paper for eco friendly paper made from bamboo and wrapped in paper not plastic. Provide beeswax paper for storing food instead of cling film and reusable sandwich bags instead of the usual plastic ones.
To really go the extra mile with your planet loving Airbnb, you could invest in a heat pump or solar panels. As well as reducing your carbon emissions both will also save you money in a time when energy bills are on the rise. If you have a garden consider adding a vegetable patch if you live locally and are able to tend to it and offer its produce to your guests.
Whichever measures you take the most important thing is to tell your potential guests! Ensure your description on Airbnb includes all the details about how your property is reducing it’s carbon footprint, striving to be more sustainable and what resources are in the area to help follow that through during your guests stay with you.
Going green isn’t so hard after all.
