An ideal vacation takes us away from it all, but it can also remind us to plug back in to what truly matters, like the preservation of our planet and all its spectacular resources. This month, we remind ourselves to consider our impact on the surrounding environment with Earth Hour: a special resort-wide lights-out celebration to raises awareness of power conservation. In honor of Earth Hour, here’s a rundown of different environmentally friendly tips and tricks that are simple and effective enough to import back home.
Tip 1: Limit Your Energy Consumption
The Earth Hour celebration is all about creating awareness of just how much energy we use—especially at night. But there are plenty of ways to minimize the energy you use at home! Try setting timers for your lights, so they automatically shut off when not in use, and unplug any electronics to avoid drawing unneeded current.
Tip 2: Grow Your Own Produce
Vidanta created the Almaverde Farm at Nuevo Vallarta with the goal of shrinking the destination’s carbon footprint, while increasing their sustainability. Now the resort uses the produce harvested there in every one of its restaurants, lounges, and even the employee cafeteria. You too can cut back on your reliance on food that’s grown all over the world—often with pesticides that are harmful to the environment—by starting your own garden. Not only will gardening save you a few grocery trips; these fresh fruits and vegetables will taste so much better.
Tip 3: Teach Your Family to Recycle
Many people skip recycling in their own homes because they’re unsure of what materials can be reused or how to best sort them. Just as Vidanta teaches our staff how to separate items with classes and helpful flyers and posters, you can read up on the specifics at your local waste management’s website, then clearly mark trash receptacles with what belongs where. While you’re at it, remind your family to rinse containers before recycling them!
Tip 4: Start Composting
At the Vidanta Resorts, not only are all recyclables sorted after waste is collected at restaurants, lobbies, and in accommodations, but all organic items are also separated for composting. You can do the same at your own home using any food scraps or yard clippings. Once that waste is broken down into rich, black soil, it can be used to keep your garden healthy and productive.
Tip 5: Conserve Water
The last time you stayed at the Vidanta Resorts, you probably saw a flyer in your bathroom about our towel policy, asking you to please hang any towels you intended to reuse during your stay to minimize overall water usage. This is just one of the many ways we conserve water—in fact many of our resorts have their own water management facilities designed to control and reduce usage on an industrial scale. When it comes to your own home, you can reduce water by choosing efficient appliances, and running them only with full loads on their conservation settings. You can also set time limits for your showers, and never keep your faucet running while you’re brushing your teeth. Even just fixing a leaky tap can save water!
