There is no planet B: Earth Day 2018

Since 1970, every year on April 22th people all over the world take action for the protection of our planet. The initiatives range from reforestation projects, fundraising and environmental education events to political agreements. And each contribution helps to make our world a bit greener again, to counteract climate change or to curb plastic pollution. Of course, numerous actions took place in Green Pearls® member hotels, too – if you are committed to environmental protection throughout the year, making use of this day to infect others with your enthusiasm is only natural.

“Because we still want to see icebergs in the future”

Contributing to climate protection with a stylish bag collection? That does not only rhyme, but is indeed possible, as Creativhotel Luise has demonstrated. Inspired by the picture of an iceberg on an old advertising tarp, Germany’s first climate-positive hotel launched a special campaign: in cooperation with sine design, it produced up cycling bags from pieces of the advertising tarp and scraps of artificial leather taken from the upholstering industry. The proceeds from the sale will be granted to the Earth Day Canopy Project, supporting their goal of planting 7,8 billion new trees in order to stave off the effects of climate change. The sale has been running since the end of last year and the first part of the proceeds was donated on Earth Day. If you want to participate, too, you can buy one of the stylish bags in Erlangen – or make a direct donation to the Canopy Project.

Education for the benefit of nature

The hotel group CGH Earth begins its environmental education projects at an early stage. On Earth Day, Spice Village invited schoolchildren and gave them a tour of the resort’s premises and its sustainable and eco-friendly measures. The children learned a lot about solar energy, responsible water management and above all about recycling and avoiding waste: Spice Village produces only a very small amount of plastic waste, for instance by using glass bottles, ceramic containers and paper straws. Some of the furniture is made of recycled pinewood from former packing cases and handmade paper is produced from old newspapers and magazines. With so many creative ideas, we are sure that some sparks of enthusiasm jumped across to the children.

Taking action against plastic waste

The goal of this year’s Earth Day – end plastic pollution – is particularly important to Gili Lankanfushi on the Maldives. By means of a strict “no plastic policy”, employee training, beach cleanings and cooperations with various environmental initiatives, the resort has been fighting for the prevention and recycling of plastic waste for years, organizing events like “Paddle against Plastic” on Global Recycling Day. Yet the problem is more present than ever in the island nation in the Indian Ocean. To further raise awareness, the Gili Lankanfushi team distributed cloth bags onEarth Day – one more little step towards plastic prevention.

There are never enough trees

Actually, one could think that there are enough trees on the grounds of Tongsai Bay on Koh Samui already. From the construction phase on, particular care was taken not to harm the existing ecosystem, and until today not a single tree has been cut down to build the resort. And yet staff and guests at Tongsai Bay planted coconut trees on Earth Day. The main reason was climate protection, as each tree increases the absorption of carbon dioxide and thus helps counteract climate change.

Protecting the nature during your vacation

Guests at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Peru also had the opportunity to plant trees, thereby participating in the reforestation of the cloud forest area. Due to numerous guided tours, you can explore Peru’s breathtaking nature all year round when you stay at an Inkaterra hotel. On Earth Day, some of them additionally organized hiking tours for staff and guests to clean the surrounding area from waste – perfect for exploring the fascinating nature and at the same time contributing to its preservation. This combination characterizes every vacation at the Inkaterra hotels, as their tourist activities also finance Inkaterra Asociación – a non-profit organisation that is committed to the research and preservation of the local flora and fauna.