This Sunday, April 22, is the 48th anniversary of the first Earth Day and the theme for this year is ending plastic pollution.
How Enigma Peru Promotes Sustainable Travel
At Enigma, we take pride in promoting sustainable travel and operating in an environmentally respectful way. In protected areas, we ensure our equipment, campsites, operations, and tours do not harm nearby biodiversity.
Below are specific ways we address sustainability daily:
Our office in Cusco is a green office with a focus on the reduce, reuse, and recycle theory. We limit the amount of paper that we print out and work mostly with electronic documents to reduce paper waste. We also send information to our clients electronically, drastically reducing the printing of brochures, posters and other paper advertising.
In our office and operations, we prioritize biodegradable products to reduce our environmental impact. Our disposable plastic use has decreased as we use aluminum, cane, wood, and textiles.
Enigma organizes cleaning campaigns in Peru, especially along the Inca Trail, removing hundreds of kilos of inorganic waste. Our last campaign removed 700kg of waste in three days with 30 volunteers.
We also ask our guests to follow our environmental and social code of conduct. Some of things we ask are:
- Disposal of inorganic and organic waste into the proper receptacles and never left on the ground or in any Natural Protected Area.
- Protecting the local water systems while camping by using biodegradable soaps and shampoos.
- Preservation of flora by not picking plants or flowers.
Ways to Be a Sustainable Traveler on All Trips
It’s a bit harder to think about how to reduce your carbon footprint on your own when traveling, but we’ve compiled a short, simple list to help you be the best sustainable traveler you can be.
- Bring a small tote bag with you to carry items or use to go shopping while on your trip. Tote bags are useful for other travel needs and reduce plastic bag waste.
- If you are traveling relatively short distances, opt to take a bus, a train, or rent a car rather than flying. You’ll enjoy more local scenery and cut your carbon footprint by over 20%.
- Stop using plastic and paper. Travelers should politely decline brochures, maps, tourist information, and plastic bags or ask to take a picture with their phone or camera. You’re less likely to lose data on your phone or camera, and you won’t have to worry about waste disposal.
- Please collect and properly dispose of some trash. Pick up some trash or recyclables in protected areas and parks to make locals and wildlife safer and happier.
You can reduce pollution and have a great trip at the same time by doing some or all of these things. For more tips on how to travel responsibly in Peru, click here to learn more.
