There are several green YHA hostels in the Australian network, including hostels at Apollo Bay, the Grampians, Port Douglas, in Melbourne and in the Blue Mountains. But we have a plan to do much more!
How can you help?
Each time you book a bed online, you can choose to contribute $1 towards the fund.
By going green with YHA, you can help us turn our existing properties into eco-friendly hostels and become the greenest hostel network in Australia.
Check out the Hostelling International Environmental Charter, to see what HI associations worldwide are doing to reduce their impact on the environment.
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Did you know that every night you spend in a hostel creates an average of 9,000 grams of carbon emissions? Certified by the Carbon Reduction Institute
YHA has established a Carbon Reduction Program to undertake eco-projects in its hostels, starting with solar hot water systems. Our research shows this to be the area where we can reduce emissions most significantly.
It will also reduce energy costs. We will put all these cost savings back into the scheme to purchase or generate other renewable energy sources.
While staying at a hostel, it's easy to do your bit for the environment. It's as simple as remembering to turn off the lights, air-conditioning or heating when you leave your room for the day, and not leaving your camera, phone or iPod charging all night. Switch off appliances in the kitchen when you're finished, and choose a cold water cycle on the washing machine in the laundry. If you're cold, don't turn on the heat - put on a jumper! And if it's hot, open the window.
In a drought-stricken country like Australia, water conservation is extremely important, and you should be sure to take care with our scarce resource. Take shorter showers and turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or washing dishes.
One of the easiest things you can do to help the environment is say No to plastic bags and packaging. Purchase a YHA Enviro bag at reception (may not be available at all hostels) and use it for your groceries and souvenirs. Use biodegradable soaps and laundry powders. Take your rubbish with you - leave only footprints! If you're a smoker, remember to bin your butts.
Always remember to reduce, reuse and recycle!
The Carbon Reduction Institute, Australia's premium provider of carbon neutral certification for business commends YHA Australia's commitment to the environment, and says:
The Carbon Reduction Institute commends YHA Australia on the setting up of its Hostel Carbon Reduction Fund. In any response, it is important that organisations and people look within our own actions before seeking to offset our impacts through the purchase of emissions savings achieved by others. As such the Carbon Reduction Institute is delighted that YHA Australia and its members are investigating and funding greenhouse reductions within its own organisation.
Beyond reducing emissions within YHA Australia, the Carbon Reduction initiative has the potential to set an example in the hostel industry and also inspire its members to take further actions to reduce their own footprints.
