Green / Environment
Karibuni operates in many stunning natural environments. Right from the very outset of the business we have strived to minimise any adverse impact on the environment as well as helping educate people into how they can play their part in protecting our precious natural resources.
It's not just a hollow statement, but a way of life and a belief that everyone can do their bit. However small - it all helps! Wherever possible we try to educate and inform our customers and instil a respect for the environments in which we operate.
We demonstrate this belief through :
- Recycling all paper, cardboard, tins, plastic bottles and glass at the local facilities
- Composting all vegetable matter during the summer and returning it to the garden for our home-grown vegetables
- Recycling all printer cartridges, batteries and office consumables
- Operating as much as possible as a paperless office – with nearly all communication carried out by email, brochures replaced by websites etc.
- Looking to improve our energy efficiency at every opportunity: we have improved the insulation on our chalet, chosen new heating systems for their fuel efficiency and we have installed solar panels for all the hot water needs of our Chalet Aravis
- Ensuring our coffee is fair-trade and bought direct from the growers
- Using only free range eggs and attempting to source our food from suppliers who can verify their farming practices
- Servicing our vehicles regularly and driving them in a manner to ensure maximum fuel efficiency.
In 2008 we completed our first official Environmental Audit which has looked at all aspects of our operation. This has been a very indepth analysis of our practices, policies and procedures and has resulted in some very beneficial findings which we are now working hard to turn into real improvements. This covers such things as :
- Adapting the choice of our food products to reduce packaging
- Selecting new cleaning products to be more environmentally friendly
- Extending our energy efficient fittings and policies to the staff accommodation
- Identifying structural changes to the building to improve insulation efficiency
Charity
Due to Paul's personal experience being able to witness the valuable work being undertaken on the ground in Tanzania, Karibuni choose WaterAid as their preferred charity. WaterAid and its partners use practical solutions to provide safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education to the world's poorest people. They also seek to influence policy at national and international levels.
We try and encourage people to use our walking challenges (such as the Belier challenge) to raise money for WaterAid. A donation is made for each customer who stays with Karibuni during the winter months; further fundraising events are also planned. Details of how WaterAid uses their money can be found at www.wateraid.org.uk.