Caring about the environment and its people
In a world increasingly aware of the harm that tourism can do, helping to protect the environment - both at home and overseas - is very important to us.
Headwater holidays are all about getting you to places you can't go in a car and, as such, are much more environmentally friendly than traditional "fly and flop" fortnights on the beach! In fact, last year, Headwater walkers hiked a staggering 462,000 kilometres; our cyclists pedalled an amazing 520,000 kilometres; our canoeists paddled an impressive 9,000 kilometres, and our dedicated cross country skiers notched up a further 39,000 kilometres. That makes a record-breaking total of 1,030,000 carbon neutral kilometres in just 12 months!
In addition to the careful planning that goes into each and every one of our tours, we also have a policy of operating our office in a responsible manner - to reduce the impact on our local environment.
- We turn off all lights, printers, photocopiers and PC's at the end of each day: a PC monitor switched off overnight saves enough energy to microwave six meals; leaving a computer on 24/7 costs four times more than if you switch it off; a photocopies left on overnight uses enough energy to produce over 1,500 copies
- We use energy efficient light bulbs and make sure they're regularly cleaned - dirty bulbs can reduce the amount of effective light by over 25%
- We've turned down every radiator by 1 degree in a bid to reduce energy consumption by as much as 10%
- All our brochures are printed on paper from sustainable sources and sent in bio-degradable packaging
- We strive to reduce paper consumption and, what we do use, we recycle
- We recycle all our used laser printer and inkjet cartridges
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How you can help
By thinking about how you choose your holiday, and how you travel, you can reduce energy consumption and waste - whilst still enjoying your travels to the full.
With the ever growing awareness of our impact on the planet, many people are now looking into ways to reduce their carbon emissions or to offset their effects. In addition to alternative travel choices, we encourage our customers to offset the carbon emissions from their travel to help reduce environmental impact.
With the ever growing awareness of our impact on the planet, many people are now looking into ways to reduce their carbon emissions or
to offset their effects. Many of our European destinations can be reached by a combination of Eurostar and high-speed rail links (with lower
emissions than an equivalent flight) - and our sales team will be happy to provide you with a tailor-made quote for Eurostar/rail packages where
this is possible. However you choose to travel you can easily
calculate the carbon emissions for your journey and make a donation to offset their effects.
By thinking about how you choose your holiday, and how you travel, you can reduce energy consumption and waste - whilst still enjoying your travels to the full.
- Off-setting carbon emissions and flying carbon neutral has significant positive impacts on global warming - and it's easy to do!
- "Switch off" before leaving home for your holiday: turn down/off central heating and hot water systems; switch off all lights - using low energy bulbs in security lights; turn off appliances at the mains rather than leaving on stand-by
- Re-cycle your Headwater brochure after your holiday or pass it on to a friend
- Don't take litter on holiday with you: remove the packaging from clothing, toiletries, etc and recycle where possible
- Buying locally made products is a great way to get under the skin of the place you're visiting and also hugely benefits the local community
- Avoid buying any products made from endangered plants or wild animals
- In countries where bargaining is normal, do it with good humour, bearing in mind that a small cash saving to you could be a significant amount of money to the seller
- In your hotel(s), turn down/off the heating and air conditioning when not required; switch of lights when leaving a room, and turn the TV off rather than leaving on stand-by
- Try to use water sparingly. Take showers instead of baths and let hotel staff know if you're happy to re-use towels rather than having them replaced daily
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The Exodus Travel Foundation
Here at Headwater, and at our sister company Exodus Travels, we are all passionate about the power of travel to make a positive impact on the world around us. We work hard to make sure our adventures empower and protect the communities and environments we take people to visit and we are thrilled to support this goal further through the Exodus Travels Foundation.
To read more about the foundation, its goals and its projects click here.
