Why are hostels more sustainable than hotels?
Climate change, global warming, gas emissions, carbon footprint – these are the words that we started to hear more often in recent years. And we should! We need to remind ourselves about these problems and take action to make our home a better place. We believe that all of us can make a difference – by supporting sustainable brands, reusing and recycling, choosing an environmentally friendly diet, going to climate-conscious places, and many other day-to-day choices. Did you know that there is another very important choice we can make? Sustainable traveling! So, why are hostels more sustainable than hotels?, read on to find out.
Why choose to stay in hostels instead of hotels?
As with any other accommodation, hostels, and hotels also make carbon emissions from natural gas, electricity, and district heating. Surprisingly, a research study conducted by Bureau Veritas and Hostelword, shows that hostels produce 75% less carbon footprint than hotels.
The report says that the average carbon intensity per bed in hotels is 1.18 tCO₂e, while in hostels it is 0.30 tCO₂e. Regarding carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions, hostels are a more sustainable accommodation choice than hotels. The same applies to materials, water, waste, and other resources the use of which hostels also ensures in more eco-friendly way.
Why do hostels produce less emissions and require fewer resources?
You may wonder how one accommodation can produce more or less emissions than the other. The answer is – the number of guests per room and the number of rooms.
Hotels mostly have single or double rooms with private bathrooms, while hostel types of rooms can change from private rooms to 15+ dorm rooms.
For the same reasons, hostel resources are used in a more sustainable way. For instance, shared bathrooms and several private ones require very different amounts of materials. All common areas are used more efficiently. Another example would be water and lighting use for shared rooms is more optimal than for private rooms. Also, the waste from all the above-mentioned resources in hostels is relatively less.
Hostel ROOM in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Part of Europe’s Famous Hostels
Even if hotels sometimes may seem like a more comfortable choice, hostels always will be a more sustainable, cheap, and fun option. Here you can find a range of affordable and traveler-friendly hostels that offer many different activities. Have your best trip experience, while being eco-friendly!
If you are staying in a hostel you already made the right choice in terms of responsible traveling. Feels excellent to minimize the negative impact on our planet right?
Sustainable traveling with Eco-Wanderer
To make your trip even more environmentally friendly choose sustainable travel methods. Instead of a taxi try to use a metro or other public transport that the chosen destination has. Plus, usually, these types of transportation will be more appealing to your bank account.
We also recommend traveling by train or bus instead of plane. That way you can reduce your carbon footprint and can get discounts while booking through our website. That way we hope to motivate travelers to create greener tourism together. We developed an online calculator app that enables users to calculate their carbon emissions generated while traveling from one destination to another, comparing the offsets between traveling by train, bus, or plane. Based on the amount saved, our visitors receive a direct discount on the price of their stay at one of our hostels. Learn more about the Eco-Wanderer campaign and calculate the discount you can get here.
If you want to explore more about sustainable traveling we also have Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels – follow us there to not miss the latest information and plan your best trip.
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