Travel Green List 2024: Transport and other projects making a difference

Killarney Coffee Cup Project

Dismayed by the deluge of single-use coffee cups littering Killarney National Park, locals acted to tackle the problem. In summer 2023, the Killarney Coffee Cup Project was launched – a landmark initiative involving 25 independent coffee shops and 21 hotels working to create a lower-waste system. Residents and tourists alike now can enjoy takeaway drinks without the guilt thanks to a pioneering collaboration with 2GoCup. For a €2 deposit, you can get your drink served in a reusable cup, to be returned to any participating coffee shop. Just a year in, the initiative has kept more than 506,000 single-use cups from going to landfill or being discarded in the national park. Inspiringly, the project’s leaders are now working to spread the program across Ireland, starting in West Cork, Tullamore and parts of Wicklow.

More information: 2gocup.ie

The story of climate change is often told in a global context – a scale that can be hard to comprehend and easy to ignore. That’s not the case at The Wild Center, a science museum and accessible outdoor adventure hub in a little-known spot: a small, working-class town in Adirondack Park – a 2.4-million-hectare wilderness around 400km north of New York City. Here, the problem is explored in a more immediate, local context in terms of both impact and achievable solutions – an approach exemplified in its new interactive Climate Solutions Exhibit. Built with recycled and repurposed materials, the exhibit highlights the successes of local regenerative farming practices, building renovations and indigenous seed-saving techniques among dozens of other inspiring stories. Working with local indigenous artists and organisations, the Center has also reinterpreted some long-standing displays to decolonise the presentation of science, giving native perspectives a much-deserved platform.

More information: wildcenter.org; wildclimatesolutions.com

Flixbus – 100% electric route

In June 2024, Flixbus will wrap up its pilot of the first 100% electric long-distance coach service in England and Wales, carrying travellers between London, Bristol and Newport (South Wales) on a 46-seat, wheelchair-accessible coach. On this route, the fully electric coach will save 352kg of carbon emissions per day compared with the average diesel-fuelled coach – also slashing emissions of other air pollutants, of course – making coach travel, already a much more sustainable choice than cars or flying, greener
still. We hope that this fully electric route will become permanent – and that it will be followed by many more.

More information: flixbus.co.uk

The world’s first net-positive energy botanical garden complex opened in January 2024 in a historic, white-columned house on Florida’s coast on the Gulf of Mexico. This cutting-edge upgrade comes as the Marie Selby – one of the most biodiverse botanical gardens in the world, dedicated to the display and study of tropical plants – celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The new complex, part of an ambitious Campus Master Plan, includes a storm-water management system to clean millions of litres of water each year, a 4,600-square-metre solar array, and a hurricane-resilient structure to safeguard irreplaceable scientific resources – at the same time giving the public insights into once-secret research.

Even the on-campus restaurant was no afterthought. The Green Orchid will be the world’s first net-positive energy restaurant. It also features a rooftop garden yielding fresh produce, planned, planted and maintained by Operation EcoVets, a non-profit providing personal, educational and professional growth opportunities for service veterans.

Jennifer O Rominiecki, president and CEO of the botanical gardens, remarked on the anniversary: “What better way to celebrate the last 50 years than by putting in the necessary infrastructure for the next 50?” We couldn’t agree more.

More information: selby.org

British Airways

Decarbonising aviation presents a huge challenge – but one that aerospace engineers believe can be overcome. Hence British Airways has invested in numerous projects to develop Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technologies, which will be crucial if long-haul flights are to be made sustainable. In 2022, BA was the first airline to use SAF produced on a commercial scale in the UK, made from used cooking oil and piped to Heathrow Airport. Supply of cooking oil is limited, though, so BA is supporting development of SAF production using other sources including forestry and orchard waste. The airline recently secured its first supply of e-SAF – synthetic jet fuel made from CO2, water and renewable energy – which could power aircraft as soon as 2025. This next-generation fuel could reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared with conventional jet fuel. BA used 50,000 tonnes of SAF in 2023 – a fivefold increase on 2022. Although only 1% of their total fuel usage, this augurs the kind of meaningful progress that we want to see across the industry.

River Shannon boat hire – Ireland

The boat hire fleet on the Shannon, Ireland’s longest river, is transitioning to sustainable hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel in place of diesel, reducing CO2 emissions by 92%. Out of a total of 217 boats, 142 (from Carrickcraft and Silverline Cruisers) have already switched in time for the 2024 spring season, and the rest are expected to follow suit in the near future. The new fuel comes from a refinery in Finland with certification demonstrating that the source is used cooking oil, not palm oil. The Irish Boat Rental Association has also had the fuel independently analysed for water contamination, confirming that it burns cleaner than – and is a suitable replacement fuel for – existing engines, without any modifications. As well as eliminating most carbon emissions, this important change makes hiring a cruise boat on the Shannon a healthier, more pleasant experience – unlike diesel-powered boats, HVO-fuelled vessels produce virtually no nitrogen oxide or particulate emissions, helping keep the Emerald Isle green.

This not-for-profit social enterprise, founded by a female hotelier with a strong track record in sustainability (see our Green Sleeps section for Latin America), currently collects and recycles about 3% of the glass from businesses in Cartagena’s historic centre – but that figure is about to soar.

Over the past year, Green Apple Foundation has raised funds to build an industrial-scale recycling complex that will enable the operator to process 30% to 50% of the district’s glass, diverting up to 200 tonnes of waste that would otherwise go to landfill each month.

Cutting-edge technology will pulverise the glass using vibrations and kinetic energy instead of sharp blades, making smoother, rounder glass sand, and resulting in a more efficient and sustainable system.

Crushing glass isn’t all Green Apple does. Since 2018, it’s worked with a small group of female artisans in a nearby village who craft glassware, lamps and souvenirs from discarded bottles. Participants also learn product design, budgeting and marketing. In 2023, Green Apple opened a permanent workshop.

More information: greenapplecartagena.com

The Long Run

This membership community of nature-based tourism businesses is at the front line of conservation. The Long Run focuses on excellence in sustainability built around a framework of 4C’s – Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce. Members – including ecolodges, safari camps and private reserves – work towards certification as Global Ecosphere Retreats, one of the most rigorous sustainability standards in the tourism industry; many have already achieved this goal. Collectively, the members claim to conserve well over 9 million hectares of biodiverse habitat, and improve the lives of 750,000 local people. The network also includes partners such as tour operators and travel agents that support and promote members’ work.

More information: thelongrun.org

Not your average mountain outfitter, Cirkel delivers skiwear straight to accommodation in the Swiss Alps. Just choose your outfit online and it’ll be waiting for you in your chalet – and it’ll then be collected after you check out. Analysis of the company’s first seasons showed that this rental model resulted in a 76% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the more-usual process – ski holidaymakers buying clothing that’s then used only once or twice a year. Enabling more people to enjoy using fewer products isn’t the end of Cirkel’s sustainability efforts. It sources high-quality items from responsible brands – no fast fashion. It uses reusable packaging and a local delivery company that uses train transport between hubs and, where possible, electric vehicles for the last leg. Cirkel also carefully repairs damaged items, ensuring that they’re available to rent and use for as long as possible – and then resells them second-hand to complete the virtuous circle.

More information: cirkelsupply.com

Tomorrow’s Air

This organisation enables travellers to fund innovative solutions to the pressing problem of climate change through recurring donations that are decoupled from emissions measurement. This isn’t another way to offset for your own flight; instead, it’s a way to buy sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for a flight that will take off tomorrow, or fund the development of new kinds of carbon-removal technology. Though some existing carbon-removal technologies can store CO2 permanently or reduce emissions directly, their relatively high cost deters investment, which keeps the cost high – and so on. Find a directory of tour company partners and members discounts online.

More information: tomorrowsair.com