Our environmental policy arose from our desire to minimize the impact of our operations on the areas where we are based; from our tours to Patagonia to our adventure travel in Rapa Nui. From this starting point, we have made a commitment to responsible environmental management to ensure that the use we make of natural resources is sustainable and that we effectively manage the waste we generate.
In this area we have concentrated our efforts on reducing the volume of waste generated, particularly plastic and cardboard, through using sustainable alternatives and better management.
Each of our three lodges has a recycling center, where we separate out waste such as cardboard, PET plastic, glass and aluminum.
During 2008 we substantially reduced the amount of plastic we use by incorporating reusable water bottles into our explorations. We give these bottles to travelers at the end of their stay, so they will use less plastic on future journeys.
In addition, we carry out a range of waste management activities at each place where we operate.
At explora Atacama, we separate out organic waste for composting and we use the resulting humus as fertilizer for our crops. We promote recycling throughout the San Pedro de Atacama community, offering use of our waste treatment plant to several schools and hotels in the area.
From our Posada de Mike Rapu, our Rapa Nui Hotel, we periodically organize litter collection days to clean up the island's beaches.
