Do you know what happens when all human beings have to stay home for longer than usual? As the cities and streets continue to be empty, we look out the window and see that nature is slowly healing.
Due to the pandemic that has spread across the globe, forcing humans to abandon the streets in order to stop the spread, animals that were dismissed to areas far from cities have dared to approach, perhaps because of curiosity, maybe because of hunger, possibly just because why not, or perhaps it is because they miss their old home. Whatever the reason, there are more and more news reports of sightings of wild animals in urban areas, outlining a representation of the impact that man has on the health of the planet.
The current health crisis can be equated with an issue that we have dealt with for decades that we have postponed and minimized at every opportunity, climate change. During the pandemic, measures have been taken to stop the exponential growth of infections that would immerse health systems and cause a high mortality rate, while on a more extended time scale, the excessive consumption of resources and the uncontrollable release of emissions into the environment. We, as humans, have exceeded the planet’s recovery capacity, which could eventually lead to environmental catastrophe, something that we are not prepared for.
It is time to become aware of the footprint we are leaving and the actions we must take with a view for a sustainable future. With this in mind, over the past few years in Sandos Hotels & Resorts, we have implemented various actions that help us decrease the environmental impact of the tourism industry with the aim of causing an echo in society through our visitors. These are just a few of the things that we do:
- Reduction of single-use plastics. No straws or plastic bottles are provided within our facilities, and water dispensers have been installed in strategic locations to replace them.
- Inside our kitchens, the oil is recycled according to current sanitary regulations.
- We participate in garbage recycling programs, causing a considerable decrease in waste disposal.
- We love animals. We have created animal rescue programs to shelter and take care of them. Also, we have partnered with different animal shelters to support them in their work. In addition, we participate in state protection programs for sea turtles that nest on our beaches.
- We take care of the flora of the regions by relocating trees instead of cutting them down, and we encourage our visitors to participate in programs to learn how to plant a tree during their stay (exclusive program by Sandos Caracol).
- We seek to inspire society by participating in movements such as Climate Strike during their stay by delivering their environmental charter and in their daily lives through our eco-tips.
This week is 50 years since the first #EarthDay, when we began to address a problem that can only be solved together, can we count on you to make the difference we all need?