Why Use Eco-Friendly Alternatives?
Going green is the new black.
Since travelers are environmentally conscious, it’s smart to update your vacation rental with some eco-friendly alternatives. Ecotourism accounts for over $200 billion U.S. dollars in the global sustainability market for Airbnb as of 2023. Making eco-friendly products a worthwhile addition to any vacation rental.
Guests want to feel good about their stay. Upgrading your Airbnb as eco-friendly is a great way to ensure that guests are getting the best outcome from their vacation. The following are additional reasons to provide eco-friendly alternatives.
Better for the Planet
Reduce the amount of waste your Airbnb produces through eco-friendly alternatives in your home. Make the switch on common products to benefit the environment.
Becoming eco-friendly in your vacation rental aids in decreasing your carbon footprint. This is your total consumption of non-biodegradable products. Ensure better air quality, protection of the environment, and more by including sustainable alternatives in your property.
Cost-Effective
Although it may seem expensive, there are many simple and affordable changes you can make to your vacation rental.
Use reusable towels and avoid single-use toiletries to significantly save money on supply costs. Therefore, not only will you be helping the environment, but you’ll also be saving money as an Airbnb host.
Elevates Your Airbnb Listing
Many short-term rental guests are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint during their travels. Marketing your Airbnb as ‘green’ can attract like-minded guests to stay at your home.
Due to the high market share, there is a want for eco-friendly vacation rentals. Use environmentally responsible alternatives to expand your target market and increase your brand awareness. The more you can provide consumers with their wants and needs, the higher chance you have of increasing your revenue.
An Airbnb listing that fits your guests’ preferences is always the better option. Offer eco-friendly alternatives to aid in elevating your vacation rental listing and attracting more bookings.
Best Eco-Friendly Product Swaps
The quality of your hospitality is what will increase your reviews. Guests that feel like hosts have gone above and beyond are more likely to recommend your vacation rental. Supplying eco-friendly products can be an easy and simple way to impress your guests.
Reusable Towels
Hand towels for both the kitchen and bathroom are a great way to go green in your vacation rental. Instead of providing traditional paper towel rolls for your guests, opt for reusable ones. Paper towels can be a recurring cost. However, reusable towels can consistently pick up messes at a lower cost.
The top reusable towels for a vacation rental:
- Hammam Linen White Turkish Cotton: These hand towels are great for any Airbnb bathroom setting. They are soft and have quality absorbent materials. The four-pack also comes in a wide variety of colors to satisfy any host who has a need for accent colors.
- Softolle: If you’re looking for a luxury product, Softolle towels are a perfect choice. They are 100% pure cotton, breathable, and multi-purposeful.
- Bioweaves: This six-piece reusable towel set is a great choice for hosts who want a durable, comfortable, and familiar product. They also have a textured design to add style to your towels.
Reusable towels need to be white. Stains are easier to notice and remove if the towel is white. Bleaching colored towels can cause white blotches and deteriorate the colored fibers. This can make your vacation rental appear unkempt.
To manage your reusable towels, create a laundry system. You can ask guests to place used towels in a specific bin or hamper after each stay. If you do not want to do the laundry, hire a cleaning service.
Reusable Kitchen Food Containers
For travelers who are especially cautious of their food waste include reusable, glass food containers for them to use. This is one way to eliminate single-use plastics and aluminum foil, which sustainable guests will appreciate. This will also save you money in the long term by reusing quality containers instead of purchasing new materials regularly.
Everyday Cleaning Products and Supplies
Guests notice the finer details of your vacation rental. Keeping your property regularly cleaned with eco-friendly products will have your listing stand out.
Products such as sponges, trash bags, and more can all be found in eco-friendly forms. For example, there are compostable trash bags instead of traditional plastic ones. Having eco-friendly cleaning products and supplies ready for guests to use to pick up their minor messes is always an excellent final touch.
Eco-friendly everyday cleaning products to stock:
- Branch Basics: From dishwasher pods to kitchen hand soap, this environmentally sustainable company offers high-quality organic products. Even the packaging of their products is biodegradable and clearly labeled as eco-friendly so your guests are aware of your efforts.
- Ecos: These cleaning products and supplies are plant-based. They offer a variety of subtle scents to leave dishes, countertops, and more smelling fresh.
- Blueland: These refillable home cleaning essentials are great for hosts who want a simple product. The refills of products are affordable and high quality.
Bathroom Essentials
A personal and extra touch to your vacation rental would be to provide sustainable bathroom essentials. When looking for eco-friendly bathroom products, remember to stick to general needs. Options including specific needs may become more of a hassle than necessary. Most guests pack bathroom essentials but offering eco-friendly alternatives may make your guests’ experience better.
Shampoo and Conditioner
Rather than having parabens and sulfates which are usually found in traditional soaps, offer shampoo and conditioner that has non-toxic ingredients. The best part is that many of the available options are very inexpensive.
Eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner bars are cost-effective and easy to restock. Offer this as an Airbnb amenity for your bathroom to elevate your listing. Encourage guests to use your shampoo and conditioner bars by leaving a note card explaining their importance to your mission of being sustainable. Shampoo and conditioner bars help to eliminate the consistent waste that traditional bottles create. Their packaging is always bio-degradable and the product itself is natural.
Shampoo and conditioner bars to have in your Airbnb:
- Lush: This well-known high-end and affordable brand will wow your guests. Their brand is focused on being sustainable. All shampoo and conditioner bars come with a reusable tin container that helps to store the product as well.
- Wave by Clever Yoga: These shampoo and conditioner bars are extra nourishing. They come in two fragrances of Argan Oil or Eucalyptus.
- Public Goods: This shampoo bar is great for any hair type. Its unisex shampoo formula leaves hair soft and shiny.
Body Wash
Another bathroom essential guests may bring with them is body wash. However, you can still provide an eco-friendly alternative for them to use during their stay.
Top sustainable body washes to provide in your vacation rental:
- UpCircle: These affordable and high-quality body wash bars are a great addition to your bathroom. They’re made from natural ingredients and their packaging is waste-free.
- Bathing Culture: This refillable body wash is made with natural ingredients like shea, and aloe, and scented with essential oils. They promise roughly 80 showers with just a single bottle.
- Plaine Products: All Plaine Products are made using plant-based ingredients, are sulfate and paraben free, and are designed to biodegrade. They are also refillable containers that you can send back to the company to ensure zero waste.
Bar soap is an additional alternative to liquid soap. It is easier to restock and has a longer shelf-life than liquid soap. The packaging is also simple and a one-time use that is biodegradable.
Hand Soap
In addition, providing guests with sustainable hand soap may aid in boosting reviews. Guests expect hosts to provide hand soap. Offer an eco-friendly alternative to show your guests that you not only care about using top products but their health as well.
The best green hand soaps for an Airbnb:
- Soapply: This eco-friendly and refillable hand soap comes in a regular subscription or a single purchase. Their site is very transparent in what ingredients they put in their products. And, the packaging is made from recycled glass.
- Aspen Kay: These hand bar soaps come in a variety of scents derived from all organic ingredients and natural fragrances.
- Method: Method is an easily accessible product. You can either purchase them through Amazon or a Target near you. Their products are made from 100% recycled materials and are cruelty-free.
Environmentally Friendly Laundry Products
Another element of your vacation rental that could potentially benefit from sustainable alternatives is your laundry. Bedding, detergents and more can quickly become a factor that decreases customer satisfaction.
Bedding
Another simple and budget-friendly way to be more sustainable in your Airbnb would be to use natural bedding and sheets. Choosing organic fabrics can help you avoid pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals that are harmful to guests and the environment.
There are many additional benefits to using organic bedding. For example, it is higher in quality and hypoallergenic and is more cost-effective in the long run. It can also provide a more luxurious experience for your guests.
Top sustainable bedding brands to utilize in your vacation rental
- Cozy Earth: Luxury bedding that is high-quality and made with viscose from bamboo. Ensuring that the bedding is soft and breathable for guests.
- Under the Canopy: All bedding starts at $88. They offer alternative comforters and duvets and sheet sets. Their products come in a wide variety of colors and are free of toxic dyes.
- Pact: These affordable yet higher-end bedding options are 100% organic cotton. Choose from sateen, crisp percale, and more for your guests to sleep on.
Detergent
More often than not, hosts will not be performing laundry. A professional Airbnb cleaner will handle washing your towels and linens. Turno has already covered the top laundry products for cleaners that are always a good choice to have readily available. Hosts can request that their cleaners use the sustainable or allergy-friendly products recommended in our previous article.
Make Your Vacation Rental Energy-Efficient
Ready to open your vacation rental to ecotourists to expand your business?
A sustainable Airbnb isn’t only reliant on eco-friendly alternatives. Scale your property alone by having it be energy efficient.
Remind Guests to Unplug Devices When Not in Use
Half of the energy used by mobile phones comes from chargers that are plugged in when they’re not being used.
When informing guests of house rules, make sure to include a section on how to help keep your Airbnb energy efficient. Provide an explanation of how taking the extra step to unplug will benefit the planet in the long run. Guests that are environmentally conscious appreciate a small detail like this.
Adjust Your Water Heater
While the standard temperature for a water heater is 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), lowering it to 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit (48-54 degrees Celsius) will help save energy and costs on your gas or electric bill. This is a simple and effective way to have your Airbnb become energy efficient.
Install Smart Thermostats With Automated Controllers
Smart thermostats are easy to install within your Airbnb. Wifi-enabled thermostats allow you to regulate the temperature based on guests’ arrivals and departures. This leaves your energy-saving efforts completely within your control.
Conserve Water
Since water is one of the most important natural resources, encourage your guests to conserve water when possible. Leave a sign for your guests to shorten their shower length or turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth. You can also install low-flow faucets that reduce water use. Reducing water usage will also save you money on your water bill.
Having a Recycle Bin Available
Designated recycling bins for your guests are an effective way to encourage sustainability in your Airbnb. Having different bins for paper, plastic, and cans makes it clear for your guests to dispose of their waste. Guests feel more inclined to recycle when there are clear labels for where waste goes. Just one bin for all waste won’t aid in your efforts to be more sustainable.
Scale Your Vacation Rental
Implementing eco-friendly products and services in your Airbnb will not only help the planet but can also cut down costs and elevate your home.
Hire a cleaner to manage your sustainable product inventory and property cleanliness. Find a cleaner through the Turno Host App.
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