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Last updated on June 22nd, 2021
Whether they realize it or not, consumers wield the mighty power of the pen (or rather, keyboard). Product reviews on Amazon, business reviews on Yelp and accommodation reviews on Airbnb have strengthened the power of reviewers. Your voice gets to be heard by the public and business owners! And I think it’s the perfect place to respectfully encourage sustainable practices that would make you happier as a customer.
Two guidelines for encouraging sustainable practices within your reviews:
1. Don’t let lack thereof sustainable practice affect the number of stars you give. A hostel doesn’t deserve to lose stars for bad environmental practices if it didn’t advertise as an eco-destination. The purpose of this practice is to encourage sustainable practices, not to smear businesses.
It’s like my mother says about religion – you’re supposed to hand someone a Bible, not beat them over the head with it.
The exception to this is GREENWASHING – if a business misleads you or specifically gives a false impression of being an eco-destination and then doesn’t practice what they preach
2. To encourage sustainable practices, you must be encouraging! Which means celebrating the positive practices that you see.
It’s not very incentivising for business owners and companies to make changes if their current efforts are ignored. It’s also worth remembering that not everyone thinks about waste reduction.
The anatomy of a review that’s encouraging sustainable practices
Paragraph 1: Your normal review. Say what you have to say about the restaurant, Airbnb or product.
Paragraph 2, Part A: Praise what you see. I provide list of potential accolades for different businesses below.
Paragraph 2, Part B: Offer suggestions.
Have a question, comment or thought to add? Leave a comment at the bottom and I’ll reply right away 🙂
Copy/Paste This In Your Next Review To Encourage Sustainable Practices
1. Encouraging sustainable practices from a hostel, hotel or Airbnb
Look around! What efforts do you see being made? What waste has already been reduced or avoided? Here are some potential accolades to help get your wheels turning.
Potential Accolades
Energy/Waser Usage:
- motion activated lights
- blankets/fans available to reduce heating/air conditioning usage
- reduced flow toilet, shower head and tap
- compost toilet
- solar panels
- new towels provided only upon request
Landfill Contribution:
- no single-use toiletries
- potable water
- no single use products in the mini bar
- compost/recycle/landfill sorting
- paperless kitchen
Interaction With Local Community:
- reusable bottles, coffee cups and shopping bags available for take-away use
- bicycles available
- information on public transit provided
- charging station for electric cars
Copy/paste the following text to help encourage sustainable practices at hostels, hotels and Airbnbs:
A. General review of the accommodation.
B. I appreciate the steps the hotel/hostel/Airbnb took towards being more environmentally conscious, such as: [ list accolades ].
C. It would be fantastic if management would take further steps, such as [ suggestion ].
2. Restaurant, cafe or bar
Potential Accolades
Energy/Waser Usage:
- motion sensored lights
- hand blowers in bathroom
- reduce flow tap and toilets
- LEED certified (plaque on the wall)
Local Community:
- plant-based menu options
- locally sourced food (“farm-to-table”)
- sustainable meat sourcing (indicated on menu)
- charging station for electric cars
- not sustainability related, but bonus points for establishments with gender neutral bathrooms
Landfill Contribution:
- no single-use plates, cutlery, cups or napkins
- straws available upon request but provided with every drink
- compost/recycling/landfill waste system
- compostable take-go containers or charging for containers
Copy/paste the following text to help encourage sustainable practices at restaurants, bars and cafes:
A. General review of the restaurant.
B. I appreciate the steps the restaurant took towards being more environmentally conscious, such as: [ list accolades ].
C. It would be fantastic if management would take further steps, such as [ suggestion ].
3. Companies and product manufacturers
Potential accolades:
- plastic free packaging
- recyclable paper packaging
- compostable/biodegradable packaging
- minimalist package design
Copy/paste the following text to help encourage sustainable practices from businesses and retailers:
A. General review of the product.
B. I appreciate the steps the manufacturer took towards being more environmentally conscious, such as: [ list accolades ].
C. It would be fantastic if the manufacturer would take further steps, such as [ suggestion ].
Encouraging sustainable practices summary
I hope this blog post encourages you to feel empowered and show consumer demand for sustainable business practices. Have you ever written a business to encourage sustainable practices from them?
Last summer we did a rare hotel stay and I did exactly this with my review. It was not a hotel that sold itself to be eco-friendly but they had implements some good points – so I complimented them on this in my review and made another suggestion. I go some nice feedback, too, from the manager. But is I ever get greenwashed BEWARE – I will let everyone know about your shady practices in my review of you!!
Amazing that the manager actually responded!! That’s the dream, for it to reach to people who make the decisions.