For a sustainable Nepal
Nepal is a beautiful and breathtaking country! You will never get enough of Nepal, once here, you will always feel the urge to return. Please do not make it impossible for our future generation. Please do not harm the beautiful nature.
The whole team of Adventure Alternative Nepal does its best to act sustainably. We would be grateful if you do too.
Therefore please carefully read trough our responsible travel tips:
Fly Wisely: Travel by air is usually the most energy-consuming part of any trip. Minimise air travel by taking direct flights, reducing the number of short trips, staying longer in one destination or by choosing a carbon efficient carrier.
Travel Lightly: Pack only the essentials, and don't bring things that will become waste. Terracurve states that 7,537 tonnes of carbon dioxide would be averted from going into the atmosphere each year if travellers reduced their luggage by 25%.
Book Responsibly: Choose service providers that have strong sustainability practices. Look for information on the company's commitment to the environment, the local community and economy.
Unplug before You Leave: Turn off lights and unplug household appliances before you leave. Appliances drain energy even when they aren’t on!
Unplug while you’re there: When you leave the room, turn off the heating, air-conditioning, lights or any other electric devices.
Choose Greener Transportation: Using alternative modes of transportation is a far more sustainable way to travel and will allow you to get to know the local culture.
Source Locally: Support the local economy by buying locally made crafts, sourcing local ingredients and dining at local eateries, thus reducing demand for imported goods.
Manage Water Responsibly: Keep your showers short; don’t let the water run whilst you brush your teeth, shave or wash; avoid excessive flushing of the toilet; use the minimum amount of water necessary for cooking and cleaning; and if possible, opt out of having your towels and bed linen washed every day.
Charge Sustainably: A portable battery charger and rechargeable batteries will save you costs in the long-run whilst also helping to prevent acid and toxic minerals being disposed of in harmful ways. Rechargeable batteries can be used for a number of essential travel items such as cameras, torches and razors.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint: Contribute to a credible carbon offsetting programme. Adventure Alternative Nepal supports the scheme run through our charity, Moving Mountains.
Waste Management in Nepal
Due to urbanization, development and expansion of trade and commerce, waste management has become a critical issue in Kathmandu and all over Nepal's mountains. Waste disposal in developing countries is still largely uncontrolled, and vast quantities of waste remain uncollected. You can read the Waste Management Rules for climbers and expedition groups in Khumbu
Waste management policy for mountainers
All expeditions pay a $4000 deposit which is lost if any non-biodegradable waste is left on the mountain.
Rubbish is split into three categories:
Recyclable goods are brought to the prescribed recycling facility in Kathmandu.
Disposable items are brought off the mountain and deposited in front of the relevant authority.
Re-exportable items are sent from Nepal to their respective country of origin
The Liaison Officer and the region’s village leader collaborate to enforce these procedures.
Since 1994, Sherpas have been compensated for every discarded oxygen bottle that they bring down from the mountain.
Glass bottles have been banned on the mountain since 1998.
Water Management
We try to avoid bottled water wherever possible, and encourage our clients to do the same. We do not bring bottled water on mountains due to waste; all water comes from rivers and glacial streams. Buy a Nalgene water bottle in prior your holidays / trekking and the staff will fill your water bottles every evening. The British Mountaineering Council estimated that over 200,000 bottles were discarded by tourists last year in Nepal’s Annapurna region alone.
Moreover Plastic isn't just bad for the planet. It’s not good for you, either! Bottled water companies increasingly use BPA-free plastic, but laced into plastic bottles are other chemicals that can seep out if bottles are exposed to heat or sit around for a long time. Some of these chemicals are possible endocrine disruptors. No one knows for sure what the health outcomes are. Do you really want your body to undergo that experiment?
So why don't you go and get a nice, durable and re-usable BPA-free bottle or even better a stainless steel bottle in whatever size, colour and design you like!?
Filtered water is available in some of the Nepal guesthouses – a cheaper alternative to bottled water. If filtered water is not available, the best option is to order boiled water from the lodge kitchen to fill your water bottle in the evening. Please note that cheap water bottles easily split when filled with hot water! The other option is to use iodine drops (known as Lugols solution in Nepal and available in supermarkets) or a solution called Aquaprove.
Further, please turn off the water during you brush your teeth and take short showers.
Adventure Alternative and the sustainable tourism
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