Happy Earth Day

Cathedral thinking, a concept that originated from the medieval era when great cathedrals were constructed, revolves around the idea of using long-term planning, patience, and collaboration to achieve a grand vision. It is a mindset that focuses on creating something extraordinary, which often takes generations to complete. A big part of our company’s mission involves cathedral thinking.

This Earth Day, and most days really, given everything that’s happening around us, it’s difficult not to project generations into the future to wonder how our action or inaction today might affect younger generations. 

How does this translate into the daily business of vacation rentals?

As a boutique short-term rental management business we partner with second home owners in Muskoka to offer guest stays that are fun, relaxing, clean, comfortable, safe, eco-friendly and community-minded. That long phrase is our klunky way of describing sustainable vacation rentals. And that’s how your ‘Air BnB’ helps take care of things for future generations.

(Side note: it’s not an Air BnB. It’s a short-term vacation rental. It’s your business to run, not solely limited to Air BnB bookings.)

Any business existing in 2024 should have a plan for being responsible to people, to communities and to the planet. A NEW business launching today has no excuse for not factoring in sustainability. 

“When I think of making my vacation home ‘sustainable’ I see $ signs and worry about the expense.”

That’s where the myth comes in. We wondered about that too, until we researched it and discovered the truth is exactly the opposite. 

If you’ve bought a cottage in Muskoka and are considering welcoming travellers into it but are short on available funds after the purchase, here are things you can do right away that are easy and inexpensive.

Quick and Easy Steps to Immediate Benefits

• Install LED lightbulbs – they use way less energy and last so much longer
• Make sure your toilets are dual flush (Can’t afford new toilets? No problem. Put a regular house brick into your toilet bowl to offset the amount of water used per flush.)
• Contact your hydro provider and ask if there’s an option to switch to renewable energy
• TP, tissues and paper towels – switch to buying brands made from recycled paper
  (Here are a couple of resources for where to find these products in Canada:
  www.urollup.com and www.cascadesflufftuff.com)
• No single use plastics on site 
• Provide re-usable shopping bags and/or baskets at the door for guests to use during their stay
• Provide shampoo and shower gel that’s free of microplastics (use the BTMB app to scan ingredients)
• Attach a “Flow Restrictor” to your shower head and save 30 litres of water per shower.
• Make garbage disposal smart and a no-brainer for guests
  • Recycling – in Muskoka we can put all recyclables into 1 bin so that’s easy
  • Compostables – Muskoka residents are provided with a green bin for collecting kitchen compostable items. It can be put out on collection day with your garbage or have the cleaning team remove it
  • Garbage – use a container that is NOT larger than the recycling bin. This signals to guests that trash is not king and encourages them to use the bin with discretion. 
  • Amazon has some terrific and moderately-priced options for waste organisation if you search “3 compartment garbage bin”
  • District of Muskoka Waste Disposal Info

Adopting the practices above for items you have to have and buy anyway doesn’t add to your monthly costs and sets you well on your way to offering a sustainable space to guests. 

The idea is not to try to preach to guests about sustainability while they’re trying to enjoy their vacation. Quite the opposite. You’re setting up your space to be comfortable, usable and easy for them to have a great experience in. And by making the eco-friendly portion of the stay a natural part of their experience, they don’t have to think about how to do it, they can just see the example you’re providing. They experience Muskoka and they see how easy it is to lessen their impact on it. 

For cottages we manage, $1 per Night per Stay is donated directly back to local community causes in Muskoka. We note this directly in the digital and hard copy guest guide each guest receives. 

What does this actually do?

As a cottage owner you’ve made some quick and easy changes to your space to make it use less energy, less plastic waste and provide smarter, intuitive garbage organization. Guests you’re hosting feel good about how they’re vacationing and they’re aware that their stay directly positively impacts the local community, without them having to do anything at all.

Maybe the travellers even take some of your examples and implement them in their own daily lives.

Cathedral thinking? I think so. 

You’re really just leading by example to create change. Impacts felt from these small, easy actions are both immediate and long-term and the ROI of your home increases with each step.

Sure there are bigger changes to the cottage that can make even more significant impact and specifically attract travellers searching for eco-friendly vacation homes. But save those for when you’re renovating or your budget allows for it. There’s no need to do everything at once.

All you need to take on this Earth Day are a few small steps in the right direction. It’ll feel good.

Let’s connect…

Learn more about how Eco-Travel is quickly trending upwards.

Ask us how you can become a responsible vacation rental host.

To learn more about how a sustainability travel badge can help your vacation rental reach the travellers you’re targeting, visit Sustonica.com.