Home The World's First Zero Waste Adventure

Natural Habitat Adventures will operate the World's First Zero Waste Adventure on the July 6-12, 2019 departure of Safari America: Yellowstone Country.

Goal

 

To divert 99 percent or more of all on-trip waste produced as a byproduct of Nat Hab-sponsored trip operations.*

•  Refuse  •  Recycle  •  Compost  •  Upcycle  •  Re-Use  •

At the end of the trip, the group should be able to fit all waste produced into a single small container.

Nat Hab will encourage this small group of eco-conscious travelers to focus on refusing potential waste (such as plastic straws and individually wrapped condiments) while minimizing the waste they do produce along the journey, including time spent in Nat Hab's North American Safari Trucks and lodges and camps throughout the Greater Yellowstone region.

* This does not include waste that involves personal hygiene items, poses safety risks, is legally required to be sent to a landfill, or results from guest actions outside of NHA’s control (pre-trip, en route, items of a personal nature, etc.). Nat Hab is working closely with its third-party providers on this initiative. Where waste is created as a part of a partner provider's service (such as third-party hotels), Nat Hab will be encouraging guests to avoid that waste by providing alternative options.

Why Zero Waste Travel?

Natural Habitat Adventures is committed to setting a new standard for the travel industry by proving that it is possible to operate a zero waste trip.

Our intention is to encourage and inspire our colleagues to adopt more sustainable tourism practices by demonstrating effective methods to reduce environmental impacts while providing outstanding guest experiences.

In addition to motivating other businesses to improve their own waste management practices, Nat Hab hopes to create an enduring ripple effect by inspiring travelers to make conscious choices in their everyday lives that contribute to the long-term health of the planet. Given that the average American produces 4.4 pounds of trash per day, there's plenty of room for improvement!

Next Steps

By dramatically reducing the waste generated on this specific trip departure, Nat Hab will learn valuable lessons we can apply across our other nature adventures in destinations worldwide.

This first zero waste adventure in July 2019 will be a catalyst for incremental changes that will gradually result in significant waste reduction across all Nat Hab trips.

Zero Waste Adventure in the News

• USA Today — Natural Habitat Adventures is making zero waste travel a reality
• Lonely Planet — One of the world's first zero waste travel adventures is here
• Travel Weekly — Sustainable travel pioneer embarks on zero-waste adventure
• Mic — The world’s first zero-waste trip—a wildlife safari in Yellowstone National Park
• Waste 360 — Nat Hab’s zero waste safari in Yellowstone marks industry first
• eco- — The World’s First Zero-Waste Adventure: Interview with Court Whelan