Earth Day 2021: Day in the Life of a Guilt free Vacation at Caribbean’s Only Carbon Neutral Resort
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is proving that a weeklong vacation at its Eagle Beach property is exponentially healthier for the planet than even staying at home for one week. In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 2021, the resort is removing the mystery of how carbon neutrality delivers a guiltfree, fulfilling vacation. Earth Day is the world’s most celebrated civic holiday with one billion people from 192 countries participating in it. Bucuti & Tara is providing five days of opportunities for guests to join in the celebration of this year’s theme, Restore Our EarthTM.
“Guests should expect hoteliers to not only think of every detail of a memorable vacation, but to also think of the safety and sustainability behind every detail so their stay is happy, healthy and guiltfree, not just here at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, but at every hotel worldwide” shares Ewald Biemans, Owner/CEO of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort and award-winning environmentalist.
Be an environmental champion while on vacation
How does sustainability look different than traditional vacationing or even traditional living at home? Bucuti & Tara shares a glimpse revealing it does not require sacrificing any component of a sophisticated vacation experience.
Sophisticated, sustainable facilities
Built to elite LEED® Gold standards, all accommodation is sleekly designed from sustainable and often repurposed construction materials that are safe and non-toxic. With the resort’s tropical location, air-conditioning is in demand. By using a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air-conditioning system versus conventional central air, air-conditioning is activated only where needed and sensors power it down if balcony doors are left open or rooms aren’t occupied.
Sourcing artwork and entertainment locally keeps it not only Earth-friendly, but also community friendly. Resort artwork is proudly procured on the island. Aruba’s internationally acclaimed artist Elisa LeJuez’s signature, colorful compositions provoke deep thinking and inspire moods as featured globally by The New York Times, Time Magazine and National Geographic Traveler.
Paperless.
Guests arrive to a completely paperless, touch-free check-in and depart with a digital receipt. Napkins are cloth, cleaning towels replace paper towels, menus are on tablets or via QR code on mobile devices, and there are no paper coffee cups or single-use place settings. On its way to being 100% paperless, Bucuti & Tara’s latest sustainability initiative is helping to propel the resort to carbon negative status.
Renewable energy.
According to the EPA, energy and heating contribute 25% to global emissions. Bucuti & Tara draws 25% of its power from island wind and solar farms plus it produces another 20% of its own power from its private solar panels. For example, powering a resort accommodation only generates 15 pounds of CO2 emissions per room night versus traditional fossil fuel-only electricity generating 21 pounds of CO2 emissions.
Clean cleaning.
The resort’s use of safe, green cleaning chemicals means staff and guests are never exposed to harsh, toxic chemicals. As part of Bucuti & Tara’s COVID-19 safety protocols, rooms are triple sanitized with the addition of ionizer and UVC germicidal lamps to completely kill germs, viruses and bacteria. The result is every accommodation is cleaned to the same sanitation level as an operating room.
Sheets and towels laundered use a double-up process that eliminates the amount of water usage and with an ozone injection, the drying time is decreased by 33%.
Bulk, streamlined purchasing.
Instead of society’s current online purchasing mentality resulting in multiple shipments from one order, bulk purchases and whenever possible, local purchasing prevail. For example, guests enjoy locally made products such as Aruba Aloe toiletries. By eliminating travel-size toiletries and providing refillable shampoo, conditioner and soap dispensers in bathrooms, annually 91,000 single-use plastic toiletry bottles are never used and therefore never produced, transported or thrown away.
Dining.
Dining is another highly efficient experience that satiates guests at the Caribbean’s No. 1 Restaurant (USA TODAY, 2020) while caring for the planet. Resort guests can start the day sipping fair-trade, safely procured coffee with a net-zero carbon footprint plus sourcing that follows a completely sustainable supply chain.
Approximately 33% of the world’s food is wasted whether it is at home, at a restaurant, hotel or an event. In 2016 Bucuti & Tara reduced food waste by 30% followed by another 30% after the resort partnered with the World Wildlife Fund. Any leftovers are given to farmers for livestock.
With the growing demand for plant-based dining, guests have a wide selection of innovative options other than traditional proteins, helping to decrease the demand for animal agriculture, which produces 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gases. A plant-based burger has an 89% smaller carbon footprint than the classic traditional beef burger. Where food procured is as important as how healthy the food itself is. Locally sourced microgreens leave a miniscule transportation footprint of 0.0003 pounds CO2e versus 2.2 pounds CO2e per head of lettuce from California. Procuring lionfish from Aruba’s fishermen results in a mouthwatering ceviche while removing the invasive menace from local waters. The recently revived Authentic Aruban and Caribbean lunch buffet includes traditional local dishes prepared with local ingredients – something guests can only enjoy on the island. Food is cooked using induction burners, which deliver 80 - 90% heat to the pan. In comparison, gas stoves convert a mere 38 percent of the fuel’s energy while electrical stoves can only convert 70 percent, which extends the cooking process and places more demands on electricity or gas that creates more heat and more air-conditioning in the kitchen.
By using refillable keepsake water canteens provided to every guest at check-in, this initiative keeps approximately 290,000 single-use water bottles from ever being sent to landfill at the island. Plus, Bucuti & Tara has banned single-use plastic and Styrofoam for more than 20 years, an initiative adopted in recent years island-wide by Aruba. As a bonus, with the island’s own water being rated as of the highest quality according to the World Health Organization, there is never a need to source it from places such as Fuji.
Staying fit.
Guests can hit the Fitness Centre for a workout on Bucuti & Tara’s advanced bicycles and treadmills that convert calories to kilowatts. The sophisticated, globally connected fitness equipment harness human power to generate electricity with 74% being delivered directly into the resort’s power grid. Bucuti & Tara’s SportsArt equipment can generate up to 250 watt per hour whereas a conventional treadmill will utilize up to 200 watts per hour.
Smart water use.
Sophisticated bathrooms include the guest-favorite television built in vanity mirrors as well as low-flow faucets and fixtures. Opting for low flow devices reduces water use from 4.5 gallons per minute to just 1.8 gallons. Hot water is powered by dedicated rooftop solar panels, which harness Aruba’s abundant sunshine, and not fossil fuels.
Hitting pause on flight shaming
While flight shaming has been a recurring topic, people are often surprised to learn that a fly vacation is much more environmentally friendly than a drive getaway. A recent CNN story revealed that air travel accounts for just 9% of transportation emissions versus 59% from light vehicles.
For simplicity’s sake, flying nonstop from New York to Aruba for a one-week vacation has total carbon emissions of 1043.20 kg. Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s passenger vehicle emissions calculations, the equivalent automobile vacation has total carbon emissions over three times that amount at 3305.23 kg. Therefore, the benefit of flying with a few hundred people plus the net-zero carbon footprint at Bucuti & Tara far outweighs the average American household’s two-person road trip.
Earth Day activities
The carbon-neutral resort is planning a multiday celebration for guests and staff for Earth Day 2021. Activities are subject to change.
April 20: Tree planting. Guests can join in a special tree planting project with the resort’s island effort, Let’s Plant Aruba.
April 21: Bagless Beach clean-up. Just like its monthly clean-ups, staff and guests are invited to join together to keep Eagle Beach pristine and marine life safe from debris.
April 22: Recycled art contest. Guests can vote on resort staff members’ art projects created from recycled goods.
April 23: Sunrise Yoga. This special Bucuti & Tara-led sunrise yoga session outside of the famed, newly remodeled California Lighthouse pairs specific yoga moves with sights whilst taking in the 360 degree-view.
April 24: Movie Under the Stars. Featuring The Long Shot, the environmental plot of this romantic comedy will have guests snuggling up together in beachside loungers under the night sky.
To learn more and book a guiltfree vacation, visit Bucuti.com
About Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort
Declared the first CarbonNeutral®/net zero hotel in the Caribbean in August 2018, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is one of the Top 10 Hotels for Romance in the World, No. 1 Hotel in the Caribbean, No. 1 Hotel for Romance in the Caribbean (fifth straight year) and No. 3 Hotel for Service in the Caribbean. Aruba’s premier adults-only boutique resort is led by celebrated hotelier and environmentalist, Ewald Biemans, named by Caribbean Journal as the 2017 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year. The resort is nestled on the powdery white sands of Eagle Beach, home to protected sea turtles and named one of the “Dream Beaches of the World.”
Now home to the Caribbean’s Safest, Healthiest Vacation Experience thanks to its physician-developed COVID-19 safety protocols and Aruba’s Health & Happiness Code seal, Bucuti has 104 well-appointed guestrooms, suites and penthouses. It offers sunbeds and shade for every guest; freshwater infinity pool; spa; WiFi; and complimentary iPad with Skype for use during stay. Award-winning healthy dining is enjoyed at oceanfront Elements, Tara Lounge and private beach dining. Reserved exclusively for guests and their friends, the newly renovated open-air SandBar offers top-shelf cocktails and live music daily along with the Caribbean’s first Healthy Hour. The resort is TAG Approved® as a LGBTQ-friendly hotel. Bucuti, a worldwide sustainable tourism leader, holds eco-certifications of LEED Gold, Green Globe Platinum and Travelife Gold and was named the World’s Most Sustainable Hotel/Resort in 2016 by Green Globe.
Contact
Amy Kerr
Revel Concepts
E: amykerr@revelconcepts.com
