Environmental Policy
Garbage/Rubbish Minimize waste as much as possible, for example by not using plastic single use eating utensils, dishware and glasses. All garbage is recycled if possible.
Environmental Policy: The company policy is to make a positive impact on the local community and the environment. Our goal is to give travelers a memorable, enjoyable and educational tour, while ensuring that our groups minimize their impact on the delicate Icelandic natural environment.
This Environmental Policy covers: 1. Waste 2. Conservation 3. Energy consumption 4. Carbon dioxide emissions
1. Waste: In general we ensure that waste is minimized and recycled if possible, and that as a group, we leave no trace that we visited an area; a. All travelers are asked not to drop any litter anywhere. b. No food waste, whether cooked or not, is left out in the environment. c. When we encounter small scale waste (plastic bottles, etc.) on our walks, we collect it and dispose of it correctly.
2. Conservation: We distribute information on environmental damage minimization, covering the following points: a. Travelers make every effort not to damage the natural environment, flora and fauna. b. Travelers stick to the paths where they are. c. Travelers “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and kill nothing but time” 🙂
3. Energy consumption: a. The company employees use 100% renewable energy in housing where possible. b. Oil and hydrocarbon usage: the jeeps are equipped with diesel engines in sizes to be as energy efficient as possible. Drivers drive smoothly to save fuel and make the tour as comfortable as possible.
4. Carbon dioxide emissions: The Geo Travel Forest”
a) Geo Travel has a contract from 2016 with Local landowners in the farm Grímsstaðir on they’re land there is a project of re-vegetation. Each year we calculate how much CO2 our operation emits to re reimburse we seed out gras into the barren landscape, fertilize and plant Icelandic birch and rowan trees. We take into the calculation that we are planting around 300m above sea level so our trees grow slowly, therefore we must plant about 150% more than those who plant by the sea. The reason why we have picked this location is that we find it important to rather re grow areas with no vegitation than plant our treas in vegitated areas. The program is sanctioned by Soil Conservation Agency of Iceland, they help us also with deciding the time to plant and amount of fertilizer.
Hopefully one day we can invite our guests to the “Geo Travel Forest” 2018 we planted 3000 birch and 500 rowan. And 2019 we aim to plant 3500 Birch. and 500 rowan.
b). Geo Travel is a carbon offset company from start. In the past until 2015 we had a contract with a local farm Baldursheimur to reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by sequestering carbon in Icelandic vegetation and soils. The contract was approved and supervised by the Soil Conservation Agency of Iceland .
It is our overall aim to provide travelers with a fantastic holiday, at little or no cost to the local environment.