The Environmental Journey to Imperfection What one Hostel’s Eco Journey Can Show us

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WORDS: Charlie Lewis

Climate change. Global warming. The climate crisis. Whatever you want to call it or not call it, when the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest it has been in the last 800,000 years and the 5 hottest years on record are the past 5 years, it is difficult to argue against the urgency that is today’s climate disaster. Ultimately, since the start of the human race, homo sapiens have done nothing but destroy the same planet we call our home.

Today it is encouraging to see the number of environmental protests and ‘no waste’ lifestyles on the rise. However, there is a common problem many see when trying to be more environmentally friendly. That companies just aren’t providing the option and if they are, they’re far more expensive than the alternative. Is this a genuine reason, or simply an excuse?

Many companies are beginning to or always have, strived to be as environmentally friendly as possible and offer these green alternatives. You simply have to look for them.

One of these companies is ‘The Backpack’ – a hostel set up in 1990 that strives to be as eco-friendly as they can. I met with Lee, the hostel owner, to discover more about their eco journey because, as she expertly put it:

“We’re suffocating on this planet and we’re killing ourselves and poisoning everything.”

The Hostel’s journey

Since opening 29 years ago, ‘The Backpack’ has strived to be as green as possible, making constant changes to lower their carbon footprint and provide a meaningful and impactful stay for their guests.

However, they haven’t always had as many environmentally friendly elements in place as they do today; it has been a work in progress, adding more as they can. As Lee said “don’t look at the bigger picture… do one thing and get it right then move onto another thing”.

The Backpack when it first opened 29 years ago.

That being said “[their] very first brochure ever made to advertise the Backpack, was printed on recycled paper”. If that doesn’t show the underlying passion for environmental sustainability that fuels this hostel, I don’t know what does!

Since their beginning, they have become part of the Fair Trade family which has only furthered their conservation efforts. Today “about 90% of hot water in all [their] showers and bathrooms are run on solar and heat pumps”. As well as this, they use both composting bins and bokashi bins to reduce their waste, fuel their worm garden and, in turn, help their garden grow. Additionally, they use eco-friendly cleaning products, solar energy and have their recycling logged to stay on track as much as possible.

So how did they get here? How did they grow to become greener and is it possible for the world and you to do the same?

Applying pressure to corporations

The answer to why it is difficult to become more eco-friendly and why it is difficult to discover the ‘green’ alternatives to your favourite companies, quite frankly, comes down to the fact that it is still early days and everything starts off slowly.

Think about a car accelerating, it is the same principle. Until the pressure on the accelerator increases the car will only move slowly. As the pressure increases, the car gains momentum and you’ll begin hurtling down the road. We’ve not long turned on the ignition of the environmental movement and the accelerator has only just been pushed. In other words “It’s not on board as it should be across the world”.

When speaking to Lee about her future visions for ‘The Backpack’, she explained that the world’s view is still backward.

“It’s like with organic fruit and veg; all fruit and veg should be organic and we should be saying these ones are poisonous.”

It’s a matter of changing society’s perspective on what has been the norm for so long. Talking to individuals about ways to reduce their carbon footprint has often been met with the phrase “but humans have always done that! So it can’t be causing global warming”. Don’t forget that the globe has always been warming and that what used to be done in moderation and for necessity, such as farming, has now become a global industry used for profit, increasing its carbon footprint to unsustainable rates. The word needs to get out about being responsible and the effort needs to be put in, to form new life habits.

One of the best ways to get the word out is through example. At The Backpack, although the eco-friendly element of their business isn’t the main reason many guests choose to stay there, “some of the guests have picked up on what [they] are doing” and changed their own lives accordingly. Lee remembers one particular guest who stayed during the time of the water crisis stating:

“When I go home I’m going to change the way I do things because I waste so much water”.

Influencing one person may seem small within a population of almost 8 billion but it’s still one more than before.

Another obstacle that is permanently in front of people is the cost. It is often seen that the environmentally friendly alternatives to products and services are much more expensive. The sad part is, it’s currently true in most situations. However, what if I told you that it isn’t a reason to stop but in fact a reason to start.

Lee explained it best. “It’s a numbers game!” Whilst the demand is low the cost will be high; the more people that use something or demand something, the more of it there is – companies begin to provide competitive prices and cheaper options. Just look at TVs, an item that was once considered a luxury only the upper class could afford. Now the average home will sometimes have more than two television sets per household.

There’s a wrong way but there’s no right way

Lee: Owner of ‘The Backpack’

Don’t be fooled! Solving the climate problem doesn’t come down to a simple ‘here is the problem and here is the solution’. Often a perceived solution will offer up an entirely new debate. For example, Lee explained: “there’s this theory that all this Glad Wrap and packaging keeps food from spoiling and that’s another whole argument”. To argue for one solution will be met with someone explaining that it creates another issue in itself.

At that point, it comes down to trying to do the best you personally can to find a middle ground and reach the outcome you desire. For Lee, plastic is a bigger issue than food waste: “I would rather more food waste because it won’t create a problem than having less food waste and having a problem with getting rid of the plastic”. However, others would disagree and that is only a decision you can make for yourself. Whether food waste is the focus or plastic is your choice, the mentality is important. People starting to question the environmental impact is a generation heading in the right direction.

The Government’s Role

It’s not only down to individuals or companies. Another power not being used to its full extent to make a change is the Government. For instance, in 2015 the city of Cape Town supported a pilot project where the global company Averda (started in Beirut, Lebanon 1964) paired with Wasteman to provide free recycling services for businesses in the Sea Point, Green Point, Three Anchor Bay or Mouille Point areas. Yet despite its success and its continuation in those same places today, this wasn’t continued elsewhere. Therefore, other businesses such as ‘The Backpack’ have to pay and “it’s costing [them] a lot of money every month”. This limits what many companies are able to do as the money is often needed elsewhere in the business.

Another point made by Lee was the lack of renewable energy systems in place compared to the potential for them.

“We’ve got wind power, we should have wind power it blows like crazy here”.

This shows the potential for positive change in Cape Town and around the world – if the governments were willing to put those changes in place.

Of course the government is not doing nothing. The National Development Plan (NDP) emphasises the importance of environmental sustainability for the country and are aiming towards a green economy, managing climate change as well as ocean and coastal conservation among many other things. The main obstacle for any government is once again the marvellous matter of money. With limited money stretched across many areas, all governments fund what they believe to be most important for their country and what they believe the people want. Campaigns are therefore tailored to gain votes and by making it known that the environment is an important issue concerning all people, the government will more likely respond with new policies.

At the end of the day, a party wishes to stay in power and that is down to the vote of the people.

Vote with your Feet!

If it is down to you then what can you physically do as one person? How can you influence the views of both corporations and the government? The good news is it’s not an all or nothing situation.

Every small action benefits the big picture. When asking Lee what advice she had, one that stuck with me was to “leave your packaging at the check out till”. An idea I’d never heard or seen before but when thought about is a very simple action that makes a big statement to companies that the packaging is unnecessary. Be creative. As mentioned previously, do as many small things as you can, adding on more as you feel comfortable until you have a “cross-section of sustainable things”.

Plastic bottle littering a beach

Another quote of Lee’s I loved was “vote with your feet”. You have to make that choice, go to the places that offer the green alternatives even if right now it takes more effort. Plastic bottles, for example, are never going to disappear whilst they are such a revenue stream. Go somewhere that sells glass bottles and increase the revenue stream of the green alternative. After all, the momentum is only just starting to build. If enough people do a simple act, a big impact will be made.

Finally, keep yourself accountable. For ‘The Backpack’, “tracking [their] electricity usage and tracing [their] waste… has helped [them] to become more structured”. Do the same. Track your usage, focus on the amount of plastic to non-plastic items you buy, count how many times you take public transport instead of your own car. Be responsible for the choices you want to make and soon they won’t be a choice but a habit.

It is tricky when you’re constantly told to look at the bigger picture in life, to do exactly the opposite but to do so here, installs a feeling of impossibility. Don’t strive to be perfect. “You can’t be perfect! We’re not perfect now, we’re nowhere near perfect” said Lee. Instead, focus on what you can do. Every single action will increase demand and be one step closer to it being easier and the world being greener.

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