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Striving to leaving our world a better place, luxury travel company andBeyond has extended its commitment to operating with minimum impact by introducing new sustainability measures at its latest lodges, andBeyond Vira Vira, situated in Chile’s Lake District.

With a target of reducing the number of plastic bottles utilised by the group by 90% by 2020, 17 of andBeyond’s lodges currently have their own water bottling plants or are utilising reusable glass bottles for water. Intending to reduce the use the number of plastic bottles utilised, the company bottles its own purified water in recyclable glass bottles at its lodges and some of its central offices. With the first glass water bottling plant implemented at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa in 2016, the latest installation has just taken place at andBeyond Vira Vira in Chile.

In keeping with the company ethos of Care of the Land, Wildlife and People, the andBeyond team spent the first two months after opening its first South American lodge reviewing how to make even more improvements in its existing sustainability efforts. Measures already in place included the full recycling of grey water and the reduction of the lodge’s carbon footprint through a strict policy of purchasing only local goods. In addition, the lodge’s central heating is generated entirely through the use of certified sustainable wood pellets.

These initiatives have now been supplement with the installation of a water bottling plant that allows the lodge to reduce 99% of its plastic bottle use. Refillable aluminium water bottles are provided to guests on all excursions from the lodge and the lodge is also making use of reusable metal straws. LED bulbs have also been fitted in all the lamps in the lodge and the outdoor spaces.

To celebrate this sustainability success, andBeyond has introduced a Hacienda Tour that takes guests through andBeyond Vira Vira’s organic gardens and greenhouses, as well as the cheese factory. Guests are encourages to see how pellet heating works and to try their hand at bottling their own water.

With Chile’s Lake District facing challenges that include deforestation, as well as pollution, it is andBeyond’s hope that the measures recently put into place contribute towards leaving this beautiful natural region a better place.

To find out more about andBeyond Vira Vira, visit www.andbeyond.com or speak to your preferred travel provider.