Do you make it a point of honour to apply ecological gestures in your daily life and would you like to follow this philosophy during your holiday?

The mountain is a natural environment which must be preserved. Reducing your environmental impact is accessible to everyone, by applying a few simple actions on a daily basis.

Here are our tips for combining holidays and ecology

At home

• Do not hesitate to dilute your household products with a little water (washing-up liquid, shampoo, soap). You will use less and they will still be just as effective.
• Do your laundry at a low temperature because 80% of the electricity used is used to heat the water.
• Put a lid on your saucepans, especially for boiling water: cooking times are shorter and you will save energy.
• Completely switch off all electrical appliances (TV, DVD player, computer, etc.) with the power button: if you simply put them on standby, you will consume 10% more electricity.
• Remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room. 3 unnecessarily lit rooms each evening consume as much electricity as a fridge.

Out and about

• During your walks in the forest, do not throw anything away! A cigarette butt takes 2 years to deteriorate, chewing gum 5 years, an aluminium can 100 years and a plastic bag 450 … It is even worse in the mountains, because the cold “preserves” the waste.
• Do not pick flowers in the national parks. You could put a species in danger, and also you will deprive the next walkers of the pleasure of seeing the flowers.
• In the mountains, walk on the trails so as not to erode the ground.

While shopping

• Limit packaging! Buy products in bulk or in large quantities (and it’s usually cheaper!), even if it means repackaging them in smaller boxes at home. This is valid for washing products, pasta, tissues, school supplies, etc. This will make so much less waste.
• Favour biodegradable (paper, cardboard) or recyclable (glass, metal, milk cartons, etc.) packaging rather than plastic packaging.
• Did you know that a powder detergent emits three times less surfactants than a liquid detergent? For an equivalent use, the compact powder is even less polluting than the ordinary powder.
• Prefer seasonal vegetables and fruits, which do not require special treatment and which are grown in our region.
• Look for labels, NF, Environment or European Eco-label certification, for example. They highlight products that are both more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
• Remember to take a shopping bag or use a large bag sold by hypermarkets to do your shopping: you will no longer need the ordinary plastic bags distributed at checkouts.
• Opt for rechargeable products: batteries, eco-refills for detergents or fabric softener …

Respect the flora and fauna