Sustainability in the Chalet
North Lake Tahoe and the Sierras are worth protecting,
and sustainable tourism is essential for the region’s financial future.
It’s hard to ignore the many ways we impact wilderness areas and the natural world.
The beings who call these mountains home rely on us to make sustainable choices to preserve Tahoe’s wilderness areas, and we are proud to be an active partner in fighting climate change and further destruction and dilution of wilderness areas through our business practices.
We are a certified California Green Business.
Our Sustainability Practices
-
Conservation
We conserve the earth’s resources where we can, by reducing waste, using post-consumer or recycled products with minimal packaging, and installing solar panels on the roof with the goal of using no propane or natural gas in a few years. Almost all the lighting in the chalet is LED—and we’ll be LED-only by summer 2022. Our materials and renovation choices support reducing and reusing as much as possible before recycling, and we look for long-term solutions before quick fixes.
-
Buying practices
We believe in buying high-quality, durable items and fixtures so that we are neither creating waste by replacing items nor generating more carbon emissions from additional shipments. This is also why we buy toiletries and detergent in bulk and provide dispensers in the bathrooms, why we have pour-over coffee with permanent filters instead of K-cups. We prioritize sellers who share our views and create products and packaging with sustainability in mind.
-
Green Partners
We work with organizations committed to conservation and green business practices. We prefer to work with vendors who are fully online to reduce commuting, reduce wasteful overhead, and improve the lives of workers. We prioritize women-, minority-, and veteran-owned small businesses that are local or based in the US to encourage diversity in business and a strong local economy in the Tahoe region.
-
Technology
We reduce mail, shipping, and other wasteful practices by engaging wholeheartedly with technologies. Contactless check-in, online verification, solar power, radiant heat, and electronic leases are ways we practice sustainability through technology.
We partner with Stripe, our payment processor, to donate 1% of our revenue to combat climate change. We are committed to exploring and implementing new sustainable technologies as they emerge.
What can you do?
Do what you can before you leave home.
Decrease your use of plastics, fossil fuels, and toxic substances.
Buy from local small businesses, choose products with minimal packaging, and buy in bulk.
Conserve energy and resources in your home.
Choose accommodation, booking, transportation, and activity providers who share your values.
Ask about your airline, rental car company, or tour operator’s sustainability practices.
Many folks don’t ask, and if you don’t ask, they won’t know it matters to customers.
Take the sustainable travel pledge.
Developed by our local chamber of commerce
Focused on several key areas, like fire safety and the protection of wild animals
For travelers who seek practices that preserve the region’s wilderness