Exploring Iceland Environmental Policy
​
- ​Our Sustainability Statement - 
​

Exploring Iceland recognizes that it has a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. We are committed to reducing our enviromental impact and continually improving our environmental performance as an integral part of our business strategy and operating methods. We will encourage our guests, partners,  suppliers and employees to do the same.  
Exploring Iceland recognizes that Iceland´s nature is extremely precious and fragile. We are committed to preventing pollution and damage to Iceland´s delicate ecosystem and are continually improving our environmental management to minimize and reduce the environmental impact of our operations. We are dedicated to raising awareness of responsible and respectful treatment of the vulnerable environments through which we travel. 
​
In August 2024 Exploring Iceland signed up to Travelife, a leading training, management and certification initiative for tourism companies committed to reaching sustainability. We aim to be fully certified by 2025. 

In 2024 we were chosen to be a part of CE4RT (Circular Economy for Regenerative Tourism), a fully funded European project to assist tourism SMEs in their sustainability journey. 


Our mission: 

1. Encouraging our guests to actively obey and support our environmental and educational efforts while travelling in a group or individually. 
2. Complying with relevant environmental legislation and regulations, and striving to exert further efforts in maintaining the environment by developing our own standards
3. Heightening the environmental awareness of every Exploring Iceland employee and partner through employee education. 
4. Conserving natural resources and energy without compromising safety standards or guest services
5. Promoting the use of recycled materials and other environmentally responsible products and materials
6. Protecting the environment by practicing responsible waste management, as well as attempting to develop innovative effective ways to prevent and reduce pollution
7. All our guests are encouraged, and our employees are expected, to make every effort to adhere to these policies in our continuing efforts to protect Iceland´s singular nature for future generations.
8. By actively designing tours to lessen the environmental impact of traveling by using electric cars and planting trees. Please see here for more information: Green Tourism South Iceland - Self drive Tour 

---

---

On practical terms: 
​

• We will minimize the use of paper in the office.
• We will reduce packaging as much as possible.
• We will seek to buy recycled and recyclable paper products.
• We will reuse and recycle all paper where possible.
• We will seek to reduce the amount of energy used as much as possible.
• Lights and electrical equipment will be switched off when not in use.
• The energy consumption and efficiency of new products will be taken into account when purchasing.
• We will evaluate the environmental impact of any new products we intend to purchase.
• We will favor more environmentally friendly and efficient products wherever possible.
• We will reuse and recycle everything we are able to.
• We will reduce the need to travel, restricting to necessity trips only.
• We will promote the use of travel alternatives such as e-mail or video/phone conferencing.
• We will make additional efforts to accommodate the needs of those using public transport or bicycles.
• Exploring Iceland employees already mainly work from home offices and thereby dramatically reducing the use of gasoline and therefore pollution by CO2.
• Materials used in office refurbishment will be as environmentally friendly as possible.
• Cleaning materials used will be as environmentally friendly as possible.We will only use licensed and appropriate organizations to dispose of waste.
• We will comply with and exceed all relevant regulatory requirements.
• We will incorporate environmental factors into business decisions.
• We will update this policy at least once annually in consultation with employees and partners where necessary.
• We will work with local partners, buy local food & materials where available to reduce CO2 and help the community.
• We work actively to reduce food waste and the sensible usage of food leftovers. 
• We promote the use of organic food where available. 
• We promote the purchase of meat, dairy and eggs from local farming community instead of buying industrial farming products.  
• Please see also our fair trade and animal welfare policies.