Zante has a permanent population of about 40,000 people, with a great percentage of families living of herds and pastoralism, in a community historically attentive to the use of resources and recycling. Over here, the food waste recycling is still actually the chicken coop!
The population increases tenfold over the summer months, and it is easy to understand how important it is to welcome a responisble traveler, who even on vacation, is attentive to the issues of sustainability and respect the local coomunities.
And this is where we, at Thalassa Green and you, our green guests, lovers of slow tourism, come tiptoeing into play.
We have all read articles upon articles about what to do and what to see in Zante, but we probably don’t have a clear idea of what we ourselves can do for the splendid Greek island that welcomes us.
For once, let’s reverse the perspective, let’s get involved and become active players in the change we want! Let’s ask ourselves how we can enjoy a responsible holiday, and practice eco-friendly tourism.
We are guests who leave no footprints
Our sustainable tourism project was born with the conviction that, when we retire, Thalassa Green will have to remain only as a good memory in those who knew it, leaving no traces, allowing nature to take back the environment that it now shares with us, in harmony. This is why we try to keep the beautiful olive grove that surrounds us as native as possible, without taming it or manicuring it too much.
Water: a precious resource to be safeguarded
Water is a commodity that is never taken for granted in Zakynthos as in the other islands in Greece: in rural areas, tanks are used to collect rainwater, and in the driest months desalinated water is brought by tanker trucks.
For this reason, in Thalassa Green we do not waste even a drop: we recover rainwater for domestic use, while we reuse our duly decontaminated dark water to irrigate the garden.
To reduce water consumption in the cottages we change towels, if necessary, mid-week and change sheets weekly. We ask you to be responsible with water and to do everything possible to enjoy a comfortably eco-friendly holiday.
A plastic-free resort
We encourage our green guests to bring reusable water bottles from home, and we provide drinking water to fill the bottles for their day at the beach. Those who wish can buy eco-friendly reusable water bottles, made of 100% recyclable tritan in our corner shop.
This is to eliminate the use of disposable plastic: not all areas of the island are in fact well connected to the aqueduct, so PET bottles are widely used in Zakynthos, with all the consequent disposal issues.
United in keeping the natural sites of the island clean
Finally, as in other places, unfortunately the wind blows the cards and a gust can make a few pieces of plastic fly, while the sea returns to the shore some non-biodegradable residue and, at times, it is actually people who forget out carelessness or worse, just dump their waste in the pristine nature of the island.
So during the low season months we from Thalassa Green are actively involved as volunteers with the local green activist group Υλήεσσα in the weekly cleaning of natural sites and the towns of the island.
You may be interested in participating in one of these activities yourself, to help spread a more active and eco-friedly culture!
We are proud of you, of our guests on the island of Zakynthos! Please do contribute to our Green Blog, share your suggestionss and help us improve: a breath of fresh ideas will help us at Thalassa Green to progress in our commitment to sustainability.
