Sustainability

At Alan Rogers Travel, we’ve introduced a program of eco-friendly initiatives designed to reduce the environmental impacts of both staff and customers. Find out how.

atONE is our sustainable travel promise aimed at reducing our internal and external carbon footprint. It covers things like who we work with, how we operate internally, how we communicate with our customers and what we promote.

What we're doing

As part of the program, we've produced a four-point plan which covers our commitments and targets. We promise to:

• Continuously improve our environmental performance and integrate recognised environmental management into our business operations.
• Give due consideration to environmental issues when sourcing resources and reduce our consumption and improve the efficiency of those resources.
• Manage waste generated from our business operations by incorporating reduction, reuse and recycling principles.
• Comply with all relevant environmental legislation as well as other environmental requirements and work towards targets set both internally and by the UK Government.

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Recycling By introducing in-office recycling, we aim to cut our office waste by over half compared to pre-2019 levels. Alongside plastic, paper and cardboard, aluminium and glass recycling, we also recycling coffee capsules, spent batteries, used printer cartridges, dead lightbulbs, redundant electronic and computer equipment, unwanted media storage, and used writing equipment via the Terracycle Writing Instruments Recycle scheme.

Paper use A new paper-lite policy has been introduced to cut down our reliance on paper within the office. Our Worldwide Team have rolled out an app which allows customers to access all travel documents, tickets, maps and information via their smartphone.

Efficiency measures Alan Rogers Travel is based in rural Kent, in a converted Oast House shared by several other companies. Working with our landlord, traditional fluorescent tube lighting has been swapped for more efficient LED lighting, EV charging points have been installed, and shared spaces like bathrooms and corridors have been fitted with motion sensor lighting to reduce energy consumption.

E-waste repurposing and recycling We donate all of our old or unused computers and equipment to Computers4Africa, a charity which aims to lift Africa out of poverty by providing the next generation with the technology and support to work in a global environment.

What our partners are doing

The Caravan and Motorhome Club
Our parent company, The Club have been working hard on their sustainability program over the past few years. They have invested heavily in greener alternatives and initiatives both in their headquarters and out on sites. These initiatives include installing smart metering, EV charging points and renewable energy generating facilities on sites, and introducing non-electric pitches and biodiversity hubs. In 2023, for the first time, the Club will include Alan Rogers Travel in their Green Tourism Assessment. Read the Club's sustainability policy here.

Eurostar
Introduced its environmental policy in 2007. The 'Tread Lightly' plan sets out the company's goals and procedures in accordance with the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement and includes targets relating to energy efficiency, reduction of plastic waste and other waste and commitments to sustainability. Find out more about Eurostar's Tread Lightly plan.

Le Shuttle
In 2019, Le Shuttle set a target of 2025 for reducing its direct CO2 emissions by 30% and accelerating the development of sustainable transport in Europe - a period of just six years. In this time, it aims primarily to retire its diesel-powered fleet and introduce new, clean locomotives; improving the efficiency of tunnel operations, offices and other facilities; protect and grow biodiversity in and around its terminal sites in France and the UK; and reduce its consumption, responsibly manage waste and invest in a circular economy. Read more about Le Shuttle's sustainability plan here.

Campsites
While we'd love more campsites to implement eco-friendly measures, we don't control or manage any sites. However, we are seeing more sites introducing eco facilities and other green initiatives. In 2023 we launched 'Eco' categories for campsites that meet our strict environmental criteria. You can read more about this below.

Mixam
Print our brochures, and they feel just as strongly as we do when it comes to the environment. All our brochures are printed with vegetable-based inks on sustainably sourced FSC® accredited paper. When you've finished with your brochure, make sure to add it to your household paper and cardboard recycling box.

Stephens & George
Print our guidebooks. The paper used is sustainably sourced FSC® accredited paper; they are also members of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC.) Of course, we hope you keep hold of our guides for many years, but once you've finished with them, we suggest donating them to your preferred local charity.

Royal Mail
Royal Mail have the lowest reported carbon footprint per delivery in the UK. They are investing in greener ways to power their offices and sorting facilities, have more than 5,000 electric vehicles out on the road, and are pushing for more 'on foot' deliveries. They are aiming for net zero by 2040. Find out more about what they're doing here.

National Exhibition Centre (NEC)
As a large event space, there is no doubt that huge amount of energy and waste is consumed and produced. But steps are being taken to reduce this at the NEC in Birmingham where the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome, and Caravan & Camping Shows are held each year. Small changes like switching to energy efficient LED lightbulbs throughout the complex, installing sensor taps in bathrooms to help save water and EV charging points, investing in biodiversity sites nearby, and sending zero waste to landfill, are helping drive big change here. Learn more here.

What changes will I see?

While a lot of the changes we're making are internal, you, as a customer, will also see some changes, although they may not be so obvious.

Customer Travel Packs Most of our travel packs are now sent electronically. We may occasionally send items to you in the post. Standard envelopes can be recycled with your paper and cardboard, and envelopes with windows can also be added to your paper recycling as the plastic window is removed at the processing plant. We're in the process of switching over to paper-free travel packs and customer literature.

Guide Orders Our current stock of polybags is made from 30% recycled material. We're currently looking into alternative packaging for sending out guides and other printed material. Strengthened paper envelopes are the most likely options, but we need to look at durability and protection as well as cost efficiency.

Cotton Tote Bags We've ditched the plastic. If you visit us at the NEC, you can opt for no bag or a sustainably-sourced cotton tote bag; they're stronger, reusable and environmentally-friendly.

What's new?

In 2023, for the first time, The Caravan and Motorhome Club will include Alan Rogers Travel in their Green Tourism Assessment. Unlike the Club, we don't have a network of campsites but our Rallies and Worldwide businesses will be evaluated against a strict criteria.

In 2023 we implemented significant changes behind the scenes on our website. We rolled out some new filters on our website, which allows campsites to demonstrate their eco credentials. You can search for and filter campsites according to the following filters:

Eco Site Awards David Bellamy Conservation Award, EcoCamping, EU EcoLabel, Clef Verte/Green Key and Green Tourism Awards.

Energy Management EV charging points available, Solar-powered facilities, Energy-saving lights, Air/ground source heating, Reduced water-consuming toilets, Composting toilets, Re-use of rainwater, Certified carbon neutral.

Waste Management Recycling points, Ecological wastewater management, Communal composting facilities, Biodegradable soap/chemicals used in toilets, Reduced use of single-use items.

Nature Management Responsible land management (limited or zero use of fertiliser), Responsible water management (no outflows into rivers), Bat / Birdhouses provided, Native tree planting programme, Insect hotels and preservation of natural habitat, Wild areas of land (grass not mown - wildflowers/meadows), Wetlands created or managed.

Our team, together with our parent company and other partners, are currently putting together further plans on how we can improve our footprint. We will be adding to our atONE Promise in due course.

The steps we take may be small, but each and every one counts towards a greener and healthier future.

In the meantime, explore our eco filters and find your perfect green site.

Eco Camping