Creating a sustainable working environment and encouraging responsible travel
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.
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 storage media, 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. We no longer send out paper travel packs, instead, our Worldwide and Rallies teams send out all travel information, documents, tickets, maps and other useful information via our dedicated travel app.
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 We donate 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. Unwanted and wiped storage media like CDs, DVDs, floppy disks etc are recycled via TerraCycle's Storage Media recycling scheme.
What our partners are doing
Campsites
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.
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.
Transport
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.
P&O Ferries By reducing its sailing frequency and refitting its fleet, P&O Ferries have reduced their carbon footprint by 85,000 tonnes. They are now on a mission to replace their current fleet with new Super-Ferries. This new generation of vessels boasts a double-ended design with two bridges to reduce fuel use, hybrid fuel/battery engines, power management systems to shut down parts of the ship when not in use and generators that can be replaced by batteries as technology advances. Read more about P&O's new Super-Ferries.
Brittany Ferries Brittany Ferries are among one of the first ferry operators to be awarded the Green Marine Europe eco label. The operator has introduced two new ships powered by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) which is significantly better for the environment than diesel and reduced CO2 emissions by up to 20%. In addition to this, Brittany Ferries are fitting their fleet with smoke filters that catch planet-harming particles and reduce emissions by 97%, switched to low-sulphur diesel for older ships, and fitted ships with eco-steering software. They have also reduced the amount of single-use plastic onboard, use only eco-label soaps and water-based cleaning products, and source onboard food from local producers. Find out more here.
Stena Line Stena Line was the first shipping company in the world to convert one of its vessels to methanol in 2015. Now, it's stepping things up, converting its ships to run on renewable methanol and other biofuels to help reach its goal of cutting its emissions by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels). They are also upgrading its ground operations by installing solar panels to power its offices, reducing single-use plastics onboard their ships, introducing more sustainable meal options and products in their onboard restaurants and shops, establishing EV fast stations, and offering incentives to sustainable freight companies. Read more here.
Irish Ferries Alongside general compliance, Irish Ferries are switching their ground vehicles to electric, expanding their recycling schemes onboard and in their offices, and repainting their ships with tin-free hull paints. Find out more here.
Printers & Postage
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.
Exhibitions & Events
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.
Digital Travel Packs All our travel packs are now sent electronically via a mobile app. We may occasionally send items to you in the post if you request them. 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.
Guide Orders Our guide packaging is 100% compostable derived from a minimum 30% renewable content. This means you can add it to your home composter or food waste bin.
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?
Eco Filters
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:
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.
The Green Team
Ben Design Lead and Sustainable Champion
The driving force behind going green. Ben has worked with us since 2014 as a designer and is a keen green guru. Striving to be as planet-conscious in the office as possible, he has introduced a range of initiatives with the aim of reducing our company footprint.
Ben has worked hard on championing inclusiveness, raising awareness and opening travel to all, as well as adding new green information to our range of guidebooks, and providing advice on more sustainable options within the office.
Jo Worldwide Senior Product & Reservations Executive
Jo has been working in the industry since 2001 so she's well-versed in everything travel and offers invaluable expertise. She is passionate about the environment and how we can make tourism more sustainable for planet and people.
Rob General Manager
Rob is our General Manager, making sure the day-to-day running of the office goes smoothly. He assists Ben in implementing ideas and changes - sometimes it's hard to keep up!
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.
