Corinna Wilderness Experience
Posted: 06.08.09 | Created by: Garry Sullivan, General Manager
Overview
Corinna Wilderness Experience is an eco resort located on the West Coast of Tasmania in the Tarkine rainforest, the largest remaining cool temperate rainforest in the world.
After many years of witnessing beautiful areas in Australia and overseas tarnished by careless disposal of plastic bottles, we decided that our overall sustainable practices policy would include limiting the amount of plastic coming into Corinna.
This not only helps to keep our environment clean and plastic-free, but also reduces the amount of waste we have to take off site for disposal.
Through our sustainable practices we aim to be a benchmark eco resort, so that we may inspire other resorts worldwide to follow suit.
Solution
We sell reusable bottles that users can refill as many times as they like. This helps educate people that refilling bottles is okay, healthy, cost-effective and most importantly environmentally friendly.
All profits go to the Tarkine National Coalition, a body that is working to preserve this amazing part of the planet.
As part of the plastic reduction policy, we only sell beer and spirits in aluminium cans, which are recyclable and take up less bin space than bottles.
We have also replaced plastic bottles for soft drinks and juices with aluminium cans, which we collect, crush and recycle, with profits going to the local scouts.
Considerations
Profit is a big part of the bottled water movement, both for the supplier and seller. We had to weigh up these factors but in the end it was a no-brainer.
We are an eco resort in the middle of a pristine rainforest. We cannot actively promote the use of disposable plastic bottles.
The other forgotten factor is the costs associated with the disposal of single-use bottles. We take our rubbish to the closest landfill site, Zeehan, which is an hour’s drive away.
Banning disposable bottles helps reduce travel costs, which offsets the possible lost profit from single-use bottle sales.
Supply of reusable bottles is not an issue, as they are readily available from the multiple companies that manufacture them.
Results
- No plastic bottles on walking and kayaking trails
- Limited plastic rubbish on roadsides to and from Corinna
- 80% reduction in rubbish on site, for storage and removal
- People continue to reuse bottles after leaving
- The pristine environment is preserved.
This is only one aspect of Corinna's sustainable environmental policies.
Please visit the Corinna Wilderness Experience website to find out more.