Our Commitment towards Sustainability
At SloWays, sustainability - both environmental and cultural - is at the heart of everything we do. We've adopted stringent measures from the start to reduce our ecological footprint.
These measures have been tracked, quantified, and certified by external organizations like Travelife, ensuring our commitment is as transparent and certified as possible.
In the past two years, we've also partnered with Reteclima to offset our CO2 emissions and support initiatives benefiting the environment and communities, both in Italy and worldwide.
We want to share the results of our efforts with you, so you know that by choosing to travel with us, you're also contributing to these projects. We like to think of it as a gift within the gift you decide to give yourself.
2021: Projects we supported, in India and Sicily
With Rete Clima, we neutralized the CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions from our 2021 travels by supporting the Allain Duhangan Hydropower Plant project through the cancellation of its carbon credits.
This project aims to reduce Northern India's reliance on fossil fuels by supporting the management of the Allain Duhangan hydropower plant, generating enough energy for the region while protecting the pristine natural habitat of the Kullu district in the state of Pradesh.
In Italy, we supported a reforestation project in the Madonie Park, aiding the rehabilitation of areas affected by summer wildfires in 2021.
2022: Projects we're supporting, in India and Veneto
With Rete Clima, we also neutralized the CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions from our 2022 travels by supporting the VCS 1088 - 4.2 MW Wind Power Project by National Enterprises in Tamil Nadu, India. This project involves generating renewable energy from two Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) with a total installed capacity of 4.2 Mega-Watts (MW) (2.1 MW X 2), contributing to reduced fossil fuel use.
In Italy, we're supporting a reforestation and rehabilitation project in areas affected by the Vaia storm, which devastated our forests in October 2018, particularly in Veneto. Thanks to our contribution, new trees will be planted in the devastated zones.
On June 21st, Francesca, Marco, and Matteo visited the forests of Val Pusteria, in the province of Bolzano, with an important goal: to contribute to the national reforestation campaign Foresta Italia, led by Rete Clima in partnership with Coldiretti and Pefc Italia. We planted the first of many trees to fill the void left by the devastation of the Vaia storm and other natural disasters.
Read about the day here!
Sustainability Policy and Report
We've created two documents that precisely, transparently, and accurately describe everything we're doing to be more sustainable. They're published on our website and available for everyone to view, detailing actions, goals, numbers, and measurable data to define our environmental support efforts - what we've done, are doing, and are planning for the coming years.
Read our sustainability policy
Read our sustainability report
Travelife: International Certification for Sustainability in Tourism
In August 2023, we obtained the Travelife Certified certification.
In early 2021, we had reached the preceding level, Travelife Partner.
What is it?
Travelife is a business management support and certification system for the tourism sector, aimed at establishing and certifying sustainable processes activated by the enterprise.
Simply put, it's an external body that objectively certifies how "sustainable" a tour operator, travel agency, or accommodation facility is. It does this by thoroughly checking all business processes and helping us make our existing practices even more sustainable.
Here we explain better what it means to be certified by Travelife.
Refill now: SloWays and Via Francigena Against Plastic Waste
Refill Now is an Italian project with a clear mission: "to revolutionize the way drinking water is consumed."
The innovative part of the project is the Refill Now Map, an interactive map continuously updated and accessible via a QR code placed on customized steel water bottles. This way, water points can be easily and quickly found without downloading an app or sharing personal data.
We contributed to the creation of the customized bottles, funding the project and raising awareness among walkers to use the bottle and to directly indicate unmarked potable water points on the map.
Purchase the Refill Now bottle from our Shop and support the project!
