Myanmar Voyages has Green Guidelines which promote sustainable practices on 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We share these practices not only within our team, but also with suppliers, clients and other stakeholders, strongly encouraging them to follow.
The objective is to contribute & to preserve Myanmar natural resources and develop the country in a healthy and sustainable way, making it a better place to live without losing its unique essence. To achieve that we are committed to:
- Minimise energy consumption and carbon emissions.
- Comply with labour laws and protect human rights.
- Promote responsible tourism all over the world.
How do we plan to do that? These are the Green Guidelines the company follows and encourage stakeholders to follow:
Labour Conditions:
The company endures The Union of Myanmar’s Labour Law, being the Employee’s Handbook revised and updated on an annual basis. Besides, the labour union of Myanmar Voyages has been established since 2018, with one of the two founding members selected by the employees.
Carbon Offsetting:
We offset the carbon generated by flights, trains and cars by helping plant trees with the bookings we receive. Google belongs to the past; we have established “Ecosia” as our search engine, which donates 80% of its surplus income to non-profit conservationist organisations with a focus on tree planting in Europe, Central & South America, Africa and Asia. Ecosia plants 1 tree for approx. 45 searches.
Reduce Energy Consumption:
- Turn off lights when not in use, especially during lunch break and out of office hours.
- Use available sunlight to illuminate instead of light bulbs when possible.
- Reduce and replace inefficient, outdated or excessive lighting in the whole office compound.
- Use outdoor air for “Free Cooling” when the outside air temperature and conditions permit, especially during winter and dry season.
- Turn off computers, monitors and printers during non-business hours.
- Educate and encourage employees, guides and other stakeholders to be energy-conscious and offer ideas about how to save energy.
- Ensure all guides and transportation agents are aware of energy conservation measures such as turning off the engine when waiting for the clients.
Reduce Water Consumption:
- Look for excessive use of water in bathrooms and reduce the flow of water from the tap.
- Regularly inspect water leaks in the basin and toilets.
- Consider and practice reusing water where possible.
Waste Management:
- Reduce reliance on plastic bags and containers by using reusable water bottles, cups and lunch boxes.
- Use environmental or natural cleaning products to reduce pollution.
- Measure, record and monitor the usage of plastic bags.
- Print on both sides of paper.
Community:
- Give priority to purchasing locally made products when quality, availability and price allow.
- Regular donations to the local communities are more in need.
- Work with social enterprises to provide giveaways for clients or local souvenirs.
Suppliers:
- Inform all suppliers of our commitment to sustainable practices.
- Deliver monthly “Green” newsletter to all suppliers to increase awareness of eco-friendly updated news.
Destinations:
- Provide tourists with relevant information to encourage responsible tourism by sending them the Do’s and Don’ts tips before they arrive in Myanmar.
Accommodation:
- Use hotels that adhere by local Myanmar labour laws and do not engage in any activity that is in anyway harmful for children, like child labour or child sex tourism.
To achieve our commitments and goals:
- We provide training and required resources to all employees.
- We openly communicate our policies and practices to interested parties.
- We monitor and record our environmental impacts on a regular basis and compare our performance with our policies, targets and objectives, with a view to continuous improvement.
Would you like to know more about ‘Myanmar Voyages’ sustainability initiatives? Please don’t hesitate to contact our sustainability coordinator ([email protected]). Let’s build a greener world together!
MV Green Day
Green In House Training
