Awareness of the world and what it takes to be a responsible and ethical traveller is becoming more and more widespread.

Here at Wind Sand & Stars we are doing all we can, both at home and overseas to ensure that everything we do has as small an impact as possible on the environment and communities we work with.

No area of our work is so unimportant or so humble that we cannot try to do it more responsibly. We recycle paper, plastic, glass and cardboard, banana skins, and even staff! Asking permission first, we have managed to salvage wood and additional shelving units for the office, and a rather handsome filing cabinet.

We use paper that is manufactured from 100% wood free ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp sourced from sustainable managed forests. This paper is totally recyclable and manufactured within an ISO 14001 accredited mill, also conforming to EMAS (Eco-management and Audit Scheme), and is one of the first papers to carry the FCS (Forest Stewardship council) certification.

We give small sponsorship to local and international charities. This mostly involves huge hardship on behalf of our staff – one has run the 250km Atacama Marathon to raise money for Water Aid, and one staff member has rowed across the Atlantic and cycled the route of the Tour de France to raise money for cancer charities.

Responsible Travel

Wind Sand & Stars is committed to ensuring that we are responsible, ethical and environmentally aware in all of our activities, both in the UK and overseas.

We are especially proud of the trading friendships we have established with the Bedouin of South Sinai. All of our journeys bring work and income to the local people, as well as bringing fun and learning to those who journey with us. The partnerships they involve add to the understanding of different peoples, and they cross gender, race and religious divides.

This unique relationship with the local communities in their home environment brings with it responsibility. In all our journeys, we endeavour to:

• ensure all people who work for us are treated fairly and paid a fair wage;
• encourage awareness and respect for the local customs, culture and environment;
• minimise our impact on the environment by travelling in small groups, using lower impact forms of travel eg camels and trekking, and reducing waste;
• adhere to the Young Explorers’ Trust and British Biological Society’s guidelines on Environmental Responsibility for Expeditions.