The romanticism of the ‘message in a bottle’ imagery has endured through the ages. The first documentation in fact, dates back to 310BC, when the Greek philosopher Theophrastus – a pupil of Aristotle, used them to demonstrate that the Atlantic Ocean flowed into the Mediterranean. Since then they’ve been utilised for science and communication, bringing us neatly to World Environment Day, which this year centres on combatting plastic pollution.

Back in the age of ancient philosophy the bottles were fashioned from glass, but through the two thousand odd years that have passed since then the low cost, versatile material plastic became a mainstay of daily life. One common use for plastic is water bottles. Cheap, lightweight and convenient, the plastic water bottle was somewhat of a no-brainer, and incredibly easy to discard. However, as our population has become increasingly environmentally aware, one significant message has risen to the fore: this is not sustainable.

We now know of course, that those easy to swig and sling plastic bottles take a devastating 450 years to break down. Further to this extended decomposition time, they can also release harmful chemicals into the environment and contain high levels of microplastics which can threaten marine life and infiltrate the human food chain.

Now that we understand all this, the romantic notion of a ‘message in a bottle’ is somewhat dispelled. Which means it’s time for a new message in a more sustainable vessel, and this time it’s about implementing change and making a difference.

We’ve been working hard to eradicate all single-use plastics from our camps and we achieve this in a number of ways:

• We’ve removed all single-use plastic water bottles from our camps. Instead, our guests and staff have durable, reusable bottles that are practical, look great, and are crafted to last a lifetime. The solidity of these bottles also makes them ideal for adventurers out on safari when they might get dropped as travellers reach for binoculars or end up rolling across the floor of a game drive vehicle. 
• We’ve invested in sustainable water purification systems. Most of our camps provide safe, clean drinking water that doesn’t cost the Earth through a 3 stage reverse osmosis (RO) system. This water filtration setup purifies water through three filtration stages using a combination of mechanical and chemical processes including a reverse osmosis membrane. 
• We refill rather than replace. The toiletry bottles in our bedroom suites are refilled between guests rather than replaced entirely, drastically reducing plastic waste. They also add to the overall aesthetic rather nicely!
• It goes without saying that plastics are recycled throughout our operations, but did you know that we also actively repurpose them? By utilising plastic in community crafts we help local villagers generate income while keeping plastics out of land fill sites.

Further to these changes that influence current behaviour, we also invest heavily in conservation education projects which seek to educate youngsters about the environment. Children who travel to our lodges benefit from these programmes, but so do the kids who live close to the wildlife areas. Initiatives such as KEEP, Lessons in Conservation and Coaching Conservation all strive to educate future generations about the environment and help them rise to the challenge of assuming its guardianship. 

The next generation will be far better educated and prepared to care for this planet and nurture it back to full, wild health than we have been.

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