Participate with Eco-friendly Tourism
We are enchanted with Mother Earth. The natural environment of Ecuador is as precious as it is fragile. We believe that the world can be improved with individual actions. Therefore, we dedicate an ongoing effort to protect the environment and make positive choices. When you stay at The Mudhouse Hostel, with simple acts, you actively participate in the reduction of pollution generated by tourism:
Eco-friendly Construction
The Mudhouse Hostel is primarily built with a grown locally bamboo genus called Guadua.
Other construction techniques known as EarthBags and False Tapial or Rammed earth were also implemented which use materials such as mud, lime, earth, sand, stones and wood.
Waste Water Treatment
Gray water passes through a meander-type tank system containing three sludge handling compartments. With the addition of healthy bacteria to the compartments, the gray water is converted into a non-harmful white water for the environment.
All gray water is passed through systems of portable and non-portable grease traps.
Compost
The organic matter is collected (fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen, leaves and plant material from lawn clippings) and transformed into compost, which serves as fertilizer for our gardens.
Permaculture
The natural ecosystem determines the actions taken by the Mudhouse Hostel. The hostel will always integrate their activity based on what is best for the environment, local and social, and not vice versa.
Trash Separation
Metals, plastics and glass are separated from the rest of the trash to be recycled or reused. Separation containers and information are provided and guests are encouraged to participate in the hostel’s recycling program.
Energy-saving lightbulbs
Too much light at night disturbs the natural rhythm of plant and animal life. Therefore, we use low-intensity, warm-light bulbs with eye-pleasing tones and the majority of the outdoor lights on the property are turned off at 10 pm. Additionally, guests are encouraged to turn off fans and lights when they exit their cabañas.
H2O
Water at The Mudhouse Hostel is not heated nor chemically treated. By doing so, the use of chemicals are lessened and the use of electricity is reduced. Signs are placed in the bathrooms as reminders to use water in a non-wasteful manner. For drinking, guests are offered purified drinking water from reusable containers, from which they can refill their own water bottles.
Shared Shopping Bags
Heavy-duty reusable shopping bags are available for guests to borrow. For all other plastic bags, a container is provided and guests are encouraged to recycle clean, undamaged bags which the hostel will later reuse for trash collection.