Here at Tracks & Trails, green is good!   Two of our vendors, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, and Aramark Parks & Resorts, are dedicated to environmental protection, and we are pleased to be able to support their business philosophy.

Xanterra is the nation’s largest park concessioner, with its 31 hotels, 55 retail stores, 68 restaurants, three marinas, 10 golf courses, 1,700 campgrounds, and a cruise line. Xanterra’s mission is to leave a “softer footprint,” and it also has a ‘2015 Environmental Vision’ with goals that relate to energy, carbon emissions, waste, sustainable design, sustainable foods, transportation and water.   If you visit the Grand Canyon, the steam railway there runs on clean-burning, 100% recycled vegetable oil.  Also, collecting rainwater is saving 11,000 gallons of potable water per trip.  At Zion National Park, plastic water bottles have been banned because newly-installed hydration systems have been installed.  The initiative immediately took 30,000 plastic bottles out of the park’s waste stream.  Death Valley National Park employs the largest solar photovoltaic system in the tourism industry, and generates enough electricity to supply Furnace Creek Resort with 100% of its power during the day.  Eleven of the old diesel-powered buses at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park have been replaced with new clean-burning, compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered buses.

Aramark Parks and Resorts has developed and implemented a long-term environmental stewardship program called Green Thread, named because it weaves throughout their daily business operations.  Policies have been utilized which include:  sustainable food, using local, organic foods and sustainable seafood; responsible procurement (copy paper is minimum 30% post-consumer content); green buildings (solar panels, natural lighting and reclaimed wood); energy and water conservation in the form of xeriscaping, ozone laundry system, and CFL light bulbs; transportation which minimizes shuttle runs and times and hybrid technology; and waste stream management – recycle, reduce, reuse.   Recycle trailers allow clients to recycle plastic, glass, aluminum and cardboard.  Packaging has also been minimized.  Delivery boxes are reused for future deliveries and all paper products on the properties are recycled.

Call (800) 247-0970 to chat about your next RV trip with one of our friendly trip consultants, and ask them to keep it green!