This Earth Day, we’re taking a closer look at how sustainability shows up across Backroads, from how we operate behind the scenes to how we design our trips and how we show up in the communities where we live, work and explore.
We don’t think of responsible travel as just one initiative. We are taking a holistic approach by making choices every day to reduce our impact and support the places that make our trips possible.
Curious how that comes to life? Here are a few of the ways we’re putting sustainability into action across our operations, on trip and throughout our global community.
Expanding Our Give Back Program
One of the things we’re most proud of is our Give Back Field Project (GBFP) program. Backroads’ Give Back projects empower Trip Leaders and Field Staff to create meaningful impact in the regions we visit. Since launching the program last year, we’ve completed 21 projects across 19 of our regions, contributing over 500 volunteer hours and $40,000 in community support. From nonprofit donations in the Azores for coastal resilience education to public trail cleanups in Norway, these projects allow us to give back to the communities that welcome us.
On Trip: Supporting Local Changemakers
We also design our trips to elevate meaningful work happening in the communities that we visit. On Backroads’ Tahiti trips, guests step into the inspiring work of Coral Gardeners, witnessing the future of reef restoration firsthand. Through this experience, travelers connect with a hands-on conservation initiative that empowers local communities to protect their reefs for generations to come.
We’re also proud to work with hotels that are actively making a difference in their communities. On our South Africa & Botswana Active Safari Trips, guests stay at the Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Retreat, which hosts a cedar tree nursery site for local nonprofit Sustainable Ceder. Backroads also directly supports Sustainable Ceder’s work with the local community to restore cedar trees and protect the extraordinary landscape where we travel. Read more about the project here.
Training Leaders to Protect the Places We Travel
Backroads is renowned for our Trip Leader and Field Staff training. After all, our Leaders are one of the reasons why guests love traveling with us. But did you know that all Backroads leaders in North America complete Leave No Trace training, too? Guided by principles rooted in conservation science, Leave No Trace allows all North American Trip Leaders to navigate public lands with respect.
Sourcing Better Materials
Did you know our European bike tires are made with dandelion rubber? It’s a more sustainable, locally sourced alternative to traditional natural rubber and helps reduce transport emissions and reliance on tropical sourcing. Even better, it delivers performance benefits too, offering a noticeably grippier ride on the road. This is just one example of the ways we’re purposefully sourcing better materials for our operations. We’re also committed to reducing the outdoor industry’s dependence on fossil fuels by sourcing petroleum-free products for materials like bike bottles and bike maintenance lube.
Reducing Waste Across Our Operations
Every year, we have gear that needs to be retired and food left over from trips. Through training provided to Trip Leaders and Field Staff, we established operational-level methods to more accurately estimate required food, supplies and gear. As a result, in 2025 we were able to reduce waste by recycling 2,706 pounds of retired gear with TerraCycle, and our expanded composting efforts led to a 230 percent increase in participation across 16 of our regions.
Electrifying Our Van Fleet
This year, we’re excited to take a step forward in reducing our transportation footprint. We’ve introduced 118 plug-in hybrid vehicles across our European operations alongside new EV charging infrastructure at our campus in Pernes, France. We’re also testing fully electric vehicles in select regions, from the Canyons in Utah to routes across Europe, to better understand how electric mobility can support our trips in the future.
Looking Ahead
These efforts are just a slice of a broader commitment to responsible travel. As we continue to learn and evolve, our goal remains the same: to create incredible travel experiences while helping protect the people, places and communities that make them possible. Read more on our Responsible Travel page.
