Sustainability

Regenerative & Sustainable Tourism Commitment

Sounds Connection is dedicated to providing an exceptional visitor experience in Marlborough and beyond while also contributing to the prosperity of Aotearoa New Zealand's tourism sector and supporting the well-being of industry workers. We recognise that we must protect and enhance the physical and social environment on which our business depends. We see sustainability as a journey that will improve with time and experience. Every industry has environmental impacts, but we are committed towards minimising ours.

We continuously strive to enhance various aspects of our operations, including customer experience, sustainable business practices, and company culture. Guided by our values Sounds Connection is committed to delivering outstanding experiences. The company has been recognised with the prestigious Qualmark Silver Accreditation annually highlighting our commitment to sustainable tourism practices. In terms of environmental practices, Sounds Connection prioritises small group travel to reduce environmental impact and collaborates and plans routes with logistics in mind to reduce our carbon footprint.

Our company also focuses on recycling, reducing waste, and using refurbished electronic equipment to minimize its ecological footprint. Additionally, Sounds Connection supports various environmental initiatives and community projects, including The  Enviro Hub, Dawn Chorus and Winery Wetland Creation. 
Furthermore, Sounds Connection actively engages with the local community by building lasting relationships and supporting local organisations, (eg Waitohi Softball Teams, Tokomaru Netball Club, events, and charities. We are involved in groups like the Destination Marlborough Trade Marketing Group and Marlborough Conventions and Incentives Planning, offering discounted rates and gift vouchers for schools, community events and fundraisers. We encourage our staff members to participate in community activities, such as environmental conservation efforts and volunteering.  

Sustainable Business Practices

• Epic small group travel experiences because size matters, the less the merrier – small group travel puts less pressure on the environment, infrastructure and resources.
• We re-use, reduce and recycle wherever possible with mixed and glass recycling available at our vehicle base and office. We also encourage our customers to recycle. 
• By moving our reservation and accounting systems to online cloud-based services we have significantly reduced our paper use.
• We share our office with other companies reducing the consumption of resources and electricity.
• We always source refurbished electronic equipment rather than buying new; batteries are recycled and rechargeable devices are used whenever possible.
• We are updating our vehicles and ensuring full maintenance in the off-season to ensure the efficiency of vehicles. We use Adblue to ensure cleaner emissions from our vehicles.
• Vehicles are regularly maintained to a high-performing fuel-efficient standard.
• We are a gold contributor to The Link pathway 
• We support initiatives that aim to give back to the environment and local community such as Envirohub Marlborough and Picton Dawn Chorus. These will need more help as Jobs for Nature Ceases and funding becomes more difficult to access. 
• We purchase as locally as possible and use sustainable suppliers where possible. When our tours require a stop for lunch or food, we will always go to one of the locally-owned food providers in the communities that we visit. 

Sustainability Pledges

To think before we buy – informed buying decisions can help us reduce the amount of raw materials used in manufactured goods, eliminate air and land pollution, cut waste volumes, support local businesses and encourage good employment practices. We ensure that we support local businesses by buying products that are made locally, and by having all our vehicles serviced and maintained by local companies. We are working to ensure that all products we buy are environmentally friendly and that we only buy them when strictly necessary.

To think before we use – efficient use of energy, water, office products, fuel and other resources ensures our business reduces its environmental impact. We have invested in booking systems that allow us to do the entire booking through email, and have used this and other technology to reduce the use of paper in our office. Rather than using a hose continuously we wash our vehicle fleet by filling a bucket of water, and any water bottles left on our buses (you would be surprised at how many are left behind!) are added to the bucket. We ensure that all computers and electrical appliances are switched off/shut down at the end of the day to help save power. We ensure that our vehicles are running at peak performance and are well maintained.

To think before we discard – we recycle as much waste as possible to help reduce air and land pollution and reduce the amount going into landfills. We sort recyclable materials left on our vehicles, boats and from the office, and reuse where possible. Batteries and oil from our buses are reused safely and efficiently.

To educate and grow – happy, well-informed staff are crucial to our business success and the tourist experience. Our business will train staff to make customers/guests aware of what we’re doing and inform them about how they can actively participate in aiding our environmental sustainability. We ensure drivers optimise travel routes to reduce mileage, fuel use and vehicle maintenance needs, and ensure that clients know to dispose of rubbish in an environmentally friendly way, or give it to the driver to put in our recyclables or to discard appropriately.

To commit to legal compliance & monitoring – our business ensures compliance with relevant environmental legislation and regulations, and other requirements to which we subscribe. For example, we are regularly audited by Qualmark. Qualmark provides evidence that a business has been independently validated as a quality tourism business. It provides instant recognition for customers that you will receive a quality experience.

Our Community & Environmental Involvement

Sounds Connection is part of the wider community. We live and work in Marlborough and care about the region and its locals. As such we are supportive of local schools, sports groups, community groups, and events, providing fundraising opportunities and sponsorship wherever possible. We are also strong supporters of local environmental projects.

Our Harbours

Each year Sounds Connection supports the Picton and Waikawa Harbour Clean-up, supplying a boat for the divers and other volunteers heading out to clear the seabed of bottles and other rubbish. Keeping our local waters clean is crucial to our business but also to our community.

Our Waterways

We have also been proud to support the wonderful regeneration of the Para Wetlands near Picton. The 122-hectare wetland is the largest in the region, and particularly important given Marlborough has lost 97% of its wetlands over the past century. Since 2009 Fish & Game, winemakers Pernod Ricard plus other local businesses and volunteers have been removing the willows that were choking the wetlands and planting over 3500 kahikatea, cabbage trees, flax, coprosma and manuka. The area is already looking remarkably different to ten years ago and has seen an increase in waterfowl, fish, and birdlife as well as promoting native tree regrowth. We look forward to seeing this stunning wetland in another ten years.

You can read more about this project here.

Our Walkways

At Sounds Connection we’re delighted to have become Gold Sponsors of The Link Pathway in 2019. As a financial contributor, we can support the amazing team at The Link Pathway to complete the final stage of the walking/running/cycle track between Havelock, Anakiwa, and Picton. Three kilometres of this 42-kilometre free-to-use track remains unfinished with completion scheduled for early 2020.

The pathway winds through native bush, beech forests, punga and podocarp groves with spectacular views of the Marlborough Sounds. The Link Pathway has been a community initiative with over 40,000 volunteer hours to date and it has already proved to be a wonderful community asset, linking small communities while also providing visitors with access to a stunning slice of paradise.