LIDÖ, SWEDEN - Neste is well known for its renewable energy efforts. Now, the Finnish company has set up the number one destination that tree huggers would surely go over the moon for. Neste has announced the opening of Zero Vacations, an island designed to make one's vacation as sustainable as possible and with minimal emissions.
Robin Falck designed a cabin called Nolla perched on one of Lidö Island's rigid rocks, just outside of Stockholm. The name Nolla translates to "Zero" and is a fitting name as the cabin itself is a sustainable masterpiece. By spending a night in the Nolla cabin, tourists are sure to enjoy a vacation while they are caring for the environment.
Nolla on Zero Vacations is not the first environmentally friendly cabins, the first one is on Vallisari Island, Finland which of course features the same diamond-frame structure which resembles a tent. Both Nolla cabins have solar panels on the roof which energizes the cabin. Cooking and heating are done with the use of renewable diesel from waste and residue. This puts 90% off the greenhouse gas emissions. There is also a Zero menu where food made with sustainable ingredients need not be cooked. The cabin measures 10 square meters or 107 square feet in area and can fit two single beds without any problem at all. It also features a full glass front wall eliminating the need for artificial lighting during the day.
Another feature of the sustainable cabin is its mobility. It can be taken apart and reassembled on a different location. The materials are light-weight making it easy to transport. Falck used adjustable pedestals that ensure the structure could adapt to a number of terrains. Each part is replicable by wood, eliminating the need to discard and opening the possibility for repairs if needed.
Within a year, Neste plans to make the island absolutely fossil free, which is one step closer to Sweden's goal to be completely fossil free by the year 2045. This will include strict implementation and enforcement of proper waste disposal, water management, use of sustainable lighting, and recycling.
Sipra Tuomi, Neste's marketing director, pointed out that a fossil-free future will need a lot of effort and change in one's lifestyle and mindset. Tuomi further explains how the Zero Island project plays an important role in showing people a different perspective on vacation. The need to hop on a plane to travel across the globe for a vacation will be eliminated for locals.
