Siel Debouver, PR and Content Manager at Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia shared with us the inspirational initiatives and practices that led to EcoCamp Patagonia winning a Gold Responsible Tourism accolade in the 2025 LATA Latin America Responsible Tourism Awards for Waste Management.
Cascada Expediciones is a Chilean tour operator that has been offering adventure travel programs in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia since 1991.
In 2001, the company created EcoCamp Patagonia a sustainable dome hotel located in Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. Its mission is best summed up by the phrase: come together in harmony with nature. EcoCamp Patagonia promises to give guests the opportunity to connect with nature, and with one another, through extraordinary travel experiences, including one-day and multi-day hikes, cultural encounters in Patagonia, and wildlife watching. After their adventures, guests can unwind at the cozy dome hotel, which intentionally does not offer Wi-Fi in order to encourage deeper human connection.
What are you taking responsibility for?
“We recognize that travel has an impact on our planet, and we take full responsibility for reducing our environmental footprint and minimizing our impact on the surrounding area.
“Living and operating in a pristine, remote area comes with responsibilities. Through a variety of initiatives, we strive to protect the environment and its unique ecosystems. These efforts include building energy-efficient hotel structures, generating electricity from renewable sources, offsetting our CO₂ emissions by investing in green projects, supporting local organizations dedicated to preserving Chile’s natural environment and biodiversity, and collaborating with local partners. Another key part of our sustainability efforts is how we manage waste: we reduce, reuse, recycle, and upcycle as much as possible.”
Why are you doing this?
“Sustainability has been at the core of our values and beliefs since we founded EcoCamp Pataonia in 2001. We have a deep love for nature and are fully committed to protecting it. By leading by example, we aim to inspire our guests to become more aware of the beauty and fragility of the environment and to take sustainable actions in their own lives.
“When it comes to waste management, it’s important to understand that our hotel is located in a remote national park, nearly at the end of the world. There are no centralized waste treatment systems available for organizations operating in the area. Moreover, very few companies or institutions in the region specialize in waste processing. As a result, we’ve had to design and implement our own waste management strategies and initiatives to minimize our impact and handle waste responsibly.”
What are you doing?
Our waste management system consists of several components:
Recycling:
“We separate Tetra Pak, glass, metal, plastic, and cardboard into designated bins. These materials are then sent to a recycling center in Punta Arenas, which collaborates with other companies specializing in recycling specific materials. While transporting waste may not seem environmentally friendly, recycling facilities are scarce in remote locations like Torres del Paine, making on-site processing challenging.
“However, we do recycle vegetables, fruit, and other compostable organic waste on-site. The waste is mixed, moistened, and laid out to dry under plastic. Once dried, it becomes compost for our greenhouse, enriching the soil for our vegetables. Food scraps that cannot be composted, such as meat, rice, and pasta, are given to a local supplier who uses them to feed her pigs. We also weigh all collected waste to track changes in the amount we produce over time.”
Upcycling:
“We give new life to certain types of waste by repurposing them creatively. For example, we use composting toilets. Waste from the toilets accumulates in composting chambers, where solid and liquid waste are separated. Solid waste is mixed with wood chips and heated to sustain microorganisms, activating the composting process. Liquids pass through a filtration chamber, are purified, and seep into the ground. The resulting compost is used for soil regeneration and as fertilizer for our flowers.
“We also try to turn unused materials into new products. For instance, old towels are repurposed as cleaning cloths, and worn-out curtains are transformed into reusable bags for transporting clothing, helping us avoid using plastic bags.
“Additionally, we’ve partnered with a supplier who transforms recycled glass into candle holders and with Ecocitex, an organization that repurposes our employees’ used clothing into new products such as blankets, stuffed animals, and hats.”
Reducing Waste
“We actively work to reduce waste by providing our guests with reusable lunchboxes. Each morning, they receive a metal lunchbox, which they can fill with a variety of delicious food at the hotel. At the end of the day, after their excursion, they return the empty lunchbox so we can wash and reuse it the next day.
“For dinner, guests choose between three options for the starter, main course, and dessert. This system allows us to prepare the exact number of portions needed, helping to minimize food waste.”
Protecting natural ecosystems:
“Since EcoCamp is located in a remote area, there is no public water, sewage, or electricity network to connect to. That’s why guests use composting toilets.
“Employees use conventional toilets, but we have a biofiltration system to treat wastewater. The water passes through a biofilter of multiple layers, including gravel, wood chips, and worms, which help decontaminate the water. The cleaned water is then safely returned to the ground.
“We also provide biodegradable shampoo in all domes.”
What is the impact?
“As part of our waste management efforts, we track and measure the amount of waste we produce. From September 2024 to February 2025, we recycled 36,000 kg of waste and upcycled 127 kg of clothing in collaboration with Ecocitex.
“But our sustainability efforts go far beyond waste management. Each of our domes is built with a semi-spherical design that minimizes exterior surface area, helping to reduce temperature exchange through the walls. This structure uses 30% less surface area than traditional buildings and requires 30% less energy for heating and cooling. Our Standard Domes can also be dismantled without leaving a trace on the environment.
“Another example of the impact of our environmental commitment is that 90% of our energy comes from renewable sources, including hydropower and solar panels.
“We hope to inspire our guests through our actions and encourage them to take sustainable steps in their own lives. Every day, during our EcoTour, guests are invited for a behind-the-scenes look at how our hotel operates and how we apply sustainability in practice.”
Image credit: Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia
Explore the detailed 2025 ICRT LATA Responsible Tourism Award Citations here: : LATA Responsible Tourism Awards
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