What is the impact of my Stag or Hen Do?
We are increasingly aware of the impact flights are having on our environment, and we are also increasingly being asked by customers what the impact of their party may be - and if there was anything they can do to help offset it.
We did a few calculations, and with the average return flight to Europe creating approximately 250kg of carbon dioxide per traveller, and an average group size of 14 people, that works out at approx 3,500kg of carbon per party.
Roughly 60% of all stag do's last year were taken abroad, along with around 25% of all hen parties.
The most recent marriage data for the UK shows there are approximately 250,000 marriages a year in the UK (249,793 in 2016 to be precise about the latest data), and our own internal research shows that around 60% of all marriages are celebrated with a stag and hen do.
Following the maths, this calculates out as:
- 300,000 stag and hen parties by UK residents each year.
- 90,000 stag parties going abroad each year.
- 37,500 hen parties going abroad each year.
- 1,260,000 UK men going on stag do's abroad each year.
- 525,000 UK women going on hen parties abroad each year.
- 1,785,000 UK men and women going on stag or hen parties each year.
- 446,250,000 KG of Carbon Dioxide created by UK stag and hen parties each year flying abroad.
Thats a lot of CO2!
How can we help offset it?
According to Green Energy Consulting a broad leaf tree will absorb around 1000kg of carbon dioxide over 100 years. It therefore follows that 446,250 trees planted each year would offset the amount of carbon dioxide produced (although it would take 100 years for those trees to fully absorb that amount).
On an individual level, the production of the 250kg from a single return flight to Europe, could be offset by the planting of a single tree (although it would take 25 years to absorb it).
To this end we want to make people aware of the impact of their stag and hen parties on the environment, and also make them aware that there are simple and easy ways to help realise that offset.
£5 Will pay for the planting and nurture of a tree, which will absorb 1000kg of carbon over its lifetime
World Land Trust
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Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust was set up Kenneth Watkins OBE in 1972 – and has become the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, with over 500,000 members and supporters and more than 1,000 woods of their own. Their mission is create havens for wildlife by planting millions of trees every year, campaign for new laws to protect ancient woodland and restore damaged ancient woods so they can breathe again.
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Established in 1995, the National Forest Company is responsible for leading the creation of the National Forest, working in partnership with landowners, businesses, public, private and voluntary organisations and local communities to deliver and champion the shared vision for the Forest.
