The Lake Tahoe Basin is a host to quaint mountain towns, unique experiences, and endless outdoor recreation. With tourism continuously at the forefront of Lake Tahoe communities, progressive environmental efforts are essential towards the sustainability of keeping the Lake Tahoe Basin clean, clear, and environmentally friendly.
Many Tahoe-based businesses are deeply committed to not only providing a special experience for their guests, but also giving back and contributing towards the sustainability of Lake Tahoe’s ever-changing environment. Lake Tahoe’s environment is at the forefront of many businesses in the communities that encompass the Lake Tahoe Basin, and some local businesses are taking proactive strides in sustaining and creating a better, cleaner, and greener Lake Tahoe.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
SUGARED
SUGARED, a skincare studio based in South Lake Tahoe, was built upon a foundation of bridging the gap in the beauty industry between the environment and hair removal and skincare. Initially opened in 2014, owner and founder of SUGARED, Hawley Lopes, has always had a deep passion for contributing back to planet Earth. The skincare studio offers a natural alternative to waxing, known as body sugaring. The sugar paste is simply just that – sugar, lemon, and water, with no extra parabens or fillers; making it the perfect solution for those with sensitive skin and for the planet. Given the three components of the sugar paste, it is 100% biodegradable. Along with sugar paste for hair removal, SUGARED also offers only organic skincare and beauty services, utilizing products from top line green beauty brands such as Eminence Organic Skincare and Sorella Apothecary. Along with the skincare services offered, SUGARED also takes it a step further with being environmentally friendly, with thoughtful tactics implemented each day such as the use of recyclable disposable gloves, and utilizing environmentally-friendly, free and clear laundry soap.
With SUGARED being one of the few Green Certified Spas in South Lake Tahoe, it is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and indulge in some self care, whilst also indulging in assisting the sustainability of Lake Tahoe and planet Earth, as well.
Clearly Tahoe
Clearly Tahoe is a full-service touring and rental company with four different locations throughout South Lake Tahoe and Incline Village, Nev. The touring company offers a variety of guided tours and rentals, including the first of its kind clear kayak tours, electric bike rentals, paddle-board tours and rentals, guided snowshoe tours, and private charter tours. Initially offering the first clear kayak boat tours in the area, Clearly Tahoe’s mission has always been deeply connected and rooted within the mountains of the Lake Tahoe Basin. “Clearly Sustainable,” is the rental company’s mission towards providing unique recreational experiences with guests, while also providing exceptional customer service and instilling eco-friendly practices every day within the company. Offering a distinct way to explore Lake Tahoe in clear kayaks, Clearly Tahoe’s sustainable concept is designed to “give back with every paddle that touches the water.”
All of the tours that Clearly Tahoe offers are mindful of the secondary task of monitoring the spread of invasive plants and animals, as well as planning and implementing trash removal in an attempt to keep Lake Tahoe and the shores as clear as possible. Environmental education, research and development, trash and waste removal, sustainability, local fundraisers, eco-friendly practices, and community involvement are all at the forefront of Clearly Tahoe’s mission to keep Tahoe beautiful.
Free Bird Café
Free Bird Café opened in South Lake Tahoe with the initial goal being to bring the best authentic, ethically-sourced coffee and food options to the community. Aaron Abrams, original founder of Free Bird Café, realized that there was a gap in South Lake Tahoe’s coffee market years ago, and discovered how to make traditional Indian Chai during his travels years prior, utilizing 100% real, organic ingredients and spices; leading to him bringing the beloved staple, Free Bird’s famous Chai, to the South Lake Tahoe community.
Free Bird takes their sustainability efforts seriously, by creating a meaningful menu with thoughtful, organic offerings and ingredients for café patrons. The café and coffee shop prides itself on not only offering their famous, locally created Chai, but also only offering the best ingredients for their other menu items that are sourced ethically from local farmers. Free Bird Café also proactively looks to work with other local roasters in the community, taking on a collaborative approach in the coffee and café industry. Built on a passion for ethical and green practices, many Tahoe locals would agree that Free Bird Café is an essential stop on your next visit to Lake Tahoe.
NORTH LAKE TAHOE / TRUCKEE
RMU Truckee
Rocky Mountain Underground, also known as RMU Truckee, was founded upon a deep passion and interest for learning more about skiing, skis, and ski design. Mike Waesche, founder of RMU, began researching the process of how skis were manufactured, along with researching the process, equipment, and materials necessary for this process. RMU was born in a garage in Summit County, Col., and after several years of “underground” ski production, the manufacturer gained rapid momentum, blowing up into the international brand it’s now famously known as in the ski industry today.
With now three locations in Whistler, Breckenridge, and now Truckee, RMU has become a locals-favorite in the North Lake Tahoe community. While the company was founded upon the manufacturing of ski equipment, RMU Truckee offers a full-service interactive bar and grill in the heart of Truckee, Calif. Offering food, beverage, and retail, the location is one of the few green-certified businesses in the Placer County region through the California Green Business Network. RMU has taken proactive measures to instill sustainability in their practices, with low-flow toilets, energy-efficient lightbulbs, and ethically sourced food products for their menu. As a whole, the company is also continuously evolving and working towards creating a sustainable, while predictable, foundation for RMU employees to own a piece of the RMU business; something that is very rare in outdoor industry-based businesses. After an employee’s three-year anniversary at RMU, they are invited to participate in being part-owner in the RMU brand, to further deepen their passion for the business, the industry, and the environmental efforts that RMU takes to create a better future for the ski industry, and Truckee community.
Granlibakken
A step back to classic Lake Tahoe, Granlibakken Tahoe is a ski resort in Tahoe City, Calif.. Initially founded in 1922, Granlibakken has held a large piece of Lake Tahoe’s history. Coined as “Greenlibakken” by the California Certified Green Business Network, the resort understands that continuous, sustainable efforts are necessary and important to continue creating the rich history that the resort has for the past 100 years.
The resort’s green goals include improving, restoring, and managing the natural habitat surrounding them, conserving water and energy, reducing their waste stream, and actively promoting awareness and education on leading greener lifestyles to both their guests and employees. While the ski resort has a rich history in the Lake Tahoe community, Granlibakken is eager to work towards a better, sustainable, Lake Tahoe to continue to foster mountain memories for their guests for decades to come.
Mountain Lotus Yoga Studio + Mountain Lotus Provisions
2 Locations – Truckee & Tahoe City
Mountain Lotus Yoga Studio is a yoga and pilates studio that offers in-studio classes at their two locations in historic downtown Truckee and at their lakefront location in Tahoe City, as well as paddleboard yoga during the summer season, private classes, and customized massage services. Mountain Lotus is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and environmentally-friendly space within the Lake Tahoe community.
Within the yoga studio’s business operations, Mountain Lotus Yoga Studio has taken proactive measures such as implementation of solar panels, outfitting both of their locations with a 2000 Watt solar panel system outside and efficient, infrared heating inside. With this implementation, the Truckee studio’s heated yoga and pilates classes are capable of a net-zero carbon footprint on sunny days. Mountain Lotus Yoga Studio is also very thoughtful in their other green practices, including utilizing eco-friendly cleaning products, water-saving toilets and showers, and the branded clothing that the studio offers for retail is sustainably sourced, made from fair trade organic cotton and hemp, consciously manufactured and printed in the United States.
Along with their yoga and pilates studios, Mountain Lotus has also expanded into offering an environmentally-conscious dining option. Mountain Lotus Provisions, is a “food truck with a plant slant.” The mobile food cart, is bringing bold, pacific-rim inspired food to the Truckee community, with the overall mission being to bring locally sourced, organic, “plant-slanted” cuisine to the community.
Making the lake-wide effort
League to Save Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s strongest ally, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, is a nonprofit organization that is entirely devoted to protecting and restoring the environmental health, sustainability, and beauty of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Involved in the Lake Tahoe community landscape for decades, the League to Save Lake Tahoe has always proactively advocated for the Lake Tahoe Basin, utilizing science and innovation to continuously work towards protecting Lake Tahoe.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe operates upon six core values in their organization to continue to build upon and create a better vision for Lake Tahoe.
- Solutions-based: The League takes an active role in protecting Lake Tahoe by identifying environmental threats and advocating for solutions.
- Credibility: The League never stops learning and expanding their knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance future practices.
- Professionalism: The League treats the community, collaborators, and environment with respect during and outside of their work.
- Balance: The League takes advantage of the beauty and recreational opportunities that Lake Tahoe has to offer to continuously refresh and re-inspire their work.
- Proactive: The League is continuously, proactively seeking out innovative solutions for the future protection of Lake Tahoe.
- Transparency: The League is committed to explaining openly how and why their research and positions on the sustainability of Lake Tahoe is of the best interest for future protection of Lake Tahoe.
Along with the organization’s core values, the League to Save Lake Tahoe is continuously expanding their knowledge and research, tackling sustainability efforts headfirst. Some of the core campaigns that the nonprofit avidly works on for a clean, blue Lake Tahoe include tackling invasive species to protect and restore Lake Tahoe’s delicate ecology, combating pollution to keep Tahoe healthy and pristine, and advance restoration, to continuously ensure that Tahoe is resilient in the face of extreme wildfire and the climate crisis.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe takes progressive measures to implement these three core campaigns, including invasive weed removal, the interactive Citizens Science program, a program designed where visitors to Lake Tahoe can directly report invasive species on their phones to notify the nonprofit, the Tahoe Blue Crew, composed of 120+ volunteer teams who have removed over 15,000 pounds of litter from the Lake Tahoe-Truckee area in the past several years, alternative transportation resources, to mitigate the traffic impacts that occur on the surrounding roads of Lake Tahoe by decreasing sediment runoff into Lake Tahoe, and many more.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe is the Lake Tahoe Basin’s biggest advocate for continued sustainability and keeping Tahoe blue.
While these businesses are continuously contributing to adopting environmentally-friendly business practices, there are many other businesses that are doing their part to contribute towards the sustainability of Lake Tahoe’s environment. Practices such as recycling, clean product utilization, and ethically-sourced products are all trending tactics that have been adopted by many local businesses to contribute towards a better Lake Tahoe for years to come.