If you like spending time in the great outdoors, you probably care about protecting it too. We feel the same way. That’s why when you stay in a Pacific Yurt, you’re able to enjoy the beauty of nature without leaving a heavy footprint on it. 

For us, sustainability isn’t just a policy, it’s at the core of everything we do. Here’s a small window into how our commitment to the environment shapes every stage of our business.   

We’re Serious About Minimizing Waste

Since the beginning, we’ve never been a fan of buying more than you need. Much of our lumber is proudly and directly sourced from Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) managed forests, and we only take the exact amount required for each yurt component. 

We don’t just stop there though – we like to get creative with our recycling initiatives too. For example, any excess lumber that we don’t end up using to build our yurts is instead used to build our shipping crates. And even this excess lumber brings the heat in terms of quality. Over the years, we’ve heard from a number of customers who have used wood from our shipping crates to build beautiful furniture for their homes and yurts.

Of course, there’s no avoiding certain byproducts in the yurt-making process, but we’ve found ways to address those as well. We donate all our wood scraps and end cuts to local craftsmen and homeowners with wood-burning fireplaces, while gardeners and horse owners are always happy to get our sawdust. We also use any fabric scraps from our polyester side covers to craft shopping and duffel bags. If it’s a byproduct from our business, you can safely assume we’ve thought of a way to recycle it.

We Avoid Pollution Wherever Possible

Along with reducing waste, we do our best to eliminate pollution throughout our manufacturing process. Today, at least 25% of the electricity used in our facilities is powered by wind energy, and we rely on an abundance of natural lighting to limit electricity usage. Our wood shop, fabric shop, and office also participate in a cardboard and paper recycling program.

Additionally, we recognize how harmful typical wood staining practices can be both to the environment and to a person’s health, which is why we use a low-VOC oil stain on all of our wood components. Each piece is stained by hand instead of atomized or sprayed to reduce air pollution, then left to air dry over metal trays that capture drippings. This system has allowed us to keep countless metric tons of pollution out of our land and skies. In fact, when we consulted with OSHA to appraise our staining area, they praised our environmental consciousness and commitment to protecting our team’s health. 

We Make Sustainability an Integral Part of Our Culture

Sustainability has been ingrained in our culture since day one. And for many of us, it’s not just a framework we follow at work, but at home as well. Several of our employees use scrap wood from the shop to heat their homes, and many of us love camping, glamping, and backpacking on our days off. 

We do all this not just to protect the natural world we love so much, but to offer other environmentally conscious folks the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a unique, sustainable, and fun way. We want our yurts to make a lasting impression on you, but not on the Earth.

Imagine Your Eco-Friendly Getaway

There’s nothing quite like staying in a yurt, especially one lovingly crafted by our team. Explore our range of quickship yurts up close here, or let your imagination run wild with our interactive 3D Yurt Builder.