Sustainability and Ecotourism
Our environmental responsibilities and sustainability
BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is a welcome haven for guests seeking a sustainable and environmentally conscious holiday.
We are proudly Ecotourism Australia Certified, recognised as meeting global standards and committing to best environmental practices. As an Ecotourism Australia operator based within the Great Barrier Reef region, we understand the importance of preserving and protecting the area’s ecosystems and natural resources, and to inform our guests of potential impacts and how they can make a difference. Our Environmental Management Plan is updated annually and following our Ecotourism site audits.
We are also proud of our commitment to decarbonise our operations, with emissions and climate reporting recorded in our Emissions Reduction Plan. Through the Australian Tourism Industry Council, and developed in partnership with Carbonhalo, the Tourism Emissions Reduction Commitment program allows BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort to demonstrate our tailored waste and emissions reduction measures, plans and carbon emissions report.
By demonstrating best practice, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is recognised as having exemplary operations in terms of ecological sustainability, natural area management and provision of authentic experiences. With a sustainable ethos and our location at the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, we passionately blend good times and good ethics to offer the perfect escape for all ages!
Who Gives A Crap
We do!! We are proud to say that we now stock all of our cabins with Who Gives A Crap Premium 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper!
These most elegant 100% bamboo toilet rolls are, as quoted by Who Gives A Crap, “as soft and strong as a unicorn’s mane (minus the split ends)!” Unlike most paper products, this toilet paper is made without trees. Did you know that 27,000 trees are cut down daily to make toilet paper?
Who Gives a Crap donates 50% of their profits to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime, to date donating over AUD$18 million! It’s pretty hard to imagine, but right now, 2.3 billion people don’t have access to a toilet. That’s 1 in 3 people. What’s even nuttier is that more people in the world have a mobile phone than a toilet!
For more information, or to purchase your own supply and help change the world just by conducting your daily necessities, visit Who Gives A Crap.
Containers For Change
In addition to the many recycling bins positioned throughout the resort, did you also know that we also have 32 specially designed Containers For Change bins for our guests to place their empty cans and eligible containers for recycling?
Not only do we recycle nearly 3,000 containers per month through Containers for Change, but we also donate all funds to six local organisations, including Whitsunday Fauna Rescue, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, RSPCA Mackay, Proserpine Scouts, Proserpine Community Centre and the Cannonvalley Pony Club.
Containers saved from landfill
330357
Donated to a good cause
$33035
Sun Bum
To keep our guests safe from the sun and our reefs safe from pollution, we proudly stock a range of Sun Bum products for sale. Their “Reef Friendly” sunscreen products are both Oxybenzone free and Octinoxate free, therefore limiting the impact of sunscreen on coral reefs. That’s why we choose Sun Bum!
Simply Clean
We have decided to minimize our plastic footprint and eliminate harmful chemicals from our resort. We have replaced our 20ml plastic sachet of dishwashing liquid and implemented refillable 500ml bottles of the Simply Clean Lemon Myrtle Dishwash Liquid, purchased locally through Airlie Health Hub. These bottles will be refilled as needed from large 15L drums, eliminating the need for hundreds of single-use plastic bottles. Once the drums are empty, Airlie Health Hub will then collect them to repurpose or donate them back into our community.
The concentrated formula is boosted by the natural antibacterial and antifungal power of pure Australian lemon myrtle oil to leave your dishes, cutlery and pans grease-free and squeaky clean.
- Toxin & sensitiser free: Free from sodium lauryl sulfate & sodium laureth sulfate (SLS & SLES), PEGs, parabens, mineral oils, CDE and methylisothiazolinone (CMIT & MIT)
- Phosphate free
- Family safe and earth safe
- No artificial fragrances
- No animal testing or animal products
- Grey water and septic safe
- Palm oil free
Wallaby Water
Started from the bottle, now we’re here
We have now replaced our plastic 500ml water bottles with Wallaby Still Spring Water, in the aluminum refillable bottles. Wallaby Water proudly uses the world’s most recycled and recycle-friendly packaging – 100% of these aluminum bottles and their caps are recyclable until the end of time. Every bottle counts on our journey to fix the world’s plastic problem.
When Wallaby Water launched in June 2019, replacing plastic with the world’s most recycled and most recyclable packaging was just the starting point of their mission. Since launching, Wallaby Water has prevented over 9.5 million plastic bottles from being sold and contaminating our environment, and now it’s time to give back.
Soap Aid
Soap Aid – Making a Difference, One Bar of Soap at a Time!
We’re committed to reducing our environmental impact and supporting communities in need. We’ve already replaced single-use bathroom amenities in our cabins with refillable 500ml shower pumps, and this year, we’re proud to have joined Soap Aid’s Hotel to Hands Program!
Through this program, discarded soap from our cabins is collected, sorted, cleaned and reprocessed into fresh, hygienic bars of soap, which are then distributed to communities in need. Thanks to the support of Plastic Free North Queensland, an independent not-for-profit organisation that helped us identify these reuse initiatives, our housekeeping team is now actively collecting and storing used soaps for @SoapAid.
Since starting in January 2024, we have donated 222kg of soap to create 2,220 new bars—enough to support nearly 46 families for an entire year! Thanks to our incredible team and partners for making this possible. Together, we’re making a positive impact, both locally and globally.
We’re thrilled to share that BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort has been recognised as one of Soap Aid’s Top Champions of 2025. With the support of committed partners like us, Soap Aid has now produced over 4 million recycled soap bars, distributing more than 1.8 million across Australia—including remote and Indigenous communities—helping prevent the spread of hygiene-related diseases such as trachoma and pneumonia.
Every bar of soap we send to Soap Aid has a powerful impact on the children and adults who receive it, while also contributing to environmental sustainability. Hard soap bars, being 100% recyclable and free from plastic packaging, are among the most sustainable amenities our accommodation can offer. By participating in this programme, we are making a meaningful environmental contribution while helping communities globally.
Our environmental aims and objectives:
Ensure compliance with all environmental legislation and requirements.
Identify and minimise all possible environmental risks associated with the operation of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort.
Ensure there are no long term environmental or cultural impacts from the operation of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort.
Minimise the consumption of energy.
Minimise the consumption of water.
Minimise the generation of waste.
Reduce contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience and adaptation to climate change.
Educate our guests and tourists travelling to the Whitsundays on how to reduce their impact by developing their appreciation and understanding.
Support our local tourism partners in contributing to the conservation objectives of the Whitsunday Islands Marine Park.
To source products locally where possible.
To continue to employ local staff.
To partake in local environmental initiatives, including local recycling programs.
To support local flora and fauna.
To monitor and assess environmental opportunities, risks and impacts regularly.
To continue to improve the environmental performance of our operation.
BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is located 5km from Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays, the heart of the Great Barrier Reef and home to the 74 Whitsunday Islands. Set on 26 acres, our gardens add that extra special something to the holiday experience with thousands of plants used to create an enchanting tropical wonderland. Cabins range from simple studio style rooms, through to 3-bedroom Whitehaven Condos, whilst enormous outdoor balconies allow space to soak up the balmy outdoors and garden surrounds. Caravan sites are adored for the serenity and privacy of the individually landscaped gardens surrounding each site.
Flora: The resort’s on-site nursery propagates every plant used throughout the park including rare palms, gingers, heliconia’s and bromeliads. Neem trees have been planted as a native deterrent for sandflies as well as numerous flowering tropical trees and shrubs to attract native butterflies and birdlife.
Fauna: The resort has quite a few beautiful green tree frogs which can usually be spotted at night time and are very important to the local environment. The resident ducks and possums are gorgeous and so friendly, but guests are discouraged from feeding them. Wallabies, bandicoots, scrub turkeys and native birdlife also call the resort home. Whilst snakes are very rare there are some sightings during summer. They are usually harmless tree snakes (green or brown). Dogs or other pets are not allowed to be brought into the resort by guests to ensure the resort’s native animals and bird life is not affected.