Sustainable, eco-friendly B&B
Sustainability is a loaded word that encapsulates a variety of activities and approaches to life. It can inspire visions of worthy people dressed in sack cloth living by candle light, but really, at the simplest level, it is the application of common sense to the knowledge that we are gleaning about how our actions affect the environment we live in. It can also save us a few pennies !
Living sustainably, for us, means acting in way that helps to ensure the continued survival of the community and environment that supports us, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. It also means fostering a sense of place by utilising what the immediate environment and community produce, minimising energy consumption, and minimising waste.
Some methods of dealing with the increased pressure on our natural resources are simple to implement, and are being implemented by many of us daily. Other methods require a little more effort, time and investment, often a combination of all three. Following is a list of some of the things that we are doing at Rezare Farmhouse.
- Buying as much locally sourced produce as possible. This supports and encourages a thriving community from which everyone can benefit. It also cuts down on food miles and the associated pollution.
- Growing as many of our own vegetables and fruit as space, time and energy will allow.
- Encouraging visitors to look around the immediate area rather than travel for miles during the day in the car. This has obvious environmental benefits but also means that you can spend a greater proportion of your day pursuing the whole point of a holiday - relaxation !
- Implementing a resource-conscious policy in the rooms. We ask guests to leave only the towels that have been used in the shower or bath on the morning of departure so that we conserve water and electricity, and to turn off appliances when they are not in use rather than leaving them on standby.
- Buying Fairtrade
- Sourcing electricity from 100% renewable supplies, via Good Energy
- Using Ecover ecological cleaning products
- Fitting energy saving bulbs into as many lights as possible.
- Buying recycled products for the majority of our stationary, from the Green Stationary Company.
- Collecting rainwater from the greenhouse roof in butts for watering the vegetable garden.
- Composting all organic matter, or feeding some of it to the chickens if they have been good girls.
- Making full use of North Cornwall's excellent kerbside collection to recycle all paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, foil etc.
- Monitoring energy, water use and waste on a weekly basis.
- Buying toilet paper and kitchen roll made from 100% organic cotton - a byproduct of the textile industry and completely wood pulp free.
