Sustainability

Winners of SEEDA Rural Business of the Year 2005 for Sustainability.

March 2008  1066 Business Award

                  Sustainable/Eco Business of the Year

We are proud to announce our passion about environmental issues and over the last 5 years we have done the following to make our small contribution to make our carbon footprint on the planet.

• We actively promote our Environmental Policy for all our guests to see on the back of the bedroom doors.
• We have had 8 solar panels installed on the roof to heat all the domestic hot water. It is a fallacy to believe we only need the sun to shine to make the solar panels effective, daylight - even in the winter time-woks to heat the water, thus reducing the need to burn oil to heat water.
• Changed from septic tank to mains sewage
• Use hippo bags in all the WCs that do not have a dual flush system thus reducing water usage after each flush.
• Replaced a domestic washing machine for a semi-professional one that takes a bigger load and has a water/weight sensor, thus reducing water usage.
• Use eco balls in the washing machine and not using harmful detergents.
• Use Ecover products for cleaning the WCs and washing up.
• Have a log burning fire in one of the lounges that burns sustainable wood.

Recycling

• All the bedroom glossy magazines are given to the Conquest Hospital, Hastings.
• Newspapers/cans/plastics are sorted and recycled and glass is taken to the local collection point.
• Partially used guest toiletries and soaps are given to the Hastings Salvation Army for the Homeless.
• Replacement furniture/towels/linen/soft furnishings as above.
• Unused bread and toast to neighbour's ducks
• Compost all garden waste.
• X3 rain water butts for use in the garden.
• Use re-cycled paper for correspondence/menus and request recycled card and paper from the printers for promotional items.
• Shred all paper with guest/personal/business details on and use it to light the fire.

General

• We source all local produce for breakfast and evening meals and aim to use all local trades people for services within the business.
• Use neighbour's supply of soft fruits and vegetables to make preserves and chutneys.
• Where we cannot get local produce we try to buy Fairtrade products coffee/tea/roses/bananas.
• Buy a locally made guest soap in kilo blocks and cut it to the size we want. It has no packaging so cuts down on land fill waste, and is made from local goat's milk.
• When we do turn down service we turn off any lights left on and encourage guests to turn down central heating at the thermostats if not necessary.
• When we take a booking we ask guests to opt out of an additional £1.00 per adult charge which we give as an annual cheque to the Woodland Trust. They on our behalf, go into primary schools and educate children about the need to plant trees, and the outcome is that the children then plant coppices with your donation. A small charge for a big difference.

The Future

Because we are so passionate about the environment this is not the end but the beginning and as new environmental products become more readily available without having to put the B&B rate up to accommodate the charges, we will embrace them. However, we are already collecting data for wind power and setting up a wind generator to supply ours and our guest's needs. Watch this space!!