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Responsible tourism
Our Code Of Care For Our Part Of New Zealand
At Esk Valley
Lodge we believe in protecting the wonderful environment of our
country. We understand that all businesses create environmental and
social impact through their activities. Due to our rural location –
and consequent lack of city services – sustainability is not an option
but a necessity. Through our efforts we are proud to be associated
with Organic Explorer
(www.organicexplorer.co.nz
)
and Ecohotels of
the world
(http://www.ecohotelsoftheworld.com/)
Here
are some of the ways we are being active in maintaining our clean and
green New Zealand environment
·
Our Food
·
Our bacon is from
a free range local pig (from just up Hill Rd) and is cured locally
and our eggs are from our own chickens
· The majority of our
fruit and vegetables – from Rhubarb to Orange juice – comes from our
own plants.
· The jams, honeys and chutneys are
overwhelmingly from local Esk Valley or Hawkes Bay producers.
· We buy other food e.g honeys,
sauces, cheeses in bulk and refill our own containers to reduce waste
packaging
Our Water
·
The
water supply is collected from rainwater on the roof. It is then
twice filtered and treated with UV light without the use of chemicals.
· To conserve water toilets are
fitted with a dual flush system and showers are low throughput.
· Waste water passes into
septic tank system and eventually finds its way into the garden.
· We
use natural and biodegradable cleaners and detergents
· We use Enjo and other micro
fibre cleaning fibres to reduce chemical use.
Our Waste
·
Tins, glass,
plastics, paper and cardboard are all recycled ;
· The chickens and worm farm love
the scraps from the kitchen Bulk vegetable matter and garden waste
composted and returned to the garden.
· We purchase materials with minimal
wrapping.
The net result is
that only a half filled rubbish bag is produced each week. Our guests
can help by putting newspapers, bottles, cans and leaflets alongside
the bins in the room or in a separate bin for later recycling..
Our
Energy
·
Our hot water tank
is heated by the log burner in winter.
· We use renewable home grown wood
for our two wood burners and energy efficient heat pumps in the rest
of the house.
· Incandescent bulbs are being
replaced by CFL and other low energy bulbs where possible.
· The great majority of our washing
is ‘air-dry’ – outside and/or in.
· We monitor energy use
electronically through the “Centameter” and manual readings.
The net result of this is that our Carbon
Footprint (as measured by CarboNZero ) for the year ending 31 May 2008
was just over 3 tons of C02, and 2.8 tons for 31 May 2009.
Our guests can help by turning of lights, TV s
and other appliances when not in use.
Our Environment
·
We
encourage bird and insect life by planting suitably and steering away
from harmful chemical use in the garden.
· We use mechanical cultivation to
control weeds and preserve the soil structure.
· We use recycled wood products.
The vast majority of the wooden features in Esk Valley Lodge including
the wardrobes, bookshelves and tables are made from recycled Rimu
(native New Zealand wood) and much of it was from the wood recovered
in the renovations 5 years ago.
We reduce some
adverse effects through buying wisely, locally if possible which in a
very small way reduces carbon emissions from transport and also using
resources efficiently and disposing of waste responsibly.
· We have a commitment to improving
our environmental performance in every area of our business.
We think before we buy.
We think before we use.
We think before we discard.
So
all in all we are doing are best to conserve our environment.
However, we’re sure we can do better – so any suggestions you may have
would be welcome! 
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