What we do

What we do...

As a family friendly hotel in a fantastic natural environment, we care about the world and what we do to protect and enhance it, ensuring that we can pass it onto our children. With this in mind we aim to make Bedruthan as sustainable as possible: please see below for examples of some of the things we do...

...to save energy

• We have key cards for all of our bedrooms which operate the electricity
• We use low energy light bulbs throughout the hotel
• The public washrooms have sensor operated lights
• We have solar panels which heat the outdoor pool
• Grass roofs provide additional insulation
• We have a fridge-heat recapturing system which uses the waste energy from our kitchen fridges to heat water; the energy saved by the one initiative is equivalent to 3250 full kettles of water each day or 40 full baths each day.

...to save water

• We have small cisterns with dual flushes on toilets
• Taps have aerators
• We reuse rain water runoff from the roof of our Ocean Spa to flush the toilets
• We have a towel and linen change policy whereby guests are asked to request new towels or fresh linen as they need it (we do not automatically change these items every day) this one policy has significantly cut down the amount of water and energy being used, and also minimises our detergent use.

...to help the environment

Sections of our grounds have been left to grow into wild flower areas to encourage local wildlife such as butterflies, moths, lizards and small mammals. Many of these creatures are becoming scarce and we are hoping to increase the local population.

In our restaurant, as well as making best use of local seasonal produce in our menus, we have moved away from individually packaged items such as jams and sugars and have replaced them with delicious locally made produce presented in refillable containers. Our kitchen deliveries now also arrive in reusable crates. We are constantly reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.

We recycle all that we can; paper, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, plastics, cellophane, metal, tins, cans, glass, corks, CDs, mobile phones, printer cartridges, batteries, furniture, textiles, even sun loungers! We also have 7 on-site compost bins for kitchen waste, old flower arrangements, shredded office documents, etc.

As sponsors, we clean our local beach, Mawgan Porth, four times a year with help from staff, guests and locals. We also support a number of local charities, including The Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Surfers Against Sewage.

...to help our local community and economy

• We have a buy local policy which governs the process by which we purchase all items for the hotel ensuring that we are promoting local businesses and putting money back into our local economy
• We aim to buy a minimum of 70% of all food from local suppliers, ensuing that we can provide a delicious, seasonal, high quality menu year round
• Local residents are invited to use our gym, spa and restaurant and we often have offers specifically aimed at those that live locally
• Local businesses are invited to visit us for a site tour and to discuss ideas and ways to make their own businesses more sustainable

...differently

Bedruthan was one of the first hotels in the UK to employ a full time Sustainability Manager to oversee all of our environmental initiatives. As well as ensuring that here at the hotel we are reducing our impact on our surroundings, our Sustainability Manager also speaks to students and other hotels and businesses in the local community to share our knowledge.

As ambassadors for the Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Partnership (CoaST), we are often invited to participate in and speak at events which both educate other businesses and work towards a sustainable future for Cornwall and the South West.

We continually work towards the criteria set out by the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), and currently hold a Gold award for our efforts, we are also the first independent hotel in the UK to achieve the international environmental management certification, ISO14001.

What you can do, as a guest, to help...

We hope you will join us in trying to make Bedruthan an environmentally friendly hotel. We have thought of a few ways in which you can help us:

• Recycle your used newspapers, magazines, cans and plastic bottles in the bins provided around the hotel.
• Ensure that you remove your key cards from the electricity activation system when leaving your room.
• We are currently trialing a Real Nappy Kit, from the Cornwall Real Nappy Project, which guests are free to try when here. The kit includes cloth nappies suitable for any age, soaking bucket and detergent, and we will provide you with free access to our onsite laundry.
• Please try not to leave the tap running when you brush your teeth
• Visit our green area on the Mezzanine floor and give us your ideas on how we can do more to reduce, re-use or recycle!
• Have your children take part in our children's clubs where they will be involved in activities including nature trails and environmental awareness, and also enjoy arts and crafts session using recycled materials. Our aim is that our children will encourage all of us to look after the world for future generations.
• We provide a variety of information on public transport, local attractions and days out so that guests can leave their car behind for the day
• Arrive at the hotel by foot, bike, bus or train, and we will offer you a discount

If you would like to learn more about what we are doing please do not hesitate to contact our Sustainability Manager, Suzie Newham, on (01637) 861203 or snewham@bedruthan.com.

Emma, Debbie and Rebecca