Going Green Customer Charter
Going Green - An Introduction to Our Customer Charter for The Veladail Collection
Some Company Facts from Down Hal Country House Hotel:
- Down Hall produces approx 1100 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year
- The company's footprint is approx 2500 tonnes per year
- Down Hall's annual electricity bull is £130 alone
- Down Hall sent approx 80 tonnes of waste to landfill in 2007
The Veladail Collection Basic Aims
- We aim to reduce waste to landfill by over 50%
- We aim to reduce electricity usage by over 10%
- We aim to produce over 25% of our own fruit and vegetables
"The planet is slowly dying and we all have a responsibility to do something!"
This is exactly the reasoning why the Veladail properties have put in place their Going Green business and carbon neutral plans, ahead of legislation and demand, making them an industry leader in their field.
Over the coming years Veladail will work towards making its three properties carbon neutral and more environmentally conscious through a program of energy reduction, recycling initiatives and carbon off setting.
So far the program has included:
- An eco audit of Down Hall
- The creation of working groups across all three properties
- Research and fact finding
- Production of a Veladail Environmental Policy
- Staff launches
- Supplier Seminars
- Press launches
- Work with various consultants to drive project
- Changing the company vehicle to a Toyota Prius
The four key areas that Down Hall Country House Hotel, Hertfordshire is concentrating on:
- Fruit and Vegetable Garden
- Reduce, Reuse, recycle
- Energy consumption
- Supplier, suppliers, fair-trade
Some major future plans and projects to be undertaken in 2008/2009 include:
- Switching to green electricity (completed April 2008)
- The creation of a wildlife lake within the grounds
- The creation of a fruit and vegetable garden to supply approximately 25% of Down Hall's fresh produce (completed March 2008)
- Working with Essex Wildlife Trust (ongoing)
- Producing own compost (ongoing)
- Reducing the buy in from clients
- Investing in offsetting projects
- Reducing packaging coming into Down Hall
- Using only FSC certifies products
- Reducing water consumption
- And finally, becoming carbon neutral in the not too distant future!
