Like a many of you, we are concerned about the environment we live and travel in.

Without compromising our guests' enjoyment or comfort we give regard to environmental and social as well as financial considerations. We recognize our business impacts on the wider natural and social environment in which we live and upon which we ultimately all depend.

Here are some of the things that we do at Birds Ferry Lodge

Energy Efficiency
• Monitor energy consumption regularly to identify abnormal consumption.
• Continuous evaluation and implementation of energy saving practices Room fridges and towel rails switched off and rooms are unheated when vacant. In Summer heated towel rails and heated floors are left off for guest to choose if they require them or not.
• In winter use of dehumidifier after rooms are vacated means that rooms heat more easily.
• No appliances are left on standby when the rooms are vacant.
• All guest hot water is heated by gas on demand
• Where possible light bulbs have been changed to low energy compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Guests have the option to not have their towels changed daily.
• Unheated towel rails are available.
• Guests have the option of a cold water wash for their own laundry
• All laundry is line dried. Drier is kept for emergencies only.
• Motion sensors are used to control lighting in corridors.
• Appliances are cleaned and serviced regularly to ensure maximum efficiency.
• Building, pipes, walls and roof spaces are all insulated to modern specifications.

Wastewater Management
• Where possible we use biodegradable detergents and cleaning agents that are compatible with our eco-friendly septic system.
• Any potentially harmful wastes such as chemicals or oils are disposed of separately via our local council refuse station.
• Our onsite septic system is regularly maintained and professionally emptied when required.

Contribution to Conservation
• Our 33 acres property is planted with largely native plants and we endeavor to eliminate or reduce exotic weeds such as gorse.
• Large parts of our property have been set aside to encourage natural biodiversity and to attract the native Fern Birds and Pukekos
• Andre is a volunteer with the Department of Conservation and works one full day every fortnight.

Water Conservation
• Water saving practices are in place – we use a front loading washing machine and only operate the dishwasher and washing machines when full. All taps are fitted with aerators. Toilets are fitted with half flush button and all sinks have plugs.
• All water is collected from the roof including our greenhouse irrigation water.
• Greenhouses are watered at a cool time of day to minimize evaporation.

Supply Chain Management

• All products and services that are used here are constantly under review to ensure that they meet with our social and environmental criteria e.g. distance traveled from source, biodegradability, efficiency rating, recycled content, recyclability.
• Where possible items no longer require are donated to local good causes – e.g. 2007 we replaced guest room towels and donated the old ones to the local vet clinic. Many items go to Salvation Army.
• We strive to ‘Buy New Zealand made’ and Local produce whenever possible. Our own grown vegetables have ‘food meters’ not ‘food miles’! We grow almost all of the vegetables required in the kitchen. In the tunnel houses we enjoy a 12 month growing season for many things – We have not bought a lettuce in 4 years!!
• Our bacon is cured by the local butcher in Runanga
• Honey is sourced from our property – we support the local bee keepers by allowing them access to our property to site their hives and in return we have a healthy supply of organic honey.
• The premium coffee beans that we use are certified as organic & ‘Fair Trade’ .They are roasted in Virgin Flat road which is 2Km from here.
• The famous West Coast specialty Whitebait is caught in the Totara river

• Turbot which is only caught off the West Coast of New Zealand is a regular feature on our menus

Sustainable Design

• Our buildings are made from New Zealand timber sourced from renewable forests.
• We regularly use recycled materials when carrying out maintenance tasks on the property.

Community Relations

• We employ local staff
• We give priority to local produce and services from medium small and micro enterprises.
• We donate old or partially use items to charity.
• Alison is a volunteer St Johns Ambulance Officer and during the quieter months she spends one day per week (12 hour shifts) as a volunteer in Westport.
• Andre is a volunteer with the Department of Conservation and works one full day every fortnight.

Minimising Waste

• ‘Avoid Reduce Reuse recycle compost ‘– we do the lot!
• Single serve dispensers for toiletries are used in guest rooms. Single use items are being phased out.
• We don’t use plastic laundry bags in guest rooms – we provide a laundry basket.
• We reduce the use of office consumable where possible – reuse A4 paper when only used on one side, save electronic copied instead of paper ones.
• All kitchen scraps are either fed to our chickens or composted. The compost is then added to our veggie garden.
• Labeled recycling facilities are available to lodge and cottage guests. Tins, glass, plastics and cardboard are all recycled here
• Wherever possible items are purchased in bulk to reduce packaging.
• We collect used coffee grinds from one of the busier cafes in Westport and use it as a mulch in the vegetable garden and also add it to our compost heap. This saves one full bag of waste going to land fill every week.

However, no doubt we can do better – so any suggestions you may have would be welcome!

 

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Birds Ferry Lodge, Westport, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand.
Tel 021 337 217
Free phone Customer Line in New Zealand 0800 212 207

 

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