The Coach House
| Type | Business |
|---|---|
| Sector | Tourism |
| Business size | 1-9 |
| Area of green Expertise | Procurement |
| Business network/ Club membership |
Suffolk Breakfast Initiative, Suffolk Coast & Heaths Connect Scheme, Walkers Welcome, Cyclists Welcome, The Ramblers, Responsible Travel website, Birds of Britain website |
| Website | www.thecoachhouse-woodbridge.co.uk |
| Contact | Contact this case study |
Since opening The Coach House to Bed and Breakfast guests in 2004 it has been a priority to support local businesses and to be informed and proactive in dealing with environmental concerns. The stylish accommodation, rated 4 Star Silver Award, is a converted coach house and stable block a short walk from the centre of Woodbridge.
Achieving reductions in energy and water usage year on year, and discovering the initial effort to set up monotoring procedures or procurement patterns become easier and easier when aiming to be greener evolves into a way of life!
Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold AwardSuffolk Carbon Charter Gold AwardCreating the Greenest County 2012 Winner in Business category Greenest Pub, Club or Hotel
Energy.Annual data collected from weekly gas and electricity readings showed a 13% carbon reduction evidencing significant savings.Waste.One of the most effective ways of reducing waste is by not acquiring it in the first place - for example choose brown paper bags (or no bag at all) for fresh fruit and vegetables, using refillable bottles and bulk supplies of toiletries and e-cloths instead of cleaning liquids.Travel.Planning ahead is important. Car mileage shrinks when several tasks can be combined in one single ‘multi-task’ journey. Shopping locally from producers and suppliers reduces food miles for guests’ breakfast ingredients. Suggestions provided for car free itineraries for guests.Above all you need to believe in what you’re doing and be truly committed. This is the most effective way to engage customers.
Green Tourism takes into account the needs of the environment, local residents, businesses and visitors and encourages us all to consider our ecological and social responsibilities. Schools, communities and businesses are making good progress in their efforts to be more sustainable but there is an awareness gap which now needs to be addressed - the percentage of guests who are actively seeking out green tourism is far outweighed by those who have never considered it as an option.
Initially I monitored electricity use on a daily basis which made me more aware of how I could reduce consumption - weekly readings are adequate now.
Directly useful advice on how my actions help to improve my environmental impact came from the energy audit which my Groundwork advisor produced. Over the years, since attending a Green Advantage workshop in 2006, I’ve taken advice from several organisations like Green Start and Envirowise, the Green Tourism Business Scheme, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and numerous media articles including the regular environment features in the Saturday edition of the EADT.
