Environmental Ethos

How we try and live a more sustainable life.

Here at Bedknobs, we do proper green stuff – no greenwash here – so we’ve decided that it’s time to shout about it! Like most folk, we do the 3R’s - Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. We try hard to do the 4^th R, Repair but it can prove challenging nowadays since many manufacturers just don’t seem to make ‘spare parts’.

Energy

We use low-energy light bulbs (inside and out), have a condensing boiler, thermostatic radiator valves and 6m² (60 sqft)of solar panels on the roof. Inside the roof is packed with 250mm (10")of insulation. We turn off our standbys and source our electricity from a Green Supplier.

Rechargeable Batteries

At Bedknobs, these are used for absolutely everything except the smoke alarms. As from 2008, we’ll be offering a recharging facility to our guests – and the loan of rechargeable batteries for the duration of the stay.

Rainwater

Is about to get harvested into 3 large water butts (630 litres) and there are plans for more. Our small veggie patch is irrigated by a recycled hose fed by water collected off a shed roof. We do constant battle with slugs and snails in our quest to grow vegetables as naturally as possible.

Veggie waste

all gets composted – along with waste from friends and neighbours that don’t have bins – or a garden!

Garden Waste

Deciduous leaves are composted down in leaf-pens and returned to the garden as mulch. Woody clippings and non-compostable leaves are burnt and the ash used on the garden. Felled trees are logged and given to friends and neighbours with woodburners and some left in piles to encourage wildlife.

Food

We source only the cream of Cornish produce (pardon the pun!) and you can be sure that most of the food on your plate, will have travelled very few miles to get there. Here is a List of our Suppliers. Link here

Packaging

We hate unnecessary and unsustainable packaging with a vengence and go to extreme lengths to avoid non-degradable packaging such as plastic bags, vinyl and polystyrene.

Cleaning Products

Ours are an eco-friendly range of products made in the UK by M&A Enviromental. They are phosphate and detergent-free and supplied in concentrated form in 5 ltr containers that simply decant into trigger-spray bottles. When empty, all containers go back to M&A Environmental for recycling.

Laundry

Ecover Washing powder(purchased in 10 kilo sacks) along with eco-friendly conditioner from M&A deals with the washing. See Ecover

Generally:

Ecover or M&A washing-up liquid and Ecover toilet cleaner are both purchased in bulk.

Carpet Cleaning

Is carried out by local company A.S.New Eco Carpet Care who employ a process that avoids the use of detergents, peroxides or solvents and eliminates all air-borne allergens.

Mattress Cleaning

Our mattresses are cleaned once a year using a hypo-allergenic process whereby ………to complete

Toiletries

We currently use Sea Kelp, a range of toiletries manufactured by Scottish Fine Soaps. It includes liquid handsoap, bath and shower gel and shampoo, all supplied in 5 ltr containers that decant into refillable pump-top dispensers. We’re currently trialling alongside, totally natural soaps and shampoo bars made from organic, fair trade and Cornish ingredients.

We’ve reduced the number of plastic bottles from cleaning products and toiletries that we discard to recycling or landfill each year, from 100s to zero – well, almost. We still buy the occasional bottle of Dettol.

Decorating

We stumbled across Ecos Organic Paints just hours before starting the redecoration of hall and stairs during the winter of 2007/08. We are so impressed that we intend to use Ecos for all on-going restoration and redecoration projects. Ecos paints are entirely free from VOCs solvents) and 'other dubious chemicals'. We’ve used pure wallpaper totally free of vinyl and all wood used in construction and restoration, bears the FSC certification, or is reclaimed timber.

Furnishings

New hall and stair carpet is 100% wool. The Ecolay underlay describes itself thus "wool, felt underlay made from recycled fibres, environmentally friendly carpet underlay with exceptional insulation qualities" and presumably, degradable at the end of its life. The ancient wool carpet they replaced, went to an Environmental Consultant in Truro and a local Gardener in Wadebridge, for mulch around trees and vegetables respectively!

MCS and a Chemical-free Environment

We are working towards creating a chemical-free environment, so as to become an ideal venue for anyone suffering the effects of MCS or milder chemical allergies or indeed anyone concerned for the future of the Planet and the human race. This link explains simply what Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is all about.

Sharing our Ethos with our Guests

Here at Bedknobs, we offer "en-suite" recycling facilities (cardboard box beside bin!) and the use of a jute bag for shopping. We actively promote our local shops and crafts – not to mention local food including Steak & Stilton Pasties from our bakers, Malcolm Barnycutt – simply the best! Here in North Cornwall we have an excellent and diverse range of Visitor Attractions and we make sure our guests know all about them as detailed information is included in each Guest Room’s Information Book.

CoaST

We are proud to be Ambassadors for CoaST, the Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project – a group of people, tourism businesses and organisations from both the public and private sector, all equally passionate in our quest to protect Cornwall from the ravages of 21^st century living and to ensure its sustainable future for the benefit of those who live here and those who visit. CoaST Visitors Website is a section on the CoaST website specifically designed for caring Visitors and we hope it’s of help to all who share our concern and our passion for Cornwall.

Should you share our ethos, perhaps consider one or more of the following options, like:

Travelling to Bedknobs by public transport link to p/t page

Using public transport whilst here in Cornwall link to "car free days out" on p/t page

Perhaps cycle and/or walk during some of your time here in Cornwall? See the Cycling Holidays in Cornwall

Or even car-share with fellow guests – now that’s a radical one!

Not everyone’s cup of tea for sure - and definitely out of the comfort zone for some! Nevertheless, all exceedingly good for body, soul and the environment. And such activity can earn big greenie points and in turn, a discount on the cost of your stay!

We offer the opportunity to participate in a local tree-planting scheme – see CO2 Balance for more details. Whilst tree-planting should never become an excuse for increasing our carbon emissions, it nonetheless helps mitigate them, and local, properly managed tree-planting schemes for whatever reason, are no bad thing.

In January 2007, Bedknobs was awarded Gold under the prestigious Green Tourism Business Scheme (see Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award) – the icing on the cake and endorsement that we are doing something right in our quest to minimise our impact on the Planet!

There has been a lot of scaremongering surrounding the topic of Climate Change and loads of greenwash spouted by those keen to jump on the 'green' bandwagon.

Here at Bedknobs we do go that extra mile to help ensure that what we do has minimum impact on the Planet and thus help prolong its sustainable future. Much of what we do here is common sense and the question we ask ourselves when about to do anything is; is there a different way to do it?