Minimising our impacts as a business upon the environment has been central to our management both on a long term and day to day basis for the past twelve years. Whatever we can reduce going to the local landfill site, or save in needless disposal is a triumph – both in a moral sense, and in a financial sense as it reduces our over all costs. Considering the number of visitors we have over the year and the number of staff we employ and house, this is a significant task to say the least.
The classic three R’s of Reduce, Reuse & Recycle are ever present in our thinking, and over the years we have helped successfully campaign for local recycling initiatives, and worked with Mull and Iona Community Trust in various composting schemes. There is great community support for minimising waste in the islands, and Mull Environmentally Sensitive Solutions has been in the forefront of promoting good waste management. We can therefore recycle all of our glass and cardboard, as well as compost all our vegetable waste, which is then used on our garden with sea weed as the primary fertiliser.
Speaking of Nitrates, we also try to use as much Ecover cleaning products as possible. Our toiletries are all biodegradable as well, and come in refilled glass containers - rather than small plastic disposable units. They also come from a local Highland supplier Purdies, and are hand made from all natural ingredients.
We obviously have a lot of goods delivered, so we work with our suppliers to reduce and reuse as much packaging as possible. The more local the supplier the better, especially if they can deliver as well ! We also overtly plan our menus to minimise wastage, both in terms of what we serve and how we source and prepare our food. Adapting to seasonal production is vital, both in terms of our garden, but also in terms of local shellfish, meats and game.
Energy consumption has been reduced through steady infrastructural investments to the building; over the years we have made dramatic improvements in insulation, windows and electrical management. We are also looking at the prospects for solar panels and heat exchangers to reduce energy still further, but we are always faced with the challenges of fitting new technology to a very old building as well as the planning restrictions that come with our setting.
Our setting does help in other ways, especially in terms of the island tradition of working together. We have close ties to the St Columba Hotel and share a lot of tools, experience and knowledge. Not to mention a vehicle (which is fuelled by recycled oil), and the ability to purchase and organise work collectively. This point is analogous to our social commitment to island life, and being on good terms with all our neighbouring businesses and island residents: we help each out whenever we can, and if we can find a local solution or alternative the better it is for everyone.
Having all these goals and systems is only as good as our staff and guests' attitude to what we are doing. Training education is ever present and on-going, and over time this has built up to a collective ethic between staff, guests and suppliers. We have strong loyalties that see returning guests and staff, appreciative of our intentions and practices, as well as support and innovation by local producers and suppliers.
No matter the ethics, however, two laws of hotel management will always ring true:
Don't expect what you don't inspect
Management has to be hands on and very much involved - not just checking things are done properly - but also being able to adapt to change, new suppliers and new technology.
You are only as good as the last meal you serve
Again it's all well and good having such an ethos, but it's a competitive industry and you always have to ensure your standards are high. You are judged on your service, rooms and food first and your ethics second.
Our Cleaning Products
Most of our cleaning products, from washing up liquids to toilet cleaners are environmentally friendly (Ecover is our main brand) but for safety and legal reasons we are also bound to using strong antibacterial detergents, which we use within the strictest limits and with due understanding of their environmental impact. We buy our toilet paper from the Traidcraft charity, a way of supporting the work of organisations encouraging and promoting fair wages and good working conditions in third world countries.
Our Energy Consumption
You will probably notice in the evening that our corridor lights have been dimmed, partly to create a warmer atmosphere, but mainly to save electricity during the night. We also have dimmer switches in most bedrooms and lounges. The Hotel's heating, together with your room's, is electric and we kindly ask you to be aware of unneeded consumption. Please do not feel cold, but try not to leave your heaters on high if you are going to go out for the day or leave your window wide open! Thank you.
