Decarbonisation plan
Updated April 2025
We are proud to have a far lower than average daily CO2 per guest in our industry which is currently at 10.4kgs. We have also made significant reductions since first opening in 2021, from 7.8 to 6.6Kgs per guest and have plans afoot that will dramatically alter this and help is in our steps towards carbon neutrality. We have had annual carbon assessments every year since opening through Ecollecitve in partnership with our booking agents Canopy & Stars.
What we are already doing
Onsite energy is primarily 100% sustainable electricity but we also have one gas boiler and an oil fired boiler which heats The Nook and it’s Aga and needs to be addressed. This is by far our biggest emitter on site.
We have a zero waste refill station of sustainably sourced bulk products that we use to refill things like shampoo, onsite cleaning products. Not only is it therefore low milage but also eco products.
Our water comes from an onsite spring. It is then filtered onsite.
We have an onsite treatment facility which deals with all human waste. It filters our bodily functions and returns water back to the land (apparently clean enough to drink). It does need emptying on a yearly basis and we use a local company to do so.
Our welcome hamper is carefully curated local and low miles offer, excluding any products that we found got routinely wasted and cannot then be used by us (like milk, which we don’t drink).
Our laundry is done by a local company who strive to be low impact. They have made some impressive on-going reductions and we have opted to not have any single use plastics in our supply chain with them.
What we have recently done/trying to do
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We had trouble with composting as guests were forgetting our onsite facilities were for raw veg and fruit only. Consequently we have started Bokashi composting on site for all food waste (cooked, uncooked it can even deal with bones). This will mean that 100% of food waste is composted by us on site and goes into improving the soil in which we will then grow vegetables and fruit. In time we aim to sell this back to guests.
We have installed an Electric Vehicle charger for guest use.
We have a 4 strong fleet of Electric bikes that guests can use. This encourages guests to access the surrounding area without using their cars and also makes it a more reasonable offer for guests accessing us via public transport as we are so remote that you would need some form of transport to get to the local pub or shop.
We have started to source 1/4 of our wood from our neighbouring farmer. It is waste wood thinned out during his woodland management.
We have switched our onsite wood for purchase to Certainly Wood. They are local, sustainable and it comes in a recyclable plastic bag.
Still on the list or in process
Expensive but significant impact
Replace The Nook’s oil fired boiler and Aga. We are seeking support form the Marches Energy grant for this and to do a full inventory of energy onsite.
We currently drive a diesel powered car. When we have the opportunity to replace it we will be buying an electric/hybrid car.
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Scope 3 emissions
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Consider offering bike hire for free to anyone who arrives by public transport.
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Put together a document that motivates guests to contribute to our sustainability gaols. This might include things like donations towards meadow creation but also making sure people turn lights off when not in use, consider using the bikes rather than their car. Don't leave edible food goods here when they leave.
Lower cost and lower impact
Further streamline the welcome hamper
A sustainable marshmallow?!
Notify guests what food is provided for them to reduce waste.
Consider a vegan welcome hamper.
To research
Look into how to most efficiently run a treatment facility. It is possible that it never needs emptying? If it does, is Green apple sludge the best company to use?
Not fantastically served by public transport. Work out how best to get guests from nearby towns, e.g. Hereford, Abergavenny. Transport links we currently suggest are sometimes cancelled.