Thursday, December 15, 2011

We go green! (It's official)


Together with seventeen other lodging establishments, we were recently honored at a reception at Belleayre Mountain, as recipients of the Green Concierge© Bronze certification. The program, administered by environmental consulting firm HospitalityGreen LLC, trains and assesses lodging facilities to ensure they meet standards for waste reduction, energy and water conservation, environmentally preferable purchasing, and recycling.

We have all made both small and large changes to meet this standard, e.g. using energy efficient light bulbs, recycling, composting, using non-toxic cleaning products, upgrading sinks, showerheads and toilets to water-conserving models, purchasing recycled-content paper products, and sourcing local produce whenever possible. A tracking tool helps us track measurable environmental improvements.

Evadne Giannini, Founder and CEO of HospitalityGreen LLC, said “..it’s wonderful to see how far they have come. They have been so dedicated to the program and now that they are officially certified, we hope to see the Catskills flourish as an eco-tourist destination.”

It was nice getting a pat on the back, and wonderful to meet some inspirational owners, one of whom also runs a farm! Plus the carrot cake was awesome. Thank you Evadne for arranging that, and for all Hospitality Green's hard work and help.