Being green with the Green Key

-
2017 is the the International Year of Sustainable Tourism, and in June, Casa do Valle received the Green Key award.  

The Green Key award is the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, in 55 countries. This prestigious ecolabel represents a commitment by businesses that their premises adhere to the strict criteria set by the Foundation for Environmental Education. A Green Key stands for the promise to its guests that by opting to stay with the Green Key establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental level. The high environmental standards expected of these hotels are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits. Green Key is eligible for hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, restaurants and attractions.( www.greenkey.global/)

At Casa do Valle we believe that the more companies that are ‘green’ the better it is for the future of everyone. Many others believe so too – and while talking with colleagues, we noticed how easy it is to think and say that you are green but still give way to not-so-green choices out of convenience. After all, line-drying and recycling is not all it takes, and you must make a conscious decision to be green.  Recycled paper is more expensive and harder to find, it is tedious to check ALL the ingredients of the detergents, especially if they are on sale, etc.

When we decided to go for this award, we did so in order to make a commitment and thus installed green procedures in our activities. Many things we were already doing, others we thought we were but were not etc.   Some of the things that we did are:

  • Changed all lighting to LEDs
  • Installed water reduction devices in all bathrooms 
  • Installed a current-stabilizer
  • Changed some of our cleaning products to ensure we use nature-friendly products only
  • Changed our brand of amenities (shampoos, shower gel) to ensure that no conservatives are being used
  • Acquired new recycling bins for our guests to recycle their waste
  • Put ‘green and recycling information’ in the rooms for guest information

And so on.

And we continue our other linen practices – the recycling and line drying of towels and washing linen only every so many days.


Maybe one of these days sun panels will no longer be prohibited in the Historic Center, of which we make part, and we can get our hot water from renewable resources.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned houses

-
Image
When you walk around Sintra and Lisbon you cannot but notice and wonder about some beautiful old buildings that look like they are abandoned and/or falling apart. It saddens many to see the potential of these houses going to waste just sitting there with broken or boarded up windows, roof half falling and the garden overgrown. Right across the street from us there is one such building and a few times a week I tell people the story of it. As the high fencing and basketball hoop lets you guess, it was 'Escola Academica' still about 20 years ago when we were building and moved here; a small private school. Once a beautiful building, full of life, the school mistress retired, the school lost its license, and for awhile after the death of the old school mistress, a family lived there with no rights to rental. When they were successfully evicted, we thought the house would be soon sold and were looking forward to new neighbors - with no luck until today. Many people wanted to
Read more

Chalet Biester - the film set for Johnny Depp's 'Ninth Gate'

-
Image
Just a bit above the village, in our view, there is a mansion called Chalet Biester.  Its black roof with turquoise trimming causes a lot of questions and awakes the curiosity of many Sintra visitors.  No, it cannot be visited; yes, it is a private house.  No, I don't know who lives there now; yes, it is where the Roman Polanski  thriller ' The Ninth Gate' was filmed, starring Johnny Depp.  There and a bit of everywhere in Sintra. The Chalet Biester as seen from our pool, circled in red Chalet Biester photographed from the Casa da Vista deck Ernesto Biester, a Portuguese journalist and playwright of German origin, famous in his time,  ordered this mansion to be built in around 1880 from the architect José Luis Monteiro.  Its interior was conceived by the famous Italian that worked on Quinta da Regaleira, also in Sintra, and the sceneries of La Scala Opera in Milano, and theater São Carlos in Lisbon: Luigi Manini - and the sculpture Leandro Braga.  Biest
Read more

Oh, the wonderful Pastries and Bread!

-
Image
As I have mentioned before, I frequently walk in the mornings with my dog; up and down the hills, into the forest and mountain roads. Recently there has been an extra burden on my walks. It is lent, the 40 days between Carnival and Easter. Tradition says you give up something for those 40 days that is like an addiction. Some people give up coffee, others chocolate or cigarettes. I decided to give up bread and pastries made with white wheat flour. And this is the reason that climbing up the 400 meters to town is now doubly difficult: the bakeries and pastry shops open their doors even before Pandora and I take off from home, so we walk up to town with the irresistible scent of freshly baked goodies lingering over the town center, calling my name - which I am patiently (more and less) ignoring. Sintra is famous for its pastries. The pastries of Piriquita, travesseiros , are famous all over Portugal, and people cue up to buy them to take home by boxes. These long, sugar coded
Read more