Our Green Policy – “Keen to be Green”

At Raheen Woods Hotel we are committed to the implementation of proactive measures to help protect and sustain the environment for future generations of our guests, employees and our families. We recognise that everything we do has an effect on our environment. We wish to continuously improve our environmental performance, ensuring the sustainability of our actions. We will review annually our environmental impact to ensure that we maintain high eco-tourism standards and implement best environmental practice.

 

We aim to:

• Comply with all relevant environmental legislation and industry standards.
• Reduce our use of non-renewable resources and of energy produced from such resources.
• Reduce, reuse, and recycle waste wherever practical. 
• Prevent and minimise pollution. 
• Use all resources efficiently.
• Increase our use of recycled materials and materials from renewable sources.
• Pass on the benefits of improved environmental practice to our staff and guests.

 Specifically, we are:

• Conserving energy and water.
• Reducing waste through, re-using and recycling.
• Monitoring and reducing our reliance on non-renewable resources.
• Monitoring and reducing our use of non-ecological detergents and disinfectants and replacing them with ecological products.
• Monitoring and reducing our use of chemicals, and where possible replacing them with environmentally safe products.
• Educating, training, and motivating our staff to work in an environmentally responsible manner and to participate in developing new ideas and initiatives.
• Educating, informing and communicating with our guests on how they can reduce, reuse and recycle, allowing them to be a part of our Green Policy.
• Providing information about local landscape, biodiversity, and nature conservation measures in our area.
• Maintaining and planting on hotel grounds.

 

THE 5 C’S OF RAHEEN WOODS HOTEL'S GREEN POLICY

• Carbon Footprint – monitoring to reduce our carbon emissions through waste reduction & the use of green energy.
• Conservation– to save for later use & to protect the environment.
• Co-Operation – adopting the policies & embracing change.
• Commitment – to manage and reduce the consumption of goods, energy & unsustainable products.
• Community– to work together sharing a common understanding.

 

CARBON FOOTPRINT

Raheen Woods Hotel have undertaken the largest ever capital investment programme to implement a proactive policy of metering, measuring, monitoring, evaluating and managing our waste, energy, water and carbon in order to reduce our carbon footprint created by our organisation:

• The hotel operates on 100% Green Renewable Electricity following the installation of 464 Solar PV units. This is the equivalent of planting 2,622 trees and 57.1T of CO2 emissions are saved.
• Our electricity suppliers fuel mix is 100% green, renewable energy.
• The hotel has 6 x electric vehicle charging points onsite, including 4 x Tesla charging points.
• All showers are fitted with water reduction heads.
• Showers in our Leisure Centre and staff changing rooms are operated by push button.
• Key card activated power in all guest rooms.
• All light bulbs changed to LED lighting.
• Food waste monitored on a continual basis to minimize wastage.
• Use green energy where possible.
• Green Purchasing Policy in place – all cardboard packaging from our suppliers is returned to them for reuse or recycling.
• Many of our food products are produced within Galway and the surrounding area.
• Encourage guests & staff to walk or use public transport. From Athenry train station there are train links to Galway, Ballinasloe, Athlone Dublin, Ennis and Limerick. We also have a bus service from Athenry town centre to Galway.
• Monitor our energy consumption of gas, electricity, and water.
• Use electronic mail where possible to reduce the use of paper.
• Turn off unnecessary lights and taps.
• Bulk purchasing reduces the number of deliveries to the hotel.

 

CONSERVATION

• All takeaway cups and their lids are 100% compostable and compost bins are accessible
• Biodegradable, environmentally friendly cleaning products used
• Recycle bins, compost bins and general waste bins are now provided in all guest bedrooms.
• We have the following native trees planted on the grounds of Raheen Woods Hotel: Oak, Scots Pine, Hazel, White Birch, Yew, Holly, Sycamore, Blackthorn & Silver Birch. We also have Portuguese Laurel, Beech, Jasmine, Cottonwood, Red Maple, Pine Oak, Popular, Sweet Briar, Cottonwood & Fir trees. 

CO-OPERATION

• Adopting new ideas / adapting practices / embracing change.
• Waste Management programme in place with waste separation available.
• All our staff are asked to ‘Think Before You Print’.
• We encourage guests to follow our 8 steps to a greener stay:

1. Please turn off lights & TVs when they are not in use.
2. Why not Walk or use public transport? 
3. Choose not to have a straw with your drink.

4. Try order only what you think you will eat at breakfast.
5. Why not have your receipt for your stay emailed to you?

6. Keep windows closed if the heating is on.

7. Saving water by not using running water while brushing teeth and shaving, and to report any leaks.

8. Accept all billing by email, prior to departure.

Towel and Linen Policy

We offer our guests the option to change their linen as their needs require and have adopted a policy where guests can let us know when linen is required to be changed.
Guests are asked to place all towels to be changed into the bath/shower. Requesting when towels are to be changed.

 

In our guestrooms, electricity is only usable by key cards, so lights are no longer left burning when no one is in the room. Further, these cards are reusable by guests.

 

COMMITMENT

To be fully engaged in the reduction of our energy consumption and waste production through dedication, education, reducing & reusing. We aim to continue to reduce our landfill waste.

• We follow a strict waste separation policy with all waste segregated into general, recycling, glass & compost. Appropriate compostable food waste is recycled and used in gardens.
• Reducing our usage of paper by printing double sided.
• Our cooking oil is returned to our supplier after use where it is recycled and reused.
• We aim to dramatically reduce the use of single use, non-compostable plastics.
• We use environmentally friendly soap & shampoo in our bedrooms with no single use toiletries available.
• We have significantly reduced our single use plastics throughout our F&B operations.

COMMUNITY

• Working together with a common understanding.
• Active involvement with local charities and sponsorships – as a gift to our employees this year we will sow a tree for their birthday.
• Promotion of our ‘green’ message through our social media channels.
• Tree Planting on the hotel grounds.
• Donating old/unwanted goods to charity.

 

As proprietors we have provided you with information about the local environment, modes of local transport, our commitment to the environment through our policy and the measures we are implementing. We have also provided you with locally produced food, a clean and healthy environment, and a promise of continual improvement. In delivering our commitment, we will comply with relevant legislation and take a proactive approach to future requirements and obligations.