Sustainability

Going many steps further than complying with environmental laws, we take our environmental and social responsibility to guests and the community extremely seriously.

Understanding the Impact on the Environment

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and are striving to become an environmentally sustainable hotel, whilst offering guests a luxury experience.

  • Developing the best and most suitable practices throughout our hotel and self-catering properties.
  • Staff training days to learn and discuss our sustainability policy.
  • Listening to guests’ and employees’ comments regarding environmental issues.
  • Educating guests and employees on environmental issues and their impact on natural resources.
  • Encouraging and implementing sustainable practices and programmes.
  • Re-enforcing these practices through researching the best suppliers, buying procedures and promoting relationships with environmentally aware suppliers.
  • Working directly with our suppliers, employees and the local community to promote effective and meaningful environmental best practice.
  • Local suppliers and contractors used wherever possible – reducing mileage, supporting local businesses and helping Cornwall’s economy.
  • Monitoring and reducing energy consumption.
  • Focussing upon sustainable buildings and operations in design and construction.
  • Environmental controls and management of our Blue Flag beach.
  • Installing energy efficient systems. CHP units to provide on-site electricity generation and heating (saving up to 100 tonnes of carbon per annum).
  • Minimising waste by recycling and reusing materials whenever possible.
  • Use of recycled paper and reducing paper use, e.g. our daily chalk boards/use of Crave interactive guest tablets in all rooms.
  • Minimising laundry usage where possible.
  • Working with organisations and charities to reuse or recycle furniture or linen.
  • Utilising ecologically friendly chemicals (where possible) in our cleaning processes.
  • Re-sited all underground incoming power cables, reducing energy levels.
  • Investment in central power monitoring has enabled renewed lighting arrangements.
  • Converting to energy-efficient lighting and heating.
  • Planting trees and including the outdoors in our environmental programmes.
  • Natural growth of plants, flowers and vegetation is encouraged, attracting wildlife.
  • Promoting sustainable methods of transport for staff and guests: public transport (interconnecting railway and buses); electric car; car share; and walking.
  • Investment in electric car charging points.
  • Rain-water management and usage.
  • Investment in cistern misers to minimise water wastage.
  • Food wastage reduced.
  • Engaging in local community and environmental activities and events.
  • We support/sponsor a number of local events/charities, e.g. South West Coast Path Association/St Ives Biathlon/RNLI/Surf Life Saving Clubs/British Divers Marine Life Rescue/Seal Research Trust
  • We are proud to be a carbon neutral website. We offset the CO2 produced by our web server through COCO2, specialists in providing a carbon-neutral solution for websites.
  • Guests and staff are encouraged to embrace and partake in our sustainability policies whilst at the Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate and we hope they will continue with new practices after they have left us.
  • We were the AA's first Eco Hotel of the Year for 2019/2020.