Going! Going! Green!

Most of our indoor and outdoor lights are on timers.  We thank our guests who turn off our lights at night, but it’s not necessary.  They will automatically go off around 1:00 am.  Those that are meant to stay on will stay on.  And, our walkway lights are solar powered.

Almost 75% of our lights use fluorescent or LED bulbs.  The light isn’t as soft as incandescent, but our energy usage is certainly decreasing.  Every time an incandescent bulb is in need of replacement, we replace it with a fluorescent or LED bulb whenever possible to keep that percentage rising.  We’ve recently added LED lights in most of the bathrooms.  Of course due to the mercury content in fluorescent bulbs, we recycle them at Lowes.

Several years ago we replaced nine windows upstairs and one window downstairs.  Not only did this help reduce the already minimal road noise and make our windows easier to clean, but it substantially assists us in heating and cooling the Inn.

We continue to place energy-efficient cellular blinds throughout the Inn.  You will find these blinds the Gathering and Dining Rooms, as well as in the Angell and Wilder Rooms and the Bristol Suite.  The Office and Owner’s Quarters/Office also have cellular blinds.  These blinds provide a level of insulation unmatched by other window treatments and help keep the Inn cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

We’ve done away with small plastic water bottles and use a water cooler in the hospitality center in the Dining Room.  Not only did this eliminate plastic in our recycling can, but now hot water is available as well.  We no longer use paper cups and plates and plastic stemware.  While it’s much easier to throw these items away, we really don’t mind washing dishes.

When I remember, we use reusable shopping bags.

We know many of our guests enjoy the individual bottles of shampoo, conditioners and body lotions.  We love them too.  However, we decided to use dispensers to minimize plastic waste.  The shower dispensers are filled with Rosemary Mint Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash but sometime change due to availability of products.

We do a lot of laundry and have two washers and three dryers.  One washer is front-loading which minimizes soap and water usage (our septic system likes that).  Front loading washers use about 1/4 the amount of water versus top loading washers and high efficiency laundry detergent.  In addition, they also spin at a much faster speed making their contents much dryer.  Our two front-loading dryers take less time to dry bigger loads saving electricity and natural gas.  Our laundry process is significantly faster though we still spend a lot of time ironing.

On occasion we need to replace mechanical equipment and always seek out those with Energy Star label.

Individual thermostats in most rooms not only keep our guests comfortable, but allow us adjust the temperature in unoccupied rooms.  We keep our common area at 72 degrees during the summer and 68 degrees in the winter and turn it up or down briefly during breakfast for added comfort. We also ask that our guests are mindful of their thermostats while at the Inn and especially when leaving for the day. If they forget, we do make adjustments for them when housekeeping.

An extremely high-powered septic system (Norweco Singulair Bio-Kinetic 960 Aerobic Wastewater Treatment System) is in place.  The system involves natural, biological breakdown of the organic matter in wastewater.

Our shaded gardens require no watering during the year.  And, when not in used for extended periods of time, we turn the thermostat down on our hot tub.

We buy in bulk and recycle everything we can.

Green Guests

Here are a few things our guests can do to assist us in going green.

Raise the air conditioning or lower the heat when you leave your room for an extended period of time or while sleeping.  If you forget, our housekeeping staff will assist you when they clean the rooms.

Use the recycle receptacles located in your closets, or under the sink in the Barn Suite, for all your recyclables.  Paper.  Plastic.  Aluminum.

Participate in our towel conservation program to minimize water and energy usage.  Of course if you would like new towels, just place them in the bathtub and we will replace them.  We will replace wash cloths daily.

Please turn off lights in your rooms when you leave or when not in use.

Please use the plates and glasses provided in the hospitality cabinet in the Dining Room for beverages.  You can recycle the Dixie cups provided in the bathroom dispensers.We sincerely appreciate your efforts in helping up conserve our environment and are open to your suggestions as to how we might grow in our environmental conservation efforts.

Thank you.

Sheryl and Staff