How you can be more sustainable at home.

It is more important than ever to think about your carbon footprint and what that impact means for our communities and the environment. Practising sustainability is a priority for our business and in our homes, to slow the course of climate change, declining water supplies, and the decline in our biodiversity.

As a hotel, it is our mission to become the most sustainable hotel in BC by 2025 and would like to encourage all our guests to implement some of their own strategies at home so you too can live more sustainably. Some easy things you can start to implement today are:

1. 1. Invest in energy-efficient appliances for your home.

Some large appliances are the huge energy consumers in your home. Not only are they costly to buy but they also become costly to run. Here are home sustainability considerations for the appliances that tend to consume the most electricity:

1. 1. • Refrigerators
      • Dishwashers
      • Stoves
      • Clothes dryers
      • Water heaters
      • Furnace & Air Conditioning

Looking at not just the purchase price, but the long term running costs will help you choose an appliance that saves you money over the long term, and reduces energy consumption today, and well into the future.

1. 1. Install a drip irrigation system.

Did you know that by keeping your garden healthy and green, the vegetation can actually keep your home cooler and contribute to cleaner air? To keep your garden alive and healthy, the best way to water is by using a drip irrigation system, which focuses directly on the roots where it’s needed. You not only save electricity by eliminating pumps but also minimize waste through evaporation.

1. 1. Reduce, Repair & Reuse, Recycle

One of the easiest ways to take care of the environment is to reduce the amount of waste, and products, we produce. By choosing to buy fewer products, and choosing products with minimal packaging, we reduce the number of materials that end up in landfills. When possible, look at ways you can repair what you already have, rather than purchasing new products. When you can’t repair and reuse a certain product, find a location where you can return it so that its components can be recycled.

1. 1. Draft-proof your doors and windows.

Be sure to cover cracks that can eliminate any gaps that let air in/out. This saves the heating and/or air conditioning in your home.

1. 1. Buy eco-friendly cleaning products

By avoiding harsh chemicals in your cleaning supplies, you are not only making your home a safer and healthier place, but you are minimizing the risks of pollutants ending up in our waterways.

By implementing even just one of these practices into your daily life, you are making a huge difference to the impact you have on the environment.