Green Small to Medium Size Enterprise Award Application

Green Small to Medium Size Enterprise Award Application
The Westport Woods Hotel & Spa

The Westport Woods Hotel has engaged in a sustainable and environmental strategy, involving continuous improvement in all aspects of the hotel, for the last seven years. The focus is on minimising environmental impact while at the same time making a profit. The major achievement is in reducing CO² emissions by over 65% and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill from 240 tonnes a year right down to 40 tonnes in 2008, this will be 30 tonnes by the end of 2009. The hotel has not used oil for heating in over two years

Recycling, re-use and waste minimisation
The focus on this section has really paid off, the hotel was sending more than 240 tonnes of waste to landfill six years ago – this year it will be about 30 tonnes. Glass goes to the Rehab bottle bank. A recycling area has been built as a holding area for waste and accommodates paper, cardboard, two grades of plastics, light bulbs, polystyrene, cooking oil, printer cartridges, batteries and aluminium. Food waste is handled by a specialist Big Hanna composter which reduces the compost volume by 90%. This compost along with ash from the pellet boilers, leaf mould and mulched grass is all used on the grounds. Waste cooking oil is now converted to bio diesel and reused.

Bedrooms are fitted with green bins so guests can join in the environmental effort and bins are supplied in all public areas. For the last seven years the leisure centre has achieved the White Flag ILAM (Institute of Leisure & Amenities Management) for water management and recycling.

Biodiversity/improving natural habitats
A nature trail is being developed in the woodland around the hotel and an arboriculture plan, including constant replanting, is being followed. The pathways have been cleared and are used for pony trekking as part of the go!kids! children’s club. This is an area of focus for 2010.

Use of “green” suppliers or materials
As many suppliers as possible have green credentials or supply environmentally friendly products, increasing this number by 20% was set as a goal for 2009 and has been achieved. We now have 24 green suppliers.

Energy and/or water efficiency
Oil has been replaced with Irish supplied sustainable wood pellet and solar heating systems. Electricity use has been significantly reduced. All new building incorporates best energy practices in air tightness and insulation, and retrofitting of the 1960s section is ongoing. Lighting uses LED or CFL bulbs and 3W LED corridor lights have been replaced with 2.3W which give better light.

The ongoing water management programme includes monitoring and controls. Hippo bags are fitted in all cisterns, sensors in urinals and push taps introduced to cut down on water use. Flow regulators were fitted on taps in 111 rooms this year. Tests are underway on low flow shower heads. 11 new bathroom pods were fitted in 2008 and had ‘planned for’ ultra efficient fittings.

In the leisure centre a wood pellet boiler heats the swimming pool and a liquid pool blanket retains heat and reduces energy use. The exercise bikes are dynamo driven and 12 individual TV sets have been replaced with 2 low energy screens. A more efficient control system has been introduced for air handling. Natural light coming through large windows all over the hotel reduces need for artificial light. Heat flow meters have been fitted.

Minimising traffic/use of private vehicles/green transport strategies
Guests are encouraged to arrive by train and are offered complimentary transport from the station and staff and management use trains for travel to and from Dublin for meetings. An online Green Tourism Survey was carried out for the Westport Woods Hotel & Spa by Simply Zesty, social media partners; the results will be out in October. Bicycles are supplied for the use of guests. Guests are provided with walking maps of Westport and are encouraged to enjoy ‘low octane’ entertainment.

Efforts to support the training, safety, diversity, health and engagement of your staff
Employees are encouraged to cycle or walk to work. The ‘Green Team’ comprised of employees is dedicated to implementing simple new ideas for a better way to do profitable business. Employees are completely involved in the whole greening process and many of the best energy saving ideas have come from them.

Staff undergo regular Environmental and Health & Safety training including Manual Handling and Chemical Training. The hotel follows the Fáilte Ireland Optimus and Best Practice programmes. This is evidenced by a short listing for the Small Firms Association HR Awards in 2007. The SEI award for co-ordinated Energy Management and ILAM Quality White Flag Awards help in better management and in continually raising standards.

Employees have free leisure centre membership to encourage activity, and are offered discounted use of the spa.

Community involvement and support for the local economy
The hotel works closely with the local Tidy Towns committee and the town council on environmental issues and is also an active member of the Destination Westport marketing group. Environmental work experience is provided for hotel management students with an emphasis on environmental procurement and energy management. Michael Lennon addresses conferences and student groups regularly on environmental issues including the SEI, IHF and Céifinn Student conferences. He has also been interviewed on national television and radio on environmental issues in business.

The hotel was a case study in the Fáilte Ireland Review of Good Environmental Practice and Policy in Tourism and by the Department of the Environment. Michael Lennon is a member of the Environmental Review Committee of Equestrian Holidays Ireland. For the past three years the hotel has won the Environmental Section of the Mayo Business Awards.


Achievements 2008/2009


Waste has been reduced by 25% (40 tons to 30 tons)
The number of “green” suppliers has increased by c. 20%
A focus has been put on better environmental water management. Accurate readings are available since Mayo County Council installed new meters. Up to this point, we relied on estimates, making it very difficult to calculate key performance indicators.
Water restrictors were fitted to taps in 123 bedrooms which reduced flows to 4 litres per minute.
Eleven new bedrooms were fitted with water efficient taps and shower heads.

The future/projections
Our aim is to become carbon neutral. The hotel continues self-audit guidelines laid down by the Green Hospitality Awards. The Clean Technology Centre provides an ongoing monitoring system and benchmarks against Irish and international industry standards. The energy consumption has reduced from 2.8 to 2.4 megawatts per annum. In overall terms energy costs have remained static despite a 30-40% rise in costs over the last three years.

Ronan Meally Consulting Engineers conducted a complete energy audit and feasibility study in 2006/7. In the future we plan to look at natural gas/micro CHP units in the hotel and invest in grey and brown water systems.