Our Environmental / Green Ethos

We are very conscious that we run our business in a spectacular and unspoilt location, and we therefore aim to operate with the absolute minimum impact to our local and global environment.

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Broad Bay House recognises its responsibility to respect the environment and will strive to achieve environmental best practice throughout its business activity. We believe that everyone has a duty of care for the environment and to seek ways to conserve natural resources. This is a collective issue which is the responsibility of government, business, the community, and individuals. In pursuit of our business goals, we will seek to minimise the wastage of any raw materials and energy. We believe in reusing, not just recycling and actively seek to not having any single use plastic in any part of our business.

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We are extremely proud to hold the Green Tourism Silver Award. This official recognition highlights our extensive efforts to operate sustainably against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of key areas including energy and water efficiency, waste management, recycling, purchasing, food and drink, single use plastic and more. We opted to be evaluated as we wanted to showcase our green credentials and we’re thrilled to receive the Green Tourism Silver Award. To have our efforts validated is a great achievement and we are proud advocates of sustainability, conservation and promoting wellbeing; helping guests connect with the natural environment and local culture. 

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And we hold the Surfers Against Sewage award as a Plastic Free Champion, having demonstrated our commitment to removing as much single use plastic as possible. The SAS Plastic Free Community is a grassroots movement that has grown into one of the UK’s most active environmental charities.

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To make a big positive impact, we have taken a complete holistic approach, looking at the entire B&B operation using best practice sustainability values. Operating a profitable business but not at the expense of the environment or people. This is a step-by-step process of various actions and modifications, some small, some huge and we are constantly working to improve our eco credentials. We hope that this aligns with your own ethical and environmental standards and provides you with a low impact, as well as a luxurious stay.

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House

Purpose designed and built as a spacious guest house; Broad Bay House is based on a traditional island design. The house has very high levels of insulation, so we can use the minimum energy possible for heating. We use low energy or LED light bulbs throughout; all radiators are fitted with individual thermostats, and we use A+ rated kitchen appliances. We utilise internet-based marketing to eliminate marketing literature, with the use of e-mail for booking confirmations and all communications. We have switched to a certified green electricity provider, that provides our power only from renewable sources – hydro, solar and wind.

 

Plastic Free Champions

We are striving to be a completely plastic free business – here are some of the ways we are achieving this:

• Plastic free, sustainable bamboo loo roll.

• Fresh milk is provided in jugs in the guest rooms fridges instead of individual UHT cartons/sachets – which is so much nicer!

• We are lucky to have world-class drinking water on tap here in Scotland. Fresh, clear, and great tasting, you will find this water in our branded glass water bottles in your room. Thus, there is no need for single use plastic bottles of mineral water. We can refill your water bottle for your day out, please just ask.

• Fresh fruit and veg supplied by our wholesaler are delivered loose instead of wrapped in plastic.

• Bags for life are used when shopping and we shop consciously by avoiding goods wrapped in plastic wherever possible.

• Preserves/Sauces/ketchup etc are decanted from a glass jar or bottle instead of using individual plastic sachets.

• No individual toiletries in the guest bathrooms – guest toiletries are refilled.

• No synthetic linens (unless requested) We spoil our guests with gorgeous Egyptian Cotton bedlinen, fluffy cotton towels, and feather and down duvets and pillows.

• All single use plastic bottles, food packaging, straws, and all guest bathroom plastics have been removed. We just don’t use or need them.

• Guest vanity kits (wrapped in card and plastic) have never been used at Broad Bay House, instead we have lovely jars filled with what you need in your guest bathroom.

• We ask guests to consider water consumption and the environment and re-use towels when possible.

• We use recyclable bags in the guest bins that we will reuse, if they are dry and clean.

• We have switched to plastic free, compostable coffee pods.

• We have removed plastic shower caps from our guest bathrooms, as part of our policy on single use plastic. However, if you would like a shower cap, please just ask.

• All the treats and snacks in our guest rooms have been selected to ensure their packaging is plastic free. 

 

Recycling

Almost all our waste is recycled – metal, glass, plastic, card, and paper - and what we can’t recycle kerbside, we take to the recycling centre. Food waste is collected kerbside. We minimise waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials wherever possible. It is also important to us that any packaging is 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle on the products that we purchase.

 

Cleaning

After searching high and low for the right cleaning products to complement our values, 2022 will see us using Delphis Eco products. Delphis Eco uses recycled/ recyclable packaging, and their products don’t contain any harmful chemicals. Their entire product range is derived from renewable resources and are readily biodegradable meaning there is no toxins going into water systems and the environment. Both our laundry capsules and dishwash tablets are 100% water soluble and biodegradable which means we aren’t using harmful micro-plastics that end up in the ocean. They are delivered in reusable / recyclable packaging and are 100% plastic free.

 

Shop Local

We shop local when possible. We source as much of our food as possible from local island suppliers and over 90% of our breakfast, platter and evening meal menus are from Scotland. Our coffee (Highland Roast) is ground for us by the Inverness coffee roasting company and shipped to us once per month. Locally smoked fish comes from Islander Shellfish and Uig Lodge. Stornoway black pudding comes from award winning Charles Macleod, as does our bacon and sausages. Our local free-range hen eggs are from the local croft in Coll. Our preserves & marmalades are handmade by Kate at Perthshire Preserves. Our cheeses are all Scottish and purchased locally. Our fresh fruit and vegetables are delivered by a local wholesaler and are all sourced from Scotland when in season. Where possible we choose organic and Fairtrade foods and drinks. We try to avoid single wrapped products. We buy as much of our foodstuffs, drinks and alcohol from local suppliers as possible, helping to support local island businesses as well as cutting down on unnecessary food miles.

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Electric Vehicle Charging

If you have an electric car, we have an EV Charger and dedicated space for electric vehicle charging. Our universal Type 2 charger is suitable for most types of electric vehicle and is for the exclusive use of guests staying with us overnight.

 

Local support

We support fully the Responsible Tourism Campaign. Please help us as much as possible by doing some, or all of the following during your stay and be a Responsible Visitor.

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• Explore the local attractions by public transport, bicycle or on foot. We provide a selection of walking maps for the most popular and scenic routes for guests to borrow.

 

• Segregate any recyclable materials (glass, plastic, cans, paper, batteries) and leave to the side of your waste bin for us to recycle.

 

• Please help us minimise our energy usage by turning off the lights and TV when not in use and turning the heating down or off whenever you go out.

 

• Try to re-use the bathroom towels for several days where appropriate. To conserve water, we ask our guests to place towels on the rail that they will use again, and to only place towels in the bath/shower if they wish them to be changed.

 

• We have showcased local artwork throughout Broad Bay House for you to enjoy and inspire you.

 

• Try not to just whizz through the islands; stay in one place and soak up the atmosphere. Get to know the place and its people. Explore and discover special places and go off the beaten track.

 

• Choose locally made goods and crafts when you are making purchases. We have a wide variety of independent shops, artists, weavers, and galleries.

 

• Enjoy the islands hospitality – eat out and meet the locals.

 

• Book an activity – an island tour, boat trip, water sports – and see the islands from another perspective.

 

• Please dispose of all litter responsibly.

 

• Remember our islands are working landscapes - always keep dogs on leads and close gates.

 

• Our roads are narrow, please drive carefully and if you are enjoying the scenery pull over and let others pass. Use the passing places to let traffic past (but not to park in).

 

• We have walking guides, maps, nature books and magazines in our guest lounge with binoculars for birdwatching.

 

• Download and save all the information and literature you need for your stay at https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/planning-your-trip/leaflets rather than using a leaflet.

 

Thank you for helping us to protect the environment whilst you enjoy your stay with us.