We’ve always tried to put the environment at the heart of what we do at Deepdale, so it won’t be a surprise that we want to make an environmental pledge on Earth Day. However, it is vital that our pledge isn’t just platitudes, but is about taking real actions.
Our key goal for 2018 is to drastically reduce the amount of plastic waste that we as a business and our customers produce. Everyone has seen the images from Planet Earth 2 and other documentary makers and photographers that show the true horror of plastic waste. We have no option but to stop consuming plastic in the way we currently do and manage our plastic waste.
Sadly, it’s clear that weaning businesses and homes off our plastic obsession is not a simple task. Just look at the fact that most of us believed teabags were compostable, only to find that nearly all manufacturers were adding plastic to them. However, if we don’t all make fundamental edits to our plastic consumption and disposal, then we are on a disastrous path.
This is what we are doing at Deepdale.
- All caterers who attend Deepdale events will be required to use only biodegradable packaging, cutlery, glasses and the like. This will be the case for Friday evening pizza nights, Saturday evening curry nights, and all caterers attending events like the Deepdale Festival, Deepdale Hygge and Deepdale Christmas Market.
- We will aim for 100% of plastic waste to go to recycling not landfill. Currently all plastic that is separated goes to recycling specialists M W White Ltd, near Norwich. We are editing our bin area to more clearly show where each type of waste goes and help customers divide their waste more easily. In particular we want to actively encourage customers to separate plastics so they can go for recycling not landfill. We’re all in this together, so the separation and recycling of plastic waste has to be a partnership between customers and us.
- We are becoming more and more actively involved with organisations like Surfers Against Sewage, to help promote awareness of environmental issues, and get our hands dirty with events like beach cleans. It’s also vitally important that we support the campaigns being led by organisations like Surfers Against Sewage, and encourage our customers to support them too. We need fundamental change in laws to really make proper changes.
- We will plant at least 50 trees each year. We are pleased to say that this year we have already planted over 1300 hedge plants and over 80 trees, thanks to the wonderful team who joined us for the Conservation Weekend in February. We will continue to develop the planting, both at Deepdale Backpackers & Camping and elsewhere around the Deepdale Farm and Dalegate Market sites.
- We are committed to continuing to reach the Gold standard from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. This covers a wide range of environmental issues from biodegradable cleaning materials, to recycled toilet paper, to solar thermal panels on the roof to produce the majority of our hot water. We already have the Gold award, but we pledge to continue improving and feeding back to the Green Tourism Business Scheme to help them make the standard more and more comprehensive.
Thank you to everyone who comes to stay with us, and thank you for joining us on this journey that is so hugely important. Please keep your feedback coming, so we can continue to reduce the environmental impact of Deepdale. Have a Happy Earth Day, whatever the weather and wherever you are in the World.
As an Earth Day gift to yourself, might we suggest signing the Surfers Against Sewage petition calling for a Deposit Return System for plastic bottles – www.sas.org.uk/messageinabottle/
Please take a look at these videos, mind blowing, depressing, but hugely necessary messages …