Sustainability At Ballygarry
Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa are dedicated to providing a more responsible and eco-friendly environment. We have changed the way we use resources and created a number of sustainable approaches to ensure that we are consistently improving and minimising any negative effect our procedures and systems have on the environment.
As well as taking the steps below, we believe in sourcing and buying responsibly. This includes purchasing as much from the local market as possible, reducing our food miles, as well as stimulating and supporting local businesses.
A further step we have taken, is to purchase entirely ‘green’ energy. Our natural gas requirement is purchased including a carbon offset, whereby trees are planted to offset the carbon cost of this gas. Our electricity is then produced in Ireland entirely from renewable, green sources such as wind and hydro power.
sustainability
The Estate
The centerpiece of our drive for a more sustainable business, is our current works to create our Estate, and the re-wilding of this land, which for generations was a working farm. This has seen us:
- Create an integrated wetlands, which uses reed bed filtration to treat waste water, and in turn offsets a massive amount of carbon
- Planting of fifteen acres of native woodlands, which will in time complement Ballyseedy Woods
- Plant three acres of native wild flower meadows next to our apiary to promote pollinators
- Re-wild over eighty acres of former farmland
- Re-introduce wild hedgerows, which are excellent sources of food and shelter to wildlife
Sustainability
Biodiversity area
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. Maintaining a high level of diversity among plants, animals and all living things all around us is essential in keeping the environment healthy and fit for human life.
One third of our bee species in Ireland are threatened with extinction. This is because we have drastically reduced the amount of food (flowers) and safe nesting sites in our landscapes.
Ballygarry are proud to home a number of beehives and have planted a number of wildflower meadows to help re-establish lost colonies of bees and offset the natural decrease in pollination by wild bees.
We also harvest our own honey which has have significant antibacterial qualities amongst many other benefits.
Sustainability
Biodegradable Area
Awareness of the damage caused to the environment by pollution is top of the agenda at Ballygarry Estate. What started with small efforts to reduce waste with the introduction of paperless checkouts and refillable soap dispensers, has quickly led to the formation of a dedicated ‘Green Team’.
We believe in having good recycling procedures in place to minimise our carbon footprint. Some of the Initiatives to date include:
- Removing excess plastic from bedrooms, changing to organic glass bottled water
- Providing biodegradable take-away containers, coffee cups & straws
- Teaming up with Chilly’s Bottles for water bottles
- Composting waste to create compost for a our gardens including a herb garden for our chefs
- Plastic, Cardboard, Glass and Dry Recycling is all collected separately for recycling
- Replaced individual portion cosmetics in guestrooms with organic products from Irish brand Voya
Sustainability
Electric Vehicle Charging
Ballygarry Estate were proud to be the first hotel in Ireland to offer Tesla Supercharging on-site. This is in addition to the two destination charging spaces already provided at the hotel.
Electric cars represent a cleaner, greener way to use everyday transport and can be fuelled by electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, hydropower, and solar. All our electricity in Ballygarry is sourced as Green Electricity, as such has no carbon footprint.
By choosing an electric car, you can reduce your carbon footprint and pollution impact to help preserve our natural environment.