Green Tourism Policy for First and Last Cottages self catering and bed and breakfast accommodation

I am a member of CoaST (Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project) because I realise that the main reason people come to Cornwall is to enjoy the environment - the beautiful, clean beaches, the wildness of the cliffs and heathland, the birdlife and the smell of ozone in the air.

Steps need to be taken to protect this environment. As an example, during the summer the amount of rubbish generated in Cornwall in August is 45% higher than in December - eventually this, and other factors such as the number of car journeys people make, will have a negative impact on the very environment everyone is here to enjoy.

I have already introduced some measures to minimise the impact that the B&B and the self catering properties have and to ensure that the local economy flourishes:

• 2005 - became an ambassador business for CoaST to learn more about how I can make my business more sustainable
• Completed Welcome to Excellence "Welcome All" course - October 2005
• Recycling boxes provided for paper, bottles and cans (Penwith District Council do not collect either plastic or cardboard at the moment). Eventually I hope to introduce large bins for plastic and cardboard which I will take to the recycling point myself
• Website updated to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act - site map included to ease navigation
• I already use as many local producers as possible to supply the food in the B&B and it would be helpful if visitors used local producers to buy food, gifts and souvenirs. The information folders in each property give you lots of suggestions of where to go and what to buy. One of my regular B&B guests buys all their meat mail order from the same butcher that I use because the quality is so good and others buy sausages and burgers to barbecue on the beach
• I provide a lot of information on walks in the area which can be done without taking the car and have a lot of guests who are walking the Coastal Path so there are no car journeys involved. Drying facilities are provided for walkers
• Many cyclists stay in the B&B, particularly those going from Land's End to John O'Groats - again no car journeys involved. There is plenty of room to store bicycles and I provide a repair kit/pump and a map for the Cornish Way cycle path
• Plenty of information is provided on places to eat, where the nearest cash point is and so on for those people who don't have a car
• I provide information on public transport - in particular the open top bus which goes around the Land's End peninsula - this is a fun way to travel and if you sit on the top deck you will see far more than you could from your car.
• Water butt at Treeve Moor - if you need water to wash your car or rinse a wetsuit please feel free to use the water from the butt
• Most of the loos have a short flush to reduce the amount of water used
• Thermostatic valves are fitted to all radiators in the B&B to cut down the amount of energy used
• I do ask visitors not to leave the TV on standby and I try not to leave various machines such as dishwashers on standby either
• I use laundry cards provided by CoaST asking people in the B&B to let me know when they would like a change of towels or linen so that I don't waste energy and water washing items unnecessarily
• I have begun the process of installing low energy light bulbs wherever possible
• Wherever possible I have items delivered to cut down on car journeys - e.g. groceries, meat, laundry, stationery
• I already use as many environmentally products as possible such as washing up liquid and loo rolls and I'm currently trialling environmentally friendly cleaning products
• In the B&B I use Fairtrade products where possible
• The Countryside Code is displayed in all properties which reminds visitors to protect plants and animals, take litter away, leave gates and property as you find them, keep dogs under close control, consider other people and users when visiting the countryside.
• Nappies - information is provided on where to obtain real nappies - 7,700 tonnes of disposable nappies are dumped into Cornwall's landfill sites every year.
• The garden at Treeve Moor is already a haven for birds and I encourage the birds with a bird table and several feeders in the garden
• Certain parts of the garden at Treeve Moor are deliberately set aside for wild flowers and nettles to flourish to attract the butterflies
• The B&B breakfast menu is restricted to reduce waste
• I have completed a training course on Sustainable Tourism to ensure that I am as informed as possible

Contact Liz Trenary, Treeve Moor House, Sennen, Penzance TR19 7AE, tel 01736 871284, info@firstandlastcottages.co.uk