Tewinbury Green Policy

At Tewinbury, sustainability is more than a promise, it is a practice. Every decision we make is guided by a commitment to care for the land, our community and the wider environment. Our Green Policy is built on the following principles:

• Reducing our environmental impact through careful management of energy and water, the use of ethical cleaning supplies, and sourcing from local suppliers wherever practicable.

• Minimising landfill waste by embedding a culture of recycling across the hotel as the business grows and expands.

• Protecting the environment around us with an awareness of light and sound pollution, and active measures to reduce both.

• Supporting local craftsmanship, working with skilled tradespeople to help maintain the character and ambience of a working farm.

• Educating and engaging our team, ensuring every member understands their contribution to the hotel’s Green Policy and helping us build a vibrant green culture together.

• Inviting our guests to join us, by sharing simple ways they can contribute to sustainability during their stay at Tewinbury.

• Meeting and exceeding standards, not only complying with legislation and law, but also staying proactive in line with government environmental guidelines.

• Balancing our ‘Three Ps’ bottom line – people, planet and profit – to ensure responsible growth.

• Working towards net zero, cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible.

This journey is championed by our Estate Manager, a passionate environmentalist, who began by harnessing a natural resource beneath our feet. A borehole was drilled 65 metres below the hotel to draw from a rich source of natural water. This water is filtered and supplied by Eco Pure Waters, and now serves the hotel in recycled, re-useable glass bottles. By doing so, we save the transportation and use of over 21,000 plastic bottles every year, while offering our guests the purest water, straight from the ground beneath Tewinbury.

At Tewinbury, recycling is part of daily life across every department. We have systems in place to make sure as little as possible goes to waste, and we are proud to be one of Hertfordshire’s first Zero to Landfill businesses.

• Dry mixed recycling: bins are provided in every department for plastic packaging (hard and soft), plastic cups, drinks cans, cardboard boxes, newspapers, magazines and metals. These are collected in 1,100-kilo bins and sent to a recycling centre, along with glass and cardboard, to be fully recycled.

• Biodegradable waste: green bins are located across the estate and collected in corn starch bags. These are transferred into large wheelie bins and collected weekly by a vehicle that runs on bio-fuel. The waste goes through an Anaerobic Digestion system, producing organic fertiliser for the land and electricity that is fed back into the national grid.

• General waste: red bins are used for any residual waste. Thanks to our recycling system, the amount going into these bins has declined sharply. What does remain is sent to an incineration plant where it is converted into energy.

• Garden and kitchen waste: all garden waste is composted on-site, and all kitchen oil is collected by a local supplier for recycling.

With these procedures in place, Tewinbury has proudly operated as a Zero to Landfill business since 2013, and we continue to build on this commitment year after year.

We recognise that vehicle pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges today, and we are committed to playing our part in lowering carbon emissions. At Tewinbury, we have introduced a number of initiatives to help reduce the impact of transport on and around the estate.

• Shuttle bus: we offer a complimentary 14-seat shuttle bus service to local businesses, allowing guests to leave their cars on site while travelling to and from work. Each journey can take up to 14 cars off the road.

• Electric buggy: our electric-powered passenger buggy encourages guests to park their cars and either walk or use the buggy to move around the estate with ease.

• Bicycles: bikes are available free of charge for leisurely rides around the grounds, or for business guests to cycle to work and leave their cars behind.

• Local and seasonal food: our restaurant sources ingredients as close to home as possible. The menus change with the seasons, featuring produce from local counties, as well as trout from our own lakes and herbs grown across the estate.

• Electric vehicle charging: with the rise of electric cars, we are preparing for the future by installing an EV charging point on site. We do not expect immediate high demand, but we are committed to being ready for what comes next.

At Tewinbury, we are always looking for ways to reduce energy consumption without compromising guest comfort. Our approach combines practical measures, efficient technology and ongoing education for our team and guests.

• Lighting: all hotel lighting has been replaced with low-energy bulbs where safe to do so. In public areas, lighting is controlled by motion detectors, while newly refurbished bedrooms feature light-controlled key cards.

• Heating and cooling: our entire heating system is run on seasonal and daily timers. Heating is switched off when bedrooms are unoccupied and during the summer months. Air conditioning units are part of the government’s ECA scheme in conjunction with the Carbon Trust.

• Electrical use: we ensure all appliances and equipment are switched off and unplugged when not in use, reducing unnecessary energy draw.

• Sustainable refurbishment: as we continue to upgrade and refurbish the hotel, we prioritise energy-efficient products and systems.

• Guest participation: we encourage guests to reuse towels and bed linen to help save energy and water.

• Team education: our team takes part in regular communication meetings focused on environmental issues. Recycling results are shared, targets are set, and internal audits are carried out to ensure accountability.

• Recognition: we are proud to have received compliance awards from both Green Star and Crawleys for our commitment to green practices. We are currently working towards achieving the Green Tourism award scheme.

We have recently invested in a full solar panel system on our new Meadow Barn. The panels generate 50 kW of electricity, which is enough to cover the hotel’s basic daily energy use. This investment allows us to harness clean, renewable energy directly from the sun, reducing our reliance on traditional power sources and lowering our carbon footprint.