Why do we bother?
The environment really matters to us & we see its destruction around us every day. We pro-actively participate in good environmental practices & ask you to play your part.
We are committed to making your visit as enjoyable & relaxing as we can but equally about making it as sustainable and green as possible. We very much want to provide our guests & visitors with a high quality experience whilst supporting our local community & preserving our beautiful surroundings for the prosperity & enjoyment of future generations.
We are parents to 6 children & grandparents to 8. Our time is limited to do our bit to leave a world for them.
We don’t want to sound preachy- but we want to do what we can to minimise the damage we inflict on the planet for future generations. We helped make the mess, so we have to help clear it up! We accept that we’re not perfect too- but we always try to do everything we can to get it right.
In planning & managing our small business at Mill Cross Retreats, we have looked at all our inputs & outputs & tried to minimise the environmental impact of them all, as much as possible. We don’t think this is at odds with your enjoyment. Indeed we think it enhances it & we ask you to commit to join us in playing your part here when you visit or stay & when you return home.
WHAT CAN YOU DO (during your visit & when you go home)?
You can make a real difference when you;
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Choose local & seasonal
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Buy only the food that you need rather than too much which gets wasted
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Choose not to buy items wrapped in single use plastic containers
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Choose instead, cardboard wrapped or paper wrapped or even better, not wrapped at all- shops like Ben’s, Annies or stalls on Totnes Market all sell loose food you don’t need to bag.
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Use refill shops- almost every town has at least one
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Refill a metal or bamboo water bottle- please don't buy single use plastic!
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Refill bamboo hot cups for coffee/tea and don’t be fooled by “compostable” takeaway cups which usually end up in landfill
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If you do have takeaway cardboard containers, clean all food waste from them and recycle.
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Clean & sort your recycling
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Make sure the freezer door is shut properly and don’t turn the fridge up too high
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Turn off lights & heating when you go out
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Only use radiators for as long as needed
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Boil only the water you need in the kettle for that use
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Turn off the TV rather than leaving it on standby
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Don’t leave your phone charging overnight- give it a blast in the morning and use solar energy from the PVs
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Avoid products that are harmful to the environment (sprays, chemical based products, pesticides, products grown using chemicals)
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Buy quality over quantity or buy secondhand
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Avoid disposables- especially BBQs & plastic bottles
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Cycle, walk, use public transport wherever you can
Thank you for choosing us, choosing to read this & choosing to do whatever you can to make changes to protect the fragile environment around us.