Running a Green B&B: How to Run a Luxury B&B and Stay Eco-Friendly

Until recently, I didn’t think it was possible to run a luxury B&B and be environmentally friendly. For me, being green meant gray sheets, hard towels, and a shower that dripped cold water on you.

That was until I met a very smart woman from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. Unlike many ardent environmentalists I have met, she was candid in admitting that compromise is necessary. Be as green as possible, but also recognize that there are times when she needs to use the dryer.

Here are my top tips for going green while staying luxurious.

1. Have an environmental policy

Post your policy on their website and include it in your room folder. Explain to guests what steps you are taking to help the environment and encourage them to do the same.

Quality standards say you should change sheets and towels every 4 days unless you have a policy, in which case it’s every 7 days unless guests request a change.

2. Shop locally

Visitors to an area love to try the local produce. Make friends with your butcher and your guests will enjoy eating real sausage and bacon from the local pigs, instead of the watery stuff in packages from the supermarket.

3. Reduce laundry

Make sure you have enough sheets and towels so you only have one full purchase. I discovered the Eco-Balls 3 balls that are placed in the washing machine and clean the sheets without the need for detergent or conditioner. I find that they are not as effective for very heavy stains, but they are perfect for sheets and towels that have only been slept in for a few days. And since you don’t use detergent, you don’t need a rinse cycle, so you’re saving money on electricity, detergent, and water!

4. Dry your towels

Of course, the most environmentally friendly way to dry clothes is outside on the clothesline. If that’s not possible, you can now buy energy rated A dryers. Throw in some dryer balls and they cut down drying time by 25% and also make your clothes softer.

5. Buy recycled

You can buy recycled versions of almost everything these days. Toilet paper, kitchen towels, pens, printer paper.

6. Reuse and recycle

It is usually better to reuse things than to recycle. I reuse all my jam and honey jars. They go in the dishwasher and are then ready for my next jam or jam making session. You can turn newspaper into fire briquettes or compostable pots. Shred newspapers or confidential documents and mix them into your compost heap. I use mine for chicken litter, then I compost that.

Where you can’t reuse, then recycle what you can: cardboard, glass, newspaper, plastic. Ask your guests to set aside recyclable items or provide them with a separate recycling bin.

7. Have a wildlife friendly policy

This can be as simple as setting up a bird feeder and providing guests with a bird identification book. Other ideas would be to install boxes for birds, bats, hedgehogs. If you have space, consider planting native hedgerows for birds to nest, feed and shelter. Plant bushes and trees rich in berries for winter food. Don’t be too tidy in the garden – leave piles of logs and some weed-free areas to provide shelter for hedgehogs, frogs, toads and lizards. Consider setting up a wildlife pond, even something very small will attract frogs, even if you don’t put any fish in it. Start a nature journal that guests can contribute to.

8. Encourage more green travel

My experience with B&B guests is that sometimes they like to be told what to do. So put together some itineraries to help them choose a greener option for at least one day trip during their stay. If you’re lucky enough to have public transport nearby, organize a few day trips using this, including times, places to eat, etc. Consider renting bikes or making an arrangement with a local bike rental company and provide your guests with bike routes, places to eat along the way, or a packed lunch. Keep local maps handy and highlight walks that can be taken from the B&B.

9. Install energy-saving light bulbs

When you need to replace the light bulbs, do so with low energy ones. There are some great deals on the internet these days – these bulbs are getting smaller and smaller and don’t cost as much as they used to. You’ll also save money on reduced electricity bills.

10. Reduce food waste

This can be a real problem with B&Bs, as you need to buy food in case guests want to eat it. I make a breakfast menu for guests to order the night before, so I only cook what they actually order. I freeze the sausages individually on a tray and then put them in a freezer bag and take one out when I need it. if you have a lot of bread halves left over, then buy a half loaf and store it in the freezer: bread freezes and thaws very well.

Ask your butcher to vacuum pack your bacon; this will last approximately 4 weeks. I use mushrooms and tomatoes that I haven’t used for guest breakfasts in stews. If you supply orange juice, then by supplying it freshly squeezed you only need to squeeze what you need! And oranges keep for several weeks if you put them in the fridge. Use overripe bananas in smoothies or baked banana muffins.