The end of plastic bottles! Another strong and symbolic step forwards in our quest to zero-waste holidays.
The end of plastic bottles
In summer, it’s hot and everyone drinks a lot of water, with a huge preference for fresh water! For that reason, until 2019, we sold bottles of refrigerated water in our shop. What could be more normal ?!
Yes, but… yes but, over time this seemed more and more out of step with our ecological commitment and our and our approach of sustainable tourism. In the first place, a strong desire to reduce our waste. Secondly, a lot of questions about the impact on our health of water that stagnates in plastic for weeks – endocrine disruptors, chemical additives…
So in 2020, we decided to banish all plastic bottles from our grocery shop. Another step to the zero waste era!
Long live the stainless steel flasks!
Instead, we now propose 50 or 75 cl isothermal flasks, made of stainless steel. They are light and practical, and above all, they are solid and reusable. What a luxury!
And what about freshness? Help yourself at one of the water points on the campsite. The water pipe comes out of the ground and with the isothermal you keep your water fresh all day long.
An ideal solution for camping in the summer, as well as during the rest of the year when travelling or at work.
Part of an overall approach: The 5Rs
This decision alone may seem symbolic were is not accompanied by a global approach, begun many years ago. This commitment has been rewarded with the Green Key label since 2010. 10 years already!
In a permacultural view of our business, we apply the 5R method by Bea Jonhson: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot (Compost). A good mnemonic way to reduce waste at the source and better use what remains afterwards. So, are you ready for a zero waste holiday?
What we have done for your zero-waste holidays
Refuse: we only buy what is strictly necessary so as not to promote waste (it is sometimes forgotten that most of the carbon impact occurs during the manufacturing/production of what we buy) and return the packaging to our suppliers, or reuse it where possible.
Reduce: we reduce the number of kilometres travelled by doing most of our shopping locally, mainly in Drôme-Ardèche. Half of our purchases come from within a radius of 20km! We limit our water and electricity consumption and we use 100% renewable energy.
Reuse: Many of our amenities are the result of the reuse of materials – from our building sites, for example – such as the workshop area, our shop or the small wooden bar terrace. In our new accommodations, we’ve have bargain-hunted furniture left and right, instead of buying new! And even some of our workshops are in this spirit, such as the homemade candles made with frying oil, or the homemade paper made with our local newspaper Le Dauphiné.
Recycle : As for what is left, we recycle everything – in the yellow bin – right down to the smallest plastic packaging, so there’s not much left in the bin.
Rot: the compost, quite simply, coming from customers and the restaurant, and the installation of dry toilets in the last 3 years.
Here are some emblematic examples. We try to apply this rule to the campsite, in a constant process of improvement. And above all, we offer you solutions so that you can do the same during your holidays.
What about you in all this?
Of course, you can contribute directly to our approach. In fact, many of you are doing so. Here are a few examples of the 5Rs applied to zero waste holidays.
- Refuse: use a water flask for your water, of course. Or buy in bulk, for example. Here we have oil, lentils, toothpaste, tea, cheese in cups…
- Reduce: Limit your water or electricity consumption; reduce your packaging or even your mileage by shopping locally, at our neighbouring producers or at our grocery shop.
- Reuse: use our donation box to donate what you do not wish to take home at the end of your stay, or take what you need during your stay.
- Recycle: If you have any packaging, you can put them all in the yellow container. Everything can be recycled, from pizza cardboard to plastic packaging (yoghurt tubs, plastic film, etc.). Do you really need a bin?
- Return to the soil: put your peelings in the compost, simple and easy!
And of course, the 5R method work all year round!
