a year of investment a year of Building on Distinction album 2005 “sustain-able”: able to be sustained sustainable = smart The Building on Distinction Programme of the Coast Project is funded by County Environmental Trust, A practical revolution has started to happen in Cornwall. Last- century and ill-informed views that “all that sustainability stuff” means worthiness, poor quality, and cold showers with no soap are fast losing their grip on the collective mindset. A shrewder, innovative and more contemporary spirit is taking hold. Along with the ever-diversifying plethora of community groups wanted information, and joined outstanding local food and drink providers – which the Network. Within ten months, overall membership prompted The Guardian recently to label Cornwall as of the CoaST network more than doubled from 250 the UK’s number one location for “foodies” – we are to over 500. also seeing an unprecedented leap in interest from a small but telling number of high-quality businesses This short album will show you what the Building on who are locking new ideas on wider sustainable Distinction Ambassadors have started. They are business management into their daily operations. mostly small businesses, as are the majority of Cornwall’s tourism businesses. It is exactly this diversity These businesses save money by reducing waste; of “early adopters” – the ones who see the they’re auditing their energy and water use for the opportunities - a few large, and mostly small (and first time; they’re using simple ideas like the CoaST indeed tiny) businesses who can lead the way in laundry cards (keep reading); they’re going climate- terms of getting smart. Big change is made up of lots neutral; they‘re taking their staff to landfill sites to see and lots of small changes, all adding up – and that’s what happens to their rubbish; they’re offering real what the Ambassadors are doing. cotton nappies to parents to try; they’re working with charities in the local community; they’re actively New businesses arriving on the scene and joining the sourcing locally – both goods and services; they’re Network are doing exactly the same. They’re getting establishing new visitor payback schemes; they’re smart, too. All their efforts are adding up: more small writing inspirational welcome packs, websites and steps turning into giant strides. Over 70 businesses brochures which actively engage with increasing have started using the CoaST laundry cards this visitor interest in their social and environmental summer. The Hundred House Hotel says it has reduced impact on holiday. laundry loads from four a day to one every two days. Eden B&B uses them and has seen an 18% reduction in its energy bill; and they’re passing that saving right And then they win awards for it. back to the visitor – and telling them why! It all begins to add up. The Ambassador and Champion businesses featured in this album showcase no more than a taster of A few businesses have been doing this quietly, and sustainable ideas; they’re businesses with different alone, for years; they simply felt it was the right thing objectives, at different stages of development, all to do. All they needed was support. More wanted to, with different budgets, approaches and locations. but simply didn’t know where to start. This year CoaST What binds them is an understanding of how ran the Building on Distinction programme, with sustainable practice means higher quality, improved contributions from County Environmental Trust, efficiency, and happier visitors. Feel free to try some The Environment Agency, Cornwall Enterprise, of these highly digestible ideas, and if you have more Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the SEED Programme to offer then bring them to the table too. Rest assured and Objective One. Six ‘Surgery Sessions’ kick-started we’ll pass them on: it’s what we do best. And right the programme early in 2005, with well over 70 on cue we see the long-awaited roll-out of the Green tourism businesses joining CoaST for support and Tourism Business Scheme. Perfect timing. Between us – advice on sustainable practice. From these Sessions, CoaST, CDMO, the local authorities, community a target of 12 “Ambassadors” turned into 23, which groups, South West Tourism, Envision, Envirowise, GTBS, then combined with the 2004 CoaST “champions” to Objective One, statutory and regulatory bodies, and make over 30 businesses keen to take the message all the businesses – between all of us, bit by bit, we out as they learned. The Building on Distinction (BoD) are making Cornwall’s vibrant tourism industry simply programme set about finding what it was these more sustainable. businesses wanted to do to go sustainable and to get smart. And so started a slew of site visits, emails, phone calls, newsletters, gopher-ing and lots and lots of support. Interest increased; public, private and It’s all adding up. the SEED Programme, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Cornwall Enterprise the Environment Agency and Objective One. 1 After the surgery sessions came site visits, action plans and real ideas, like the laundry cards... CoaST Ambassador the Primrose Valley Hotel in St. Ives detergent... but I've just realised that the reduced wear has been using their own cards since 2004 - their laundry on the washing machine could out-do ALL of them, on run could go from 60 towels when the hotel is full to 5: economic grounds at least! Your example of moving time, water, energy and detergent saved immediately. from 4 washes a day to 1 every other day is a factor of Since March 2004 CoaST laundry cards have been in 8... your machine lasts up to 8 times longer (mainly on place. With extra support form South West Water, the BoD number of cycles, not age) so a good domestic £500 programme has issued 100’s of laundry cards to over 70 machine would last 10+ years instead of about 2...!’ hotels across Cornwall. Both the CoaST cards and the ‘Significant change in usage of towels and within 6 Primrose Valley Hotel have been featured in the April weeks! Staff noticed how much tidier quests have 2005 international "Green Hotelier" magazine, resulting become by picking up the towels and even folding already in a request from the Hilton Milan for information them instead of throwing them on the floor!' about the cards as they wish to implement a similar Royal Hotel, Truro scheme... ‘South West Tourism’s new Action of the Year The Hundred House Hotel are won over. ‘They are a scheme is built on the simple fact that single easy must for every hotel, B&B and guest house in Cornwall!’ initiatives are one of the best ways to help businesses raved Richard Major-Barron. ‘Amazing, amazing result! go “sustainable”. The CoaST laundry cards are a Down from 3-4 loads of washing a day to 1-2 loads a case in point.’ Neil Warren, SW Tourism Sustainable day. Down from using 54 towels a day to 4 a day! Tourism Manager Water costs, electricity etc. down (compared to another friend's hotel) by 50%. Customers absolutely ‘Significant reduction by 1 load a day (from 2/3), next love it. Thanks!’ year we hope to reduce even more. We also want to Ambassador Matt Trevaskis, Eco-Drive laminate the cards and use the stickers as well.’ wrote ‘I've heard Trewithian Farm, Truro you mention the savings of energy, water and Promotion for COAST magazine (no relation!), design by Gendalls. 2 ....and visitor engagement... A critical part of sustainable tourism is engaging our visitors "We save on average £13,000 a year through our and helping make their impact a positive one. Critically environmental management practices. The market for visitors are an increasingly receptive audience. Visitors from 'responsible' properties like ours is huge and this has been N Europe are already well acquainted with sophisticated demonstrated by us running at nearly 80% occupancy environmental management systems; and research from year round." 2003 carried out by the English Tourism Council showing The visitor is ready. To make this as easy as possible, CoaST high interest levels (over 80% of visitors stating they would produced a template for businesses to use in their visitor prefer green accredited destinations) has been backed packs, brochures and websites - 5 small steps that that up by 2005 research from Devon County Council. each business can adapt or tailor to their individual This indicates that a majority of UK holidaymakers are business to provide immediate positive, practical ideas for concerned with protecting the natural assets of their visitors. Cornish Holiday Cottages was the first Ambassador home country. The research states: to include the 5 steps in their 2006 holiday brochure; *82% of these visitors are willing to put their Geevor Mine printed out 1000 of the flyers and they money where their mouth is and pay extra walked out of the cafe...and Ambassadors such as for environmentally responsible products; Pollaughan Farm have created a Caring for Cornwall *98% class themselves as someone who cares about page on their website to give visitors a simple, engaging protecting the natural environment; and practical list of things to do to be Cornwall’s “best sort of visitor”... *54% of those visiting Devon consider environmental issues when booking their holiday. Caradon was the first District Council to do the same: ‘Be a 'Responsible' Visitor: Wherever we go and whatever *84% said that car free days out appeal to them we do, we have some impact and leave some impression whilst on holiday on the environment. By making positive choices during *88% are concerned about climate change your visit, you can help to look after this special area ensuring that it retains its character for your next visit.’ The views of consumers were confirmed by Devon tourist So starts their tourism page encouraging our visitors to businesses, who have found that the introduction of 'green' help us look after our fabulous natural environment.