THE SUSTAINABLE GREEN POLICY OF BERRIO MILL

Sustainable, ethical, eco-friendly, responsible. All are loaded words that encapsulate a variety of activities and approaches to life. They can inspire visions of worthy, earnest people dressed in sack cloth living by candle light, but really, at the simplest level, describe the application of common sense to the knowledge that we are gleaning about how our actions affect the environment we live in. Living sustainably, for us, means acting in a way that helps to ensure the continued survival of the community and environment that supports us, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. It also means fostering a sense of place by utilising what the immediate environment and community produce, minimising energy consumption, and minimising waste. It is about making our lives more rewarding and enjoyable, not more difficult. It can also save us a few pennies !

Some methods of dealing with the increased pressure on our natural resources are simple to achieve, and are being implemented by many of us daily. Other methods require a little more effort, time and investment, often a combination of all three. Following is a list of some of the things that we are doing at Berrio Mill.

1. Recognising that we are the environmental custodians for future generations of the few acres we have at Berrio Mill. We encourage those that respect what we are trying to achieve to come and enjoy what this natural environment has to offer.
2. Buying as much locally sourced produce as possible. This supports and encourages a thriving community from which everyone can benefit. It also cuts down on food miles and the associated pollution.
3. Growing as many of our own vegetables and fruit as space, time and energy will allow.  Our plan is to erect a polytunnel in 2010 so that we can increase our fruit and veg production.
4. Encouraging visitors to look around the immediate area rather than travel for miles during the day in the car. This has obvious environmental benefits, but also means that you can spend a greater proportion of your day pursuing the whole point of a holiday - relaxation!
5. Implementing a resource-conscious policy in the cottages. For example, we ask guests to leave only the towels that have been used in the shower or bath on the morning of departure so that we conserve water and electricity, and to turn off appliances when they are not in use rather than leaving them on standby. To use the wood burning stove to heat the cottage instead of oil heated radiators.
6. Supplying Fairtrade tea and coffee, local bread, our free range eggs and preserves for inclusion in guests’ welcome packs.
7. Using ecological cleaning products, and natural, home-made cleaning solutions. We have arranged for soap to be made locally using bees wax and honey from the hives at Berrio Mill.
8. Fitting energy saving bulbs into as many lights as possible.
9. Providing spring water from our borehole for use in the cottages and farm produce with no added chemicals. We use the stream to water the veg garden and plants.
10. Composting all organic matter, or feeding some of it to the chickens if they have been good girls.
11. Making full use of East Cornwall's excellent kerbside collection to recycle all paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, foil etc.