Hout Bay Beach Cottage is changing its ways towards a more sustainability conscious, mindful approach. At the same time we aim to stay balanced by carefully considering practicalities and considering the needs of all our guests.
1. SINGLE USE PLASTIC
We already tried to avoid single use plastic products. But there is always room for improvement!
NESPRESSO CAPSULES
Did you know that in 2018 alone, fifty-six billion plastic and
aluminum Nespresso compatible capsules
(also known as pods) landed up in landfill, where they will remain for five hundred years?
We now source sustainable capsules for our Nespresso machine for guests to enjoy. Read more about our suppliers:
We aim to be conscious and always try and source supplies that use sustainable packaging. We supply re-usable shopping bags for our guests.
2. RECYCLING SYSTEM
We encourage our guests to separate recycling waste. To make it easy for our guests we have placed a recycle info chart on the wall above the mint green recycling bin:
The recyclable products go in the clear garbage bags. A dedicated recycling bin is available both in the kitchen as well as outside.
3. ORGANIC PRODUCTS AND SUPPLIES
We are conscious about choosing our household supplies, go green where possible, keeping high hygiene standards. We will always try and source supplies that use sustainable packaging and natural ingredients. This includes cleaning products, shampoos, water bottles and soaps. We supply a shopping bag, so no plastic bags need to be bought.
Our refill shampoos, conditioners and hand and body wash come from a lovely Olive and Lavender farm in Robertson called Owl’s Rest
All our refill Cleaning products come from the so pure collection
4. WATERWISE GARDEN
Our garden is water wise. We have an artificial lawn which does not require water nor fertilizers. We have many tropical plants and cacti. All plants planted are carefully selected for its water wise nature. We only use eco friendly pesticides.
5.DURABLE AND UPCYCLED FURNISHINGS
Quite a few items in the cottage are bespoke upcycled furnishing and décor pieces. The mirror above the dining table for instance was an old frame from a beach house where it hang for a decade, we purchased it and upcycled it to a mirror, now a stunning décor piece. All dining chairs are upcycled. The French head board was bought second hand and refurbished. The baby cot’s the same. We have replaced wooden outdoor sun loungers and dining table and invested in durable aluminum. We keep durability in mind as we upgrade overtime.
6. SOLAR POWER AND POWER REDUCTION
We have changed more than 80 percent of our lightbulbs to LED. We have changed our fridge, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer to highly rated economic appliances with economic settings. The large pool at Hout Bay Beach Cottage is solar heated, the solar panels are on top of the garage. We have installed a 3000w inverter with quality battery to keep lights, WIFI, TV’s and some plugs on during national loadshedding or any power outrages. The next phase planned is to take the geyser off-grid with solar power and charge the inverter battery with solar panels. We will investigate installing more solar power in the house in the future.
7. HOUSE MANUAL TIPS
The House Manual includes many tips on how to reduce waste in general. This includes water and electricity saving tips. We also encourage our guests not to throw away any food or drinks on departure. Our staff will see to it that nothing will go to waste and the products will be distributed to less fortunate.
We highlight suppliers in the area that have implemented conscious and sustainable ethos and support the local communities. We also provide a list of health shops and conscious food suppliers. We try and support local artists where we can.
Hout Bay Beach Cottage is a self-catering holiday house, offering 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen and a beautiful private garden with pool.
For more information on Hout Bay Beach Cottage:
