A Burnham-On-Sea guest house has become the first business in the town to achieve a new ‘green’ award aimed at encouraging local firms to be more environmentally responsible.
The Business Awards Scheme was launched in March by Litter Free Coast & Sea Somerset and The Round Tower Guest House on Burnham’s Esplanade is the first to win the highest award.
Organiser Tanya Cox, from Litter Free Coast & Sea Somerset, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We’re really happy to have awarded The Round Tower with the highest level of the Business Award Scheme.”
“Phoebe and Stuart, the owners, have worked hard over the last 6 months to eliminate avoidable single use plastics and to review business practices to protect drains and sewers which ultimately has a positive impact on the local coastal environment and bathing water quality.”
“Hopefully, this achievement will encourage other local businesses to opt to sign up for the Award. It serves as an example that these changes are achievable, dispels the notion that making changes to more sustainable packaging is disproportionately high and is in line with the town’s ambitions to become a Plastic Free Coastline.”
The guest house’s Phoebe Pearce said: “The Round Tower is delighted to be the first in Burnham to be recognised for our efforts to reduce the use of single use plastics with these awards.”
“We decided to do something to help limit the amount of plastic entering the environment. We believed that there would be a vast amount of work and probably a significant financial outlay.”
“While it is true that we spent time sourcing the various items and talking with suppliers, it has not been the large financial outlay we had anticipated. We regularly find another item which has been repackaged so that it too becomes single use plastic free.”
“In the guest rooms we have replaced individual sachets of tea, coffee and biscuits with glass jars; and milk portions with flasks. In the dining room we use ramekin dishes for butter, marmalade, and sauces, while cereals are dispensed from hoppers instead of individually plastic wrapped portions. We have also phased in environmentally friendly cleaning products.”
“We hope that others will join this scheme and together we will be able to make a difference to our environment.”
Environmentally friendly cleaning products are used at the guesthouse
The guesthouse has achieved all three levels of the award scheme
To find out more about the scheme, email litterfreesomerset@gmail.com
