Polmanter’s commitment to sustainability
10th August 2021
As the environmental damage caused by pollution and waste becomes increasingly apparent, it’s up to all of us to help protect our planet.
At Polmanter we are committed to minimising our carbon footprint and have been making changes wherever we can to improve our sustainability. Here are some of the new products and practices we’ve introduced.
Switching to eco alternatives
With time, it is becoming increasingly easier to make more eco-friendly choices and we’re always looking for alternatives to single-use plastics. We have started using recyclable coffee cups and lids, and have signed up to BYO Coffee Cup, where customers get money off when they choose to bring their own cup.
Our reusable Polmanter cups are also great addition to your camping kit!
In the bar, we have committed to ban the use of plastic straws, switching to a paper alternative (banning straws entirely can cause difficulties for guests with additional needs). We are now a proud member of The Final Straw, Cornwall, who aim to eliminate the use of plastic straws in the county. We use reusable or biodegradable cups rather than disposable ones for poolside and soft play drinks, and we’ve stopped laminating the menus as this meant they couldn’t be recycled.
In the shop, we no longer stock disposable plastic plates and have replaced them with reusable, bamboo and paper versions. We offer CanO Water as well as bottled water so guests have an eco alternative; but it’s also worth remembering that we are part of the international Refill scheme, meaning you can refill your reusable water bottles for free in our reception, bar or at any of the taps across the site (all taps are drinking water). As well as tackling disposable plastics, we’re looking at changing other ranges for more environmentally friendly versions, and now stock green camping toilet chemicals. And as we all know, plastic bags have become a major environmental issue. We now supply only certified compostable vegware bags, or why not purchase one of our lovely Polmanter-branded canvas or jute bags and use it every time you shop…
Keeping it local
Not everything can be made locally; however, if produce can be sourced from St Ives and around, we’ll try to use it. For example, Trink Dairy, just over a mile away supplies us with milk alongside nearby Mounts Bay Dairy, and our favourite gin is distilled in St Ives! Have a look at the local farmers and producers section in Polmanter’s new shop (which was designed and built by Cornish contractors).
Recycling
A big thanks to all our guests, who’ve helped us cut down on our landfill waste enormously by sorting their rubbish at the campsite’s recycling points. Hopefully our signage will make it really clear what needs to go where, and recycling will become a really quick job.
We have new recycling bins at Reception, to make sure that we’re all doing our bit at work, too. However, we’re not generating as much waste in the office as we used to, as we’re nearly paperless! We’ve switched to an electronic brochure; and we now send confirmations and other communications via email rather than letter. (However if any guests prefer a paper version and ask for one, we’re happy to oblige).
Consider hiring body boards rather than buying polystyrene boards that don’t last, and check out our beach toy and board exchange before buying. Feel free to (tidily!) leave items that you don’t want to take home with you!
Switching off…
Where possible, we’ve installed motion and light sensors on outdoor and communal area lighting. This means that there’s always light when you need it – and there isn’t when you don’t.
…but plugging in
The useful little vehicles you see about the site are now electric rather than diesel, and they’re doing a great job! We have also installed charging points for touring guest’s electric vehicles in our visitor car park, and each of our self-catering properties has its own EV charging socket too.
Solar Energy
As a huge jump towards reducing our carbon footprint, in 2019 we installed an entire field of 950 solar panels. These have been happily soaking up the Cornish sun and producing enough energy to help power the site all year round. This year alone, we’ve made a massive CO2 savings of over 100 tonne!
Leave your car at the campsite
Royal buses’ park and ride bus goes right into St Ives, saving our guests from making the short drive into town. There are also a lovely walk into town via a quiet country lane, taking approximately 25 minutes, it’s the perfect stroll! And there’s plenty of options to explore the area via public transport; we can supply guests with timetables for the local buses and trains. In the summer there’s also the fantastic open top, coastal, hop on hop off bus service, which is very popular!
Keeping it eco on your Cornish holiday
Show your love for Cornwall’s coast while you’re here, by taking part in a beach clean. Surfers Against Sewage events across the South West – and you’ll have a lot of fun as well as supporting the environment.
St Ives is great for independent retailers selling local products and produce, and most of the restaurants (including The Stable Bar) use Cornish ingredients wherever possible. There’s also a fantastic farmers market at the Guildhall every Thursday where you can pick up a range of local goods. And not forgetting the recently installed refill station for drinking water located by the lifeboat station in the town.
All these small measures start to add up – especially when more and more of us embrace alternatives to using single-use plastics and fossil fuels. Penzance recently became Britain’s first town with plastic-free status, as local businesses joined together to make a difference.
