Broughtons Environmental Policy
Wildlife
• We do quite a few things to enhance the wildlife in our garden – feeding the birds is a pleasure, as well as necessary for them, especially during winter. We also have a thriving population of frogs and toads, insects and dragonflies –thanks to our small pond and wilder areas of the garden.
• We try and avoid using any chemicals in the garden-though I admit I do use them for weed killing along the drive if the flame thrower is not in action!
• There are plenty of logs piled around which are very attractive to wildlife including insects and fungi. We use excess wood in the fires in the house and Broughtons Cottage logburner.
• Flower beds and seed heads are left for as long as possible for insects and birds alike.
• The field and some areas of the garden are deliberately left as uncultivated as possible.
Recycling
• We recycle as much as possible: Forest of Dean council collects glass, newspaper, magazines and drink and food cans. As we have several very large compost bins we recycle all uncooked food waste. I am looking into getting bokashi bins for composting cooked food waste.
Resources
• We provide bed linen and towels and of course these are changed at each change over. As much as possible all of these are dried in the fresh air on the washing line and the tumble dryer is only used as a last resort.
• We try and use environmentally friendly cleaning and laundry products, including recycled loo paper, which is provided. We pride ourselves on presenting you with a clean & gleaming cottage on your arrival and find that eco-cloths are a great help, often cutting down on the need for extra chemicals for that final polish.
• Please turn off lights when not in use. We are replacing bulbs with low energy ones as and when they need replacing.
• The oil central heating is preset, but each radiator has individual controls – please turn them down if you are warm enough, or even off if the log burner is keeping you warm enough.
• We try and shop locally as much as possible,using our local butcher, farm shop and Severn & Wye smokery. Your welcome hamper contains products that are either home grown or locally sourced.
Septic Tank
• As we have a septic tank, we need to ask everyone to be considerate over what they put down the loo – it cannot cope with more than toilet paper! So – no sanitary towels, tampons, nappies, teabags, dental floss or facial wipes. Recycled loo paper is provided for your stay.
As someone once said - “Nothing to get flushed down the toilet, except toilet paper!”
