Sustainability
What is sustainability? Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources. Sustainability is not just environmentalism.
We understand the importance of sustainability and our impact on the local area, community, and environment. As such, we are committed to promoting responsible practices in all aspects of our operations.
Dog baskets
As a multiple-dog welcoming holiday home, we are often asked if we provide dog baskets to save on packing space for guests. The answer is no and the reason is we don't ask what breed or size our dog guests are and we know as dog owners that dogs like different styles of baskets so the chances are that the dogs would not like the selection, or they were too big or too small. Any dog baskets we did leave out used or otherwise would need to be washed and dried before the next guests. The environmental impact of that often unnecessary laundry does not feel appropriate.
Garden and wildlife
To support biodiversity, we sow native Devon wildflower seeds in two sections of the garden to enhance its beauty and attract more wildlife. We have added the hedgerow and bushes that would provide food for wild birds in the winter months and we chose stock fencing behind it to allow smaller mammals like hedgehogs to continue their movements as before.
Shop local
We understand the importance of supporting local independent businesses, which are an essential part of the South Devon community. We encourage our guests to support these businesses and have provided details for many of them in our online guide. We are always looking to expand this list, so please let us know if you think we have missed any.
By working together, we can ensure that our actions have a positive impact on the environment and the local community.
Supporting local small businesses
When we recently carried out substantial work at Rill we chose to work with local businesses like our fantastic team at Blueview Renovations who brought in other local firms like DC Electrical. They helped us choose the most environmentally friendly options we could, focussing on long-term quality as well as environmental features.
Our amazing friends who run Moor to Sea Homes look after Rill for us, are a local firm that employs local individuals and we would be lost without them and all their team!
If you follow us on Facebook you will often see photos of Doug, who is the Rill House changeover supervisor. He likes to leave all the hard work to his Mum Sammie and is mainly found playing in the garden or hiding under the beds!
Recycling
Our Local Authority does not provide a recycling service for Holiday Accommodation and so we have contracted with a local business which collects all our rubbish, it is taken back to their depot and the recycling is separated and disposed of accordingly. You can find all the details here.
Appliances
Saving energy and water are priorities, which is why we supply appliances that are energy and water-efficient and advocate for water preservation.
Hot tubs
We are so often asked if we have a hot tub or why we do not allow them to be rented at the house.
The answer is simple we choose not to have one as we are so close to the sea and a Fresh Water Lake which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve plus we have a stretch of stream and we do not want chemicals going into the water which they would every week when it was emptied.