Green tourism

The Secret to Being Green in Yorkshire

The beautiful surroundings of Yorkshire are the raw material of our self-catering holidays business – and as such, all of us here at Ingrid Flute's Yorkshire Holiday Cottages are doing all that we can to promote sustainable tourism and protect and enhance our natural environment. Please see below some of our sustainable initiatives:

Environmental Policy

Ingrid Flute's Yorkshire Holiday Cottages are committed to managing environmental impact as an integral part of our operations. In particular it is our policy to assure the environmental integrity of our processes and facilities at all times. We will do so by adhering to the following principles:

We will continually seek opportunities to improve our environmental performance by establishing objectives and targets, measuring progress and reporting our results; including but not limited to energy, water, paper and fuel consumption and vehicle miles travelled.
We will promote participation and communicate our commitment to responsible environmental management by promoting environmental responsibility among our employees; by providing the necessary training and support to enable them to implement this policy; by informing suppliers of our environmental policy and encouraging them to adopt effective environmental management practices; and by soliciting input from our employees, suppliers, homeowners, customers and board members in meeting our environmental goals.
We will employ management systems and procedures specifically designed to minimise the use of energy, natural resources and hazardous materials, to minimise the generation of waste and enable recycling and reuse of materials.

The following measures will be taken by management and employees to reduce waste, prevent pollution and conserve water and energy:

We will be audited by the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
An Environmental Management Strategy will be implemented.
Regular monitoring of the group’s energy/water/paper consumption will be undertaken.
A Green Team will be put together with Green Champions helping to deliver initiatives.
Recycling facilities will be in the workplace for a variety of waste types.
The Environmental Policy is made available to all employees, suppliers, homeowners and customers, and will be introduced to new employees at induction.

A Statement of Commitment:

At Ingrid Flute's Yorkshire Holiday Cottages we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint in order to be more environmentally friendly. As a member of the global community we have a responsibility to shape ourselves as a low energy business, with regular reviews of our practises and processes so we can maintain this low energy status.

We have seen 22 years of continuous growth within the group and with that growth comes an increased potential impact on the environment. However, as we grow, our potential to influence suppliers, homeowners, customers and competitors on green issues also increases. We understand that our business is highly dependent on the natural beauty of the rural areas that our holiday homes are located in. To this end we must continue to work hard to protect these natural environments from pollution as well as looking to future proof our business through less dependence on fossil fuels.

Responsible Visitors Charter

Feel Good... Seven things you can do to help save the planet

We are working to make the cottage holidays we sell in Yorkshire more eco-friendly, but we need your help. We can all reduce our impact on the environment by making choices. As a visitor to the county you have a very important role to play in helping us to conserve Yorkshire’s assets and become a more sustainable holiday destination. Here are our recommended tips on how you can help:

Conserve Energy

At your cottage, reduce energy by switching off lights and closing windows if heating is on. The Energy Saving Trust provides information on what you can do to save energy at home and when on holiday. Please visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for more advice.

Give the Car a Rest

Whilst on your cottage holiday, leave the car behind, if only for a day. Walk, cycle or use public transport. We will happily provide you with advice. You may want to visit the Arriva North East buses website for more advice on how to travel in Yorkshire without using your car.

Shop Local

Use local products, they give you a flavour of the area and help support local communities. We are fortunate to have some fantastic producers of food, drink and arts and crafts. Ask us about local markets or local and regional produce.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Try to avoid overly packaged goods and say no to that extra carrier bag. Check in your property information pack for details of recycling. There are often recycling bins at our self catering properties. There are also numerous recycling facilities provided by North Yorkshire County Council. Please visit this page for more details.

Be Water Wise

The UK has rising costs for water treatment and flood defense, so please use water wisely. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, adhere to towel policies, partake in Green Laundry initiatives or other water saving initiatives. Please see the water guide for more information.

Respect Nature

Help us to look after the beautiful landscape and wildlife of our county by not littering, guarding against fire and using footpaths and cycle-ways responsibly. Ensure you follow the Countryside Code.

Support Green Businesses

There are thousands of businesses in the British Isles working to reduce their carbon footprint through the Green Tourism Business Scheme. Businesses are awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold for their efforts to be more sustainable. Ingrid Flute's Yorkshire Holiday Cottages are currently working towards our accreditation.

The Future

Our plans for the future include continuing to improve our green credentials, and being accredited by The Green Tourism Business Scheme.

For further information please call us on 01947 600700 or email info@yorkshireholidaycottages.co.uk