50 Shades Greener Gold Level Award

We have achieved a Gold Level Award!

We have now incorporated sustainability into our HR, Purchasing and Marketing operations! We have taken the time to look at our suppliers and form a green purchasing policy. We have incorporated our green ethos & goals into our recruitment & induction processes as well as auditing our business' social sustainability by interviewing our staff.

Sustainability at the Slieve Russell Hotel Golf & Country Club

The Team at the Slieve Russell Hotel are committed to the application of sustainable practices in hospitality and hotel operations and compliance with environmental, people, social and governance principles.

Set on three hundred acres of gardens, golf course and lakes the Slieve Russell Hotel has provided a warm and friendly welcome to our guests since 1990. Our golf course is home to much wildlife including Buzzards, Red Squirrels, Woodpeckers, Rabbits, Hares, Canadian Geese and much more. Visitors to the hotel enjoy our walkways, gardens and many activities including the Ciúin Spa and Wellness Centre which is the only GAIA Spa on the island of Ireland. GAIA is the ancient goddess of nature “Mother Earth” and Mother Gaia is a healing Goddess.

Our Vision, Mission & Values

At Slieve Russell we are committed to reducing our negative impact on the environment, increase our positive impacts and add value to our Community.

The Management and Staff of the Slieve Russell Hotel Golf & Country Club are committed to taking the following action

To achieve high standards of environmental practices across our entire operation
To comply fully with all relevant legislation
To minimise our waste and reduce our water consumption where possible
To Reduce, Reuse, Recycle the resources consumed by our business wherever practical
To invite our customers, suppliers and contractors to participate in our efforts to protect the environment
To provide all employees with the training and resources required to meet our objectives
To openly communicate our policies and practices to interested parties
To monitor and record our environmental impacts on a regular basis.

Our Journey so far ….

We have reduced our carbon footprint from 13 CO2 kg per person in 2021 to 9 CO2 kg per person in 2022.

Energy Conservation

New Building Management System
Use of energy saving LED bulbs and sensors in back of house areas
Upgraded to high efficiency boilers
Engaged a sustainability engineering consultancy to carry out energy balance survey and we are working through the action points
Encourage a switch off policy with employees and guests
Fitted new energy efficient water pumps
Electric Vehicle charging points on site

Waste

We have a comprehensive recycling and waste management programme in place for our glass, cardboard, recyclables, paper and food waste.
The use of smart phone technology for bedroom key entry.
Replaced plastic water bottles with hydration stations on guest corridors.
Shower head water restrictors fitted in all bedrooms, Ciuin Spa, Country Club and Golf Club.
Sensor taps have been fitted in the public area bathrooms and have reduced the flow to 3 litres per minute.
Replaced single use bedroom amenities with Rituals product wall dispensers.
Replaced single use straws with a bio-degradable alternative.
Meeting rooms have water tanks supplied with fresh water from our well replacing single use plastic bottled water.
Jams and sauces are served no longer served in single use packaging in our canteen or restaurants.
We have a no paper cup policy within our staff canteen.
We are consciously trying to reduce our administration paper waste by adapting digital processes across departments such as HR, Finance and Spa.
Email receipts are now being offered at check out to reduce our printing at the front desk

Ciúin Spa & Wellness Centre

We offer fresh water from our well for drinking.
Our GAIA products are all packaged within refillable containers, incentives are in place for guests to refill their retail products.
Our retail bag, is a Cloth bag for life.
Our consultation forms are electronic and all spa disposable items such as cotton pads and spatulas have been replaced with washable sustainable products.

Guest Contribution

We are open to any suggestions from our guests. We offer the guests the option of not having their towels laundered daily.

Green Purchasing

We are committed to responsible purchasing and trying to source our products and services locally where possible.
We prioritise suppliers who have embedded sustainable and ethical practices, e.g. our New Management Uniform is sustainably sourced.
We buy in bulk to reduce the energy used in transport and reduce packaging.
We consider the environmental impact on our purchases.
We have a Green purchasing team in place at the hotel.
During our most recent refurbishment we have reframed pictures rather than purchase new, recycled fabrics, we have upcycled a lot of bedroom furniture and repurposed what we can during this project.

Wellbeing for our Team

Company staff app
Daily briefings and monthly team meetings
Monthly departmental ambassador meetings
Regular staff surveys
We were awarded A Great Place to Work Award in 2022
The Hotel have embarked on the Fáilte Ireland Employer Excellence Programme
All Managers have completed the “Fundamentals of People Management” training.
A yearly Calendar of Health & Wellbeing events
Revitalize programme is run annually includes health checks, fitness classes, nutrition and staff events.

Our aim for 2023

Our Gardening team are repurposing wood and metal and creating planters to grow our own “Mint” to be enjoyed within our Ciuin spa and Kells bar along with herbs for the kitchen teams to use.

During our bedroom refurbishment, furniture was recycled where possible, waste wood was separated and hinges and handles removed so it could be recycled accordingly. Fabric and furniture has been upcycled and passed on.

Our walkway will be enhanced with the addition of an “Insect Hotel” and “Butterfly Garden”. We will work with our local Men’s Shed to achieve this.

Assist our Local Tidy Towns and Council with Litter picking in our local area.

Liaise with our Local Green Schools for some educational fun.

Significant investment in Boiler House and Heating systems with we will aim to reduce our Gas consumption by 30%.

Reduce our Landfill waste by a further 10%

Reduce / Maintain our Energy Consumption by 10%.