Help Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Rot, Recycle…the five “R’s” to help reduce your carbon footprint. Reducing your carbon footprint means that you reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted due to your daily activities such as driving your car, buying products that are shipped from overseas, etc. As we get closer to Earthday, The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is doing everything we can to help protect mother nature and reduce our carbon footprint. As a green resort, we have many programs in place to help us do just that.
What green efforts does The Shawnee Inn partake in?
- Resort recycling includes cans, paper, cardboard, glass, and plastic. Throughout the resort, recycling is encouraged by both employees and guests.
- We use china service rather than paper, plastic, or Styrofoam. We have eliminated the use of plastic straws as well.
- Energy efficient light globes and LED lights are used when possible throughout hotel public areas and the back of the house.
- We encourage staff and guests to switch off lights and air-conditioning when not in use.
- Spring Maple tree tapping for production of our own Maple syrup.
- Shawnee Island Farm™ – We developed a 25,000 square foot farm to supply fresh produce to our restaurants and kitchen. Daily tours available for our guests May through October.
- Herb gardens for The Gem and Keystone Brewpub™ and the River Room
- We will be reintroducing our own apiary again this year for fresh honey and to help with pollination and to increase the bee population.
- We continue to maintain naturalized areas for birds and other wildlife on our golf course, as well as, using the Rain Bird System for irrigation.
- Our mowers place clippings back into the ground helping to facilitate the growing process.
- Signage is placed in our guest rooms to encourage re-use of towels and other linens to save water and reduce the use of laundry detergents.
- We have installed new windows throughout the resort to improve energy use and lessen our carbon footprint.
- We utilize Clean the World Soap Drive, a recycling program to help donate discarded hygiene products to impoverished people, helping to prevent millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every day.
- In order to lessen our water usage low flush toilets were installed.
- Automated in-room heating and cooling system are set to 24-hour activity mode –meaning that there has to be a movement to activate.
River Road Clean Up
Twice a year, staff members along with lots of volunteers from our community take the time to pick up litter along an 11 mile stretch of River Road (the road in which Shawnee Inn is on). Our Spring River Road Clean-Up will take place on Saturday, April 13th , 2024 at 9:45 am. You can register for the event here.
What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint?
Here are some simple things you can do at home or work to help reduce your carbon footprint:
- Purchase organic and local foods that are in season. Your local farmer’s market is a great place to do this.
- Freeze leftovers or compost your waste.
- Carpool, ride a bike or walk to work if possible.
- Use reusable containers and bags instead of one-use items.
- Wash your clothes in cold water, and air dry versus using a dryer.
- Purchase energy star appliances for your home.
- Shut the lights off when you leave a room and unplug items that are not in use.
- Switch incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs.
- Turn the temperature down on your water heater.
- Purchase clothes from consignment, or purchase quality items that last longer and are not just a fashion piece.