In 2006 we brought our laundry operations in-house and installed an O‑Zone laundry system. Not only did this reduce the considerable delivery mileage, we also reduced our power, water and chemicals consumption by 35%. Since then, we have installed a solar array on the roof to power the ironer and general electricity to laundry, offices and workshop. We anticipate that this will save 15 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
The development of Swinton Country Club & Spa in 2017 included the installation of an Eco-Chef kitchen in The Terrace Restaurant, which reduces our power consumption by 9% (compared with conventional commercial kitchens).
At the same time, we installed an Electric Voltage Optimiser which serves the hotel, cookery school and spa and reduces consumption from 240V to 220V. This reduces overall power grid supply by 9%.
Swinton Country Club & Spa was one of the first spas in the UK to install a natural pool, and the first to use a unique living microbial filter. This removes pathogens and impurities in the water which is also mineralised. The filter has “good” bacteria which starve the water of key food sources like phosphorous, a building block of algae’s DNA, creating a stressful and inhospitable environment for pathogens to survive or multiply. This completely avoids the need for disinfection chemicals like chlorine.
Day-to-day measures include an on-request towel washing policy, FSC paper for all our print across the Estate, table water filtered and bottled on site in glass bottles, the use of cork, wool, and recycled fabrics in our furnishings, and refillable bottles for bathroom and washroom amenities using our own brand sulphate free products.
Specifically at Swinton Bivouac, we have a grey water system, our waste water is filtered by a reed bed, our hot tubs, sauna, yurts and tree lodges are heated by wood burners using air dried Estate timber from forestry thinnings, and our tree lodges are hand built using Estate larch, using the natural more efficient roundwood timber frame construction, and insulated with sheep’s fleece.
