Environmental Checklist for Accommodations

Hotel Name ...Mocking Bird Hill............................................
Address ..........P.O. Box 254, Port Antonio, Jamaica...........
Phone number ......876 – 993 7267 or 993 7134 .................
Website ............www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com  ..................
Name and title of contact person .......Shireen Aga or Barbara Walker  
Phone number; email address ...........info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com
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Does this property have someone with management responsibility for environmental issues?
Yes, both the co-owners and managers
Name ......Shireen Aga and Barbara Walker .
Phone number; email address:  876 – 993 7267        info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com..

Environmental Management Systems
1) Is this property an active participant in an environmental partnership or certificate program?
IS0 14001, EMAS, Green Globe 21, STEP, EnergyStar, LEED, Green Seal; other.
Please specify ....we have been certified in the past by Green Globe.................

2) Does the property have an Environmental Management System?
•Do you have an environmental policy? Y/N – If, Y – Attach and/or Describe.
Yes, the EMS was set up years ago when we embarked upon the Green Globe certification programme.

•Do you have a monitoring and management system? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Usage of all resources ( electricity, water, gas, solid waste and pool chemicals are monitored daily

•Do you commit to continuous improvement? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes – we add / enhance the existing systems in a phase by phase manner. We purchased a LPG generator ( rather than diesel as an LPG is less noisy, less fumes and more  environmentally friendly ) in order to also use it as a back-up in the overall context of a solar/ PV system where the generator can support the system and charge if the panels can not ( in the instance of long periods of rain etc.)  We have just added solar outdoor lighting along the pathways in our garden. Every year we close the hotel for approx. 3 weeks in September in order to undertake refurbishment and product upgrading projects. This year we hope to be installing additional water tanks and guttering another roof for rainwater harvesting as well as placing our water pumps on solar panels. This is an example of the ongoing work to improve and expand our environmental efforts.

•Do you train staff on environmental and social issues? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes, we do. We have in fact trained staff from other resorts as well as having conducted environmental awareness seminars for 5 communities in the context of a destination programme for this parish.  A complete manual as well as visual aids for the seminar have been developed.

 
•Do you provide information about environmental and social issues to guests? Y/N – If, Y
Describe.
Yes, we do. Our website, www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com  which is generally the first area of contact and communication with guests has detailed information on our environmental commitment, our mission statement as well as details of our past environmental reports which also highlights the ongoing process of improving our performance incrementally. We also have a section on travel tips to help prepare our guests as well as offering them the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions that result from their journey here. 
Our guest information folders as well as other information in the rooms also inform our guests. Attached are samples of the water notice in the bathrooms, the good night note that addresses the question of solid waste as well as the information about the carbon offsetting programme that is given to them at the time of check in.
Even our registration form addresses the question of solid waste.

The introduction to the restaurant addresses the question of sourcing food suppliers locally in order to reduce food miles and support the local economy.

Even our guest registration forms sensitize guests to certain aspects of our environmental management by addressing the question of plastics and solid waste. (See attachment).

We provide further information with various notices in the rooms such as the one called “Plastic is not Fantastic”. ( see attachment )

Energy Management
3) Does the hotel keep a record of total energy consumption and/or does it have an energy-usage plan with specific saving goals? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes. We undertook an energy audit last year to determine the weaknesses in our system and to determine the an action plan to improve our performance.

In terms of the carbon emissions resulting from our operations, we had an audit done by STI ( Sustainable tourism Initiative ) and paid the sum required to offset the negative impact. We are obviously working to reduce our foot print and reduce the sum we have to pay to offset the results next year. See attached press release

4) Have actions been taken by this property to reduce energy consumption?
• E.G. low-energy light bulbs; energy efficient electric equipment; energy-saving illumination, heating, or air-conditioning systems; etc. Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes, details listed below.

• Increased use of energy efficient equipment (fridges/freezers etc.)
• Constant monitoring of usage of equipment
• Solar water heating
• Solar garden path lighting
• Low energy lighting`
• Laundry dried in the sun
• Only washing full loads of laundry
• Coffee machine has thermos pots so that machine can be turned off between brews and coffee remains hot
• Natural cross ventilation instead of air-conditioning. Only fans in the rooms
• Guests encouraged to use towels and linen more than once to reduce laundry
• Napkin pouches with room numbers so that napkins can be re-used and using only table mats rather than table cloths thus reducing laundry volume and required water and electricity
• Extensive information in the rooms appealing to guests to support conservation efforts.
• Low-flow showers reduce demand for hot water and generally help together with low flush toilets to minimize water usage
• No TV’s, minibars or other items that use energy in the guest rooms
• Office with windows on 3 sides thus using only daylight, natural ventilation and a fan.
• Cooking with gas
• No ice-maker. We make ice the old fashioned way using ice trays in the regular freezer which is sufficient for our small demand.

• Company vehicle uses diesel and is regularly serviced for optimum performance
• Trips to Port Antonio reduced by only going when there are many items to be seen to – trips for a single purpose only are avoided

5) Does this property use any kind of renewable energy sources? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes, we do. We use solar to heat water and solar outdoor lighting for our pathways – as well as passive solar drying for our laundry – which we dry the old fashioned way on laundry lines – something which we can do given the scale of our operations. This is where the connection between size, essentially small scaled enterprises and sustainability becomes clear.

6) Does this property offset greenhouse gas emissions with a third-party verified program? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.   Yes,. We work with STI  ( Sustainable Tourism Initiative )dand the My Climate programme. See extra press release and information about carbon emissions on our website at www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com.
We also offer our guests the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions created as a result of their travels either with this programme or with the local programme that we have initiated in conjunction with J.C.D.T. ( The Jamaican Conservation and Development Trust)

The property itself neighbours the village of Drapers, from where a number of staff walk to work thus reducing our overall impact in terms of carbon emissions as a result of transportation used by staff.

Water Management
7) Have any actions been taken by this property to reduce water consumption?
• E.G. water flow limiters, grey water recycling, drought-resistant landscaping, etc. Y/N – If, Y – Describe. Yes : see details below :
Management of Fresh Water Resources

• Rainwater flows through gravel filters into a main underground storage tank as well as into a series of 600 gallon and 400 gallon tanks (present storage: 44,000 gallons)
• Collected water used to augment supplies from public system
• Water usage monitored on a daily basis
• Reduction of laundry influences careful usage of water. Linen is only changed every 3. Day unless otherwise requested by guest.
• We only use place mats in the restaurants rather than tablecloths so that in the case of spills, only the relevant mat is washed rather than washing a whole tablecloth for the sake of one spot or stain.
• We have napkin-pouches embroidered with room number for guests to identify their napkins in a manner similar to napkin rings at home and encourage our guests to reuse their napkin for more than a meal as long as the napkin is not soiled.
• Water savers on taps and showers
• Low-flow toilets (6 litres) and ball arm in toilets bent to reduce water use in those toilets not yet retro-fitted
• Washing machine filled to maximum
• Dishwasher that uses second rinse water for first wash of next load
• Garden designed to survive in natural climatic cycles –very little lawn. We do not irrigate the gardens.

8) Is wastewater from the property treated? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes. We built our own anaerobic bacteria, 3 chamber waste water treatment plant.

Waste Management
9) Have any actions been taken by this property to reduce solid waste? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.

Waste Minimisation, Reuse and Recycling

• Containers returned to suppliers ( re-usable plastic boxes )
• Re-usable plastic boxed and cloth bags used for shopping
• Goods purchased in bulk
• Reusable and recyclable products use in all departments
• Where possible beverages purchased in deposit bottles
• Milk bought in re-usable milk cans from the College of Agriculture
• Non-recyclable bottles are re-used or given to beekeepers for their honey
• Wine bottles used to create raised flowerbeds and path borders
• Paper given to local project for recycling
• Refillable ink cartridges used in printer
• As much correspondence as possible done electronically
• Business partners requested to correspond by email
• Online brochure to minimise paper usage and thus de-forestation and resulting challenges faced in terms of climate change and carbon emissions
• Plastic packaging from toilet paper used to package fish and chicken for storage
• Organic waste composted
• Food waste given to a pig farmer
• Notice requesting guests not to purchase beverages in plastic bottles and that drinking water can be provided by the hotel in re-useable containers.

10) Is waste (solid and organic) separated and recycled? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes, we separate waste in the kitchen with 4 separate containers for the following :

• Meat scraps for our dogs
• Leftover food scraps from plates returning to the kitchen for hogs which the hog-farmer from the neighboring village comes to pick up regularly
• Compostable waste ( egg shells, fruit and vegetable peelings etc.)
• Non-recyclable items such as any plastic packaging
• Glass jars and bottles which are washed and re-used by giving to the person who makes jams and marmelades for us

Recyling bins are placed in the guest rooms and in the offices. We separate all paper, which after using on both sides, is shredded. Some of the shredded paper is used with compost in the garden and the rest is given to the community based women’s project in a neighbouring village for them to make handmade paper using the shredded paper and mixing it with various plants for texture and colour. We buy back the recycled paper which is used for guest stationary.

Restaurant : homemade jams /sauces / honey in purchased from local suppliers in recycled jars/ bottles that we provide the suppliers with.
Empty bottles are used as oil lamps in the restaurant ( see image ).

Even our office is furnished with recycled/reused items.

Pool backwash water collected for irrigation.
Wine bottles use as garden bed borders to prevent topsoil washing away ( see image )

Sheets and towels that can no longer be used in guest rooms are used for kitchen cloths and when they can no longer be used in the kitchen go to the maintenance department for cleaning paint brushes, etc.

Purchasing
11) Does the property take steps to source products and services that have environmental attributes? •E.G. Bulk purchasing, eco-label products, green suppliers, etc. Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes, these considerations are included in our purchasing policy.

Environmental Purchasing Guide

We understand that purchasing decisions can make a significant contribution to improving the property’s environmental performance and our contribution to protecting the surrounding environment. Choosing products that are “environmentally friendly” in terms of content, packaging, and ease of recycling and disposal are fundamentals to the environmental Purchasing Guide of our hotel. In purchasing responsibly, our hotel becomes more cost-effective, and by stimulating the local economy, enhances the local environment. To implement environmentally- friendly purchasing in our hotel, we:

• Review all products purchased and assess their environmental impact
• Review services provided by the hotel and assess their impact
• Determine the availability of environmentally friendly alternatives
• Promote supply of better alternatives with suppliers
• Observe the following guidelines

General Principles:

• Buy only what is necessary. Do not be bound by tradition or habit. Avoid purchasing manufactured items that can be substituted by natural materials from the garden or other sources. Example : Cocktail decorations, where flowers and fruit can be attractively used instead of the paper umbrellas or other similar objects.
• Be creative!
• Buy quality goods. In the long run they last longer and need replacing far less frequently therefore producing less waste of the various resources.

General Purchasing Guidelines

• Buy in bulk.
• Avoid over-packaged goods.
• No single portion, one-use disposable items. 
• Dispensing units are to be installed as far as possible in guest bathrooms, public toilets etc. for toiletries, soap etc.
• Buy locally produced goods as far as possible
• Buy energy efficient equipment
• Buy solar-powered technology as far as possible.
• Consider renting instead of buying
• Avoid products made with, or containing environmentally harmful materials ( Example Asbestos )
• Building materials such as wood must be from sustainable sources.
• No hard tropical woods are to be used. Use of locally grown bamboo is a wonderful substitute that is also optimal for contributing to the “Caribbean, tropical atmosphere”.
• Avoid installing equipment with high energy usage that are not necessary such as mini-bars and air-conditioning.
• All equipment using water should be fitted with water-saving devices.
• Avoid aerosols ( garbage producers since they generally can only be used once ). Instead choose manual pumps that can be refilled.
• If aerosols are unavoidable they must be CFC free.
• New refrigeration units must be CFC-free.
• Electrical or power generated equipment must have low noise levels.

Food Purchasing Guidelines:

• Buy fresh, seasonal produce as far as possible. Avoid tinned produce. If particular fruits are not in season offer another alternative option.
• If choice is available, choose products in glass bottles rather than plastic. We have various small cottage industries that will use the bottles again as opposed to plastic for which there are no recycling facilities locally or nationally.
• Buy organically grown produce from known sources to help promote reduction of pesticides and other chemicals.
• Purchase whole grain foods as far as possible for greater nutritional value.
• Do not buy products on endangered list such as conch.
• Do not buy produce during the breeding season such as the closed season for the Lobster.

Cleaning Agents Purchasing Guidelines:

• Purchase products that as far as possible are multi-purpose thus reducing the total number of products in use. Examples are Baking soda, vinegar, and all-purpose cleaning liquids.           
• Substitute chemical products as far as possible with natural products.
• Any chemical products must be phosphate free and biodegradable.
• Only chlorine-free bleach is to be bought. Oxygen based bleaches do not destroy the natural flora of the  wastewater treatment plant.

Office / Paper Purchasing Guidelines:

• Use chlorine-free bleached and recycled paper as far as possible. Since this paper has to be imported to Jamaica, we compromise and use the regularly available standard paper for internal use, while using the recycled paper for all promotional and guest use.
• Collateral material should be printed with Soya ink.
• High gloss collateral is avoided because the varnishes contain chemicals that are not environmentally friendly.
• Reduce paper usage as far as possible by directing all correspondence as far as possible via e-mail and fax via the Internet.
• All photocopying equipment must be ozone-free.
• Buy refillable ink cartridges for the printers.
• Use folders made from recycled board rather than plastic folders.
• Buy recycled toilet paper.

Linen / Rooms Purchasing Guidelines:

• Only cotton, preferably organically grown cotton linen and towels are to be purchased. Climatically the synthetic items are uncomfortable.
• Avoid thick, quilted bedspreads that use a lot of water and energy to be washed because of their bulk. Lightweight bedspreads generate less laundry.
• Tablemats are more economical than tablecloths. In case of spills/stains the whole tablecloth must be laundered whereas with tablemats, only the particular one in questions needs to be washed.
• Furnishings must be chemical-free.
• Washable materials such as cotton are to be chosen so that we there is no necessity for dry-cleaning.

Product Screening Form:

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12) Does the property take steps to contract environmentally accredited operators and services? •E.G. Tour guides, snorkel and dive operators, etc. Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
There are no environmentally accredited operators here. What we do is to work with a local transportation company, tour guides and diving operators that are accredited and licenced by the Jamaica Tourist Board and the tourism authorities. In addition we work with individual members from the local community as part of our efforts to support community based tourism. Further details regarding this are outlined in response to the next question.

13) Does this property take steps to source products and services locally? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes, only. We use a range of persons such as local farmers, the head of the Maroon Community, the guides from the National Park

All the partners we work with are small, local companies with whom we have built up a reliable, trustworthy relationship over the years. In its holistic approach, we work with other small business to provide high quality services. They are all owner- operated businesses where the owners coming from the area can also provide guests with individual attention and in-depth information. Most of our partners also operate along the general principles of socially oriented, community based development. The focus here is on a caring, warm welcoming and thoughtful team, providing personalised service, anticipating needs and the supportive role that all the partners can play rather than just listing services

We see tourism as a business with the potential for fostering environmental preservation and cross-cultural understanding. To this aim, we provide very detailed information in the guest information folders provided in the rooms, on our website as well as being present daily to respond to guest questions personally.

Chemical Use
14) Does this property minimize the use of hazardous chemicals and purchase environmentally friendly alternatives? Y/N – If, Y – Describe. Yes, as far as possible. We are limited in our choices based on availability of items on island.

In terms of chemicals we substitute such products with safe and natural products as far as possible. As cleaning agents we use vinegar, baking soda, an all-purpose citrus based cleaning agent.
For the laundry products, we use only phosphate free detergents, hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine based bleach.

For the pool we also used vinegar as the acid and have floatrons that minimize the use of chlorine in the pool.
No chemicals used in the garden, only organic pesticides and fertilizers

For eg. we have furniture made from bamboo that grows back. Unlike harvesting trees, cutting bamboo does not kill it

Contribution to Biodiversity/Nature Conservation
15) Please describe the setting of the hotel and any efforts the property makes to support biodiversity/nature conservation efforts. •E.G. Support local conservation or restoration projects, maintain diverse natural habitat on property, etc. Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
We participate actively in the local resort board and address conservation issues when development plans are discussed and reviewed. We have lobbied for low impact development
The programme we have initiated with JCDT also helps with preserving the biodiversity and nature conservation efforts.

 Contribution to Community Development
16) Does the hotel make an effort to hire employees from the local community? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes. Of 16 members of staff all are Jamaicans and almost all from the neighbouring communities. Only one of the co-owners and the executive chef are non-Jamaicans. For the most part, the staff members are unskilled persons whom we have trained on the job and provided them with opportunities.

• Providing employment opportunities
• Providing training opportunities – in-house as well as supporting attendance of other seminars, trainings.
• We work together with the local vocational training school and provide opportunities for work place experience

17) Does the property have a program in place to support community development efforts?
•E.G. Support local community development projects, provide training and advancement opportunities for local workforce, etc. Y/N – If, Y – Describe.

• Purchasing goods from local suppliers
•  Recommending and making tour & travel arrangements with local service providers such as transportation and tour companies, guides etc.
• Engaging actively in all dialogue and discussions regarding development plans for the area ( see petition we set up reg. plans for Winnifred beach ; one of the last public beaches in Jamaica )
• We have conducted public awareness training seminars ourselves in 5 neighbouring communities
• We have applied for funding and managed a project on behalf of the stakeholders to set up a destination marketing programme to help promote sustainable tourism for this area ( see website www.portantoniotravel.com )
• We support the Shebian school. Aside from our own contributions, we gather donations from our guests for them. ( see details of our ENOUGH programme listed below which are also listed on the website)
• We have contributed to fund raising efforts from the local AIDs committee and have hosted their annual general meetings as well as consultants who have visited to assist them complimentary.

E.N.O.U.G.H.

EDUCATION NEEDS OUR URGENT GENEROUS HELP

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce a project, which we hope to implement with your support.

The objective of the E.N.O.U.G.H. programme is to galvanise support for better quality education in Port Antonio’s schools. We believe that a number of social and economic problems the country is facing are due to either poor education or no education at all. Poor education puts a large number of our community members at disadvantage and makes it so much almost impossible for them to achieve a higher quality of life that they desire to attain.

We do not intend to take over the job of educating. Rather it is our intention to support those who are trained to do so by providing books and learning material through the E.N.O.U.G.H. Programme. We want to co-operate with schools and facilitate experiences that will enhance and complement the basic framework of the curriculum by inviting classes to Gallery Carriacou. Barbara Walker has committed herself to introducing children to Art.

We want to have a positive impact on education in our schools.

Our schools need community support in order to thrive. Join forces with us and help through E.N.O.U.G.H. to help improve the quality of education for the students.

In addition to financial contributions towards this goal, the donation of any books or other educational toys or learning materials, be it used or new, will be most appreciated. Please gather any items from their friends and family before you come to Jamaica on holiday and bring whatever you can.

With your support this programme can grow to assist schools in this area.

Please be generous and support E.N.O.U.G.H. with a donation. The children are our future – let us invest wisely so that we can achieve our dreams together.

Refurbishment/New Construction
18) Is it the policy of the hotel to apply responsible siting, design, construction, and disposal criteria to all future refurbishments and/or new construction? Y/N – If, Y – Describe.
Yes. This was taken into consideration from the outset when we choose to utilize an existing infrastructure and adapt it to serve as an intimate, boutique property.
The hotel building was originally built as a private home/villa in the traditional Caribbean style with large covered balconies , louvered windows and designed to capture the crosswinds allowing for passive cooling and also allow the surrounding nature to ‘come in’. The main public areas (Bar/lounge and restaurant) are all open spaces with views overlooking the gardens, the forested hills and the Caribbean Sea – thus avoiding the need for any lighting during the days. The split-level property is built on the hillside and blends into the surroundings without spoiling the skyline or protruding over the trees. It is so nestled into the vegetation that it cannot be seen from anywhere else. It is a very low density development with only 2 buildings (10 rooms) on just over 7 acres, most of which have been left in the natural state with mixed forest. Rather than large areas with lawns, most of the garden consists of lush planting of various flowering plants intermixed with fruit trees to provide a most nourishing environment for our endemic birds. We plant flowers that are most attractive to the hummingbirds – thus avoiding the need for artificial feeders. Outdoor lighting is kept to a minimum to allow minimize the impact on birdlife. Our garden is home to the endemic Jamaican Owl. 17 of the 28 endemic birds have been sighted on property. The garden paths and the parking lot have intentionally not been paved to allow for natural seepage of rain water. We have used the rocks and stones found on property for establishing the paths as well as terracing the steep hillside in order to prevent soil erosion and filling up with compost thus enhancing soil quality and expanding the gardens.

The property itself neighbours the village of Drapers, from where a number of staff walk to work thus reducing our overall impact in terms of carbon emissions as a result of transportation used by staff.