A sustainable County Laois property has launched a new eco initiative, ‘Scan and Go Green’ at this year’s National Ploughing Championships.
Fitz of Inch, an 18th-century luxury destination in Stradbally, has come up with the clever idea of ‘Scan and Go Green’ in a bid to” drastically cut down on its printed materials and encourage others to do so”.
The luxury period estate, which is known for its gracious elegance, is solely an adult-only destination, catering for a growing sector of discerning guests who value tranquil, revitalising country escapes.
The entire property, providing accommodation for large groups of people can be rented out.
Amenities include outdoor covered spa hot tub and fire pits, BBQ area, cinema experience, karaoke machine, board games, cards, quizzes, and table tennis.
Fitz of Inch
Managing director of the company, Michael Fitzpatrick, said:
“We pride ourselves on being as sustainable as possible and we came up with this idea, which is practical and has the potential to really catch on.”
“We want to reduce the amount of paper we use and encourage other businesses to do so too.”
“Huge amounts of money are spent on printed materials for big events like the Ploughing, and there is huge waste also, whereas scanning a QR Code eliminates all that.”’
“Of course, we need to advertise, all businesses have to, but it can be done effectively and sustainably.”
“There is a ‘green’ way to promote business. It is the way forward and we can all do a little which will have a hugely positive collective effect on our sustainability goals.”
Fitz of Inch, now an adults-only property is the winner of the GRINN Sustainability Awards – Best Sustainable Accommodation in Ireland.
The European Sustainable Travel Awards rewards businesses in the hospitality sector that go the extra mile towards developing an eco-friendlier tourism industry.
Sustainability
Fitz of Inch prides itself on sustainability and this latest imitative is just the latest in a string of improvements the property has made to up its drive towards sustainability.
‘Fitz of Inch’ is powered by sustainable solar energy and offers electric car charging point onsite.
The installation of solar panels has allowed the owner to run his venue off the daylight and store excess electricity to run the venue overnight and sell back to the grid as a sustainable source of income and feeding the local grids.
Water saving measures such as low flow fixtures have been implemented, no single-use water bottles are used, sensor lights are installed around the property.
LED bulbs are used as well as efficient laundry practices and the use of sustainable linens that are processed more organically than other highly manufactured linens.
The linen supplier shares Michael Fitzpatrick’s ethos for responsible sourcing and the linens are certified free from using harmful chemicals.
They are made by farmers who “are paid a fair living wage and are all sustainable cotton, made using only green energy to power mills”.
‘Fitz of Inch’ places huge emphasis on sourcing all its ingredients locally and is a strong supporter of, and advocate for, local farmers and producers who work alongside the onsite caterers.
By doing this, it is supporting local businesses and helping to reduce the carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation while showcasing the area’s finest and freshest produce.
