We are Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award holders and as such we are committed to good environmental practice and sustainable development.

Below are some of the actions we've already taken. We'd love to hear what you think about our green initiatives - do email us.

Energy use
We buy our electricity from Good Energy, the only company in the UK which supplies nothing but 100% renewable energy. If you switch to Good Energy mention that we recommended them and we'll each get a free bottle of organic wine!

In November 2008 we had 5 solar panels installed on the rear extension of the house. These should supply the bulk of our hot water for a good part of the summer and some of our (lower) winter requirements. (see Independent Energy)

We have installed a solar tube which pipes natural light down through the house to illuminate the main stairwell and we have replaced conventional light bulbs with energy efficient versions. We have also replaced an old freezer with an A+ model which should pay for itself in energy savings in a couple of years.

Waste and Recycling
Our priority is to reduce the amount of waste we produce and then recycle what we can.
Recycling facilities are limited on Scilly. Glass is crushed and used in the building industry. We compost all our kitchen and garden waste and have installed a 'Green Cone' digester for cooked waste so if you do leave some bacon on your plate it won't end up in the bin. All bedrooms have little compost bins for tea bags etc. We can now recycle food and drinks cans too. (See ScillyWaste.)
In 2008 we started trials composting newspaper and cardboard packaging as neither can currently be recycled on Scilly.

Real nappies
We use washable nappies for our toddler but realise it's not easy to do so when you're away from home so if your baby uses them, we'll wash them for you while you're staying at Mincarlo.
We also have a set of real nappies for you to try for your baby if you normally use disposables or to save having to bring your own.

Guests' travel
The way our guests get to Mincarlo is obviously a major part of the environmental impact of their holiday. For a bit more information on transport and carbon offsetting click here.
Starting in 2009 we are offering discounts to guests travelling by train and boat. - more details soon.

Environmentally friendly cleaning products
In 2005 we started using Ecover products and now also buy from M & A Environmental.

Water conservation
Where possible we have installed water-saving devices such as toiler 'hippos', special taps and shower heads and a very efficient dishwasher. We also have water butts for watering plants.

Laundry
We have introduced laundry cards to help reduce water, electricity and detergent use. These cards are placed in every bathroom and offer the option of having towels washed only as required.
We line dry our laundry when we can.

Food and drink
Our fair trade coffee and tea comes from Origin, a young Cornish company. We buy our Cornish sausages, English home-cured bacon and black pudding from a butcher in St Just, reducing food miles as much as possible. At breakfast we also serve ewe's milk yoghurt produced in Penzance. I nearly forgot our eggs which come from Mike Hicks' free-range hens over the water on St. Agnes.
We have also replaced almost every sachet or portion so that for example there is fresh milk available for the tea & coffee in your room.
Our milk now also comes from St. Agnes.