Sustainability
Sustainability at El Geco Verde
Our commitment and interest in sustainability and living a low-impact lifestyle was one of the principal drivers which led us to leave the city and set up our rural accommodation in Castril. From the start, we made a big effort to learn about ways we could minimise the hotel´s carbon footprint while making a positive impact on the community at large.
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These are some of the ways in which we have achieved this:
Solar hot water
Hot water is also generated via solar panels (900L system)
Biomass heating
We use a biomass boiler to generate hot water for central heating and as a backup for the solar hot water system in winter. We contracted a local firm which adapts diesel boilers to run on crushed olive stones (100% renewable local resource) or pine pellets (leftover material from the carpentry industry, decommissioned telegraph poles, etc.)
Biomass Stove
Our ambient heat stove in the dining room also runs on renewable fuel, in this case pine pellets.
Food
We buy organic products whenever possible from local farmers and markets, opting for seasonal products whenever possible. Careful menu planning, fixed daily menus and years of experience mean food waste is kept to an absolute minimum
Recycling
We recycle extensively: plastic, glass, paper, light bulbs, cooking oil, medicines, batteries. We also situate recycling bins in key areas that guests are strongly encouraged to use.
Photovoltaic Electricity
El Geco Verde is an off-grid hotel (not connected to the Spanish national grid, which only takes a fraction of its power from renewable sources). We generate our own electricity via solar panels and store it in high-capacity batteries.
Composting
Fruit and vegetable peelings, cardboard, etc. are added to our compost pile daily, providing nutritious organic matter for our garden.
Avoiding single-use packaging:
We have installed refillable shower gel/shampoo dispensers, purchasing biodegradable/ecological refills. We avoid all single-use packaging for items such as sugar/salt/oil/jams/butter etc.
Our app
Our wide-ranging personalized App offers loads of useful information about the area and is essential for finding activities and places, keeping journey times to a minimum. All our hard-earned local knowledge is there, with tips and an interactive GPS map!
Other measures
El Geco Verde is a super-insulated building, carefully oriented to take advantage of seasonal heating and cooling according to passive design principles. We also installed water-saving dual-flush toilets, energy-saving guest room cards, and operate sensible linen and towel replacement policies. The small details are not forgotten: biodegradable cocktail straws, septic tank-friendly gel/shampoo and cleaning materials, low power hair driers etc.
Support for the local community
Many areas of Spain are battling poverty, unemployment, drought and recession, especially in the rural interior. A lack of employment opportunities and an over-reliance on climate-sensitive agricultural production (the olive oil monoculture, for example) have led to a continued exodus of young people, but we first-hand knowledge of how tourism can help curb this problem. All our guides are local people, some of whom receive up to 50% of their seasonal income directly from our clients. Tourism offers the kind of financial lifeline that allows young people to continue living in the rural communities they love, thus guaranteeing a future for populations, traditions, gastronomy, etc. We work hand in hand with local activity guides and companies, bringing foreign clients their advertising cannot reach. This aspect of our vacation is particularly important to us. All our guides are people who love their local area and have made a conscious decision to stay, despite the difficulties of making a living in this remote and little-known part of Europe.
Transport
Public transport is scarce in this poorly populated and relatively unknown part of Spain, making car use the only viable way to visit trails, cultural sites, natural parks etc. The social and financial benefit of bringing tourists to a rural community like ours, which has been diminished by depopulation, is great. People for whom flying is an issue will be happy to know that we are working on alternative itineraries that allow customers to get as close as possible to us by land and sea via public transport, in particular using ferry crossings or the rail network. For the time being it is most practical to rent a car to get around, at least in the local area. We hope that the ongoing evolution of electric vehicles will continue to reduce the environmental damage caused by cars, and we hope to offer charging facilities at the hotel as soon as it is practical to do so.
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