green tourism awards - hints & tips (purchasing policies)

energy saving water recycling purchasing

The following suggestions are just some of the ways that companies like yours have previously managed to save money, reduce waste and win new custom. While not all of the ideas will be relevant to your work, they are all based on real-life experience and have produced tangible results. These are only general guides, of course, so if you would like more specific information relevant to your operations, please contact us. We will be very happy to help.

1. Buy local. Many foods have travelled hundreds or even thousands of miles before they reach your customer's plate. Quite apart from any questions about quality and freshness of such foods, their transportation will inevitably require substantial amounts of energy - which is bad news for the environment. By contrast, there is a wealth of high quality food that is grown locally by very experienced farmers, manufacturers and other specialists. By buying locally produced foods, you can be sure that it is fresh and from a trusted source.

There are various sources of further information about locally produced food - including the Country Markets website, the Made in Lancashire website and the North West Fine Foods website - to name but three.

The same principles apply to other goods besides food, of course. From tourist souvenirs and gifts, to mundane consumables for your guest rooms and office, locally supplied products and services will normally afford many benefits in terms of delivery, speed of response and accountability.

2. Buy recycled and environmentally responsible goods. By using clearly branded environmentally responsible products and recycled goods (such as paper towels and toilet rolls), you will not only be supporting environmental sustainability, you will also be showing your customers that you care about the environment. In a world where tourist visitors are increasingly citing environmental responsibility as a major factor in their decision making process, it makes good sense to make sure people know what efforts you are making.

The following pages have more tips about saving energy, saving water and recycling.