The Peace and Plenty Inn was built in 1888, she is not a purpose built property but a beautiful old Victorian Villa built in an era where sustainability was a word that noobody had ever heard about.  Therefore it was a challenge to source and carry out all the environmental ideas that we wished to achieve in making the Peace and Plenty not only a warm and friendly place to welcome guests, but at the same time ensure that our guests were not compromised in any way on the high standard we aim to provide.

We believe that it’s our duty to help and protect this wonderful country that we have the pleasure to enjoy and live in, not only in our lifetime but also in the lifetime of my grandchildren. To this end we’ve developed an environmental plan and welcome your support for the initiatives we have put in place. We invite you to partake in our environmental polices; any ideas or suggestions would be warmly welcomed.

We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded Qualmark Enviro Gold due to our sustanability practices outlined below.  Evniro Gold is the highest rating available under Qualmark ceritification.  In order to achieve this the Peace and Plenty Inn has had to comply with a stringent set of responsible torism crteria designed to extend environmental and socially responsible actions for tourism businesses.  The criteria recongnises energy, water, waste, communicy, conservation programes and monitoring.

The Peace and Plenty sustainability policy works on the fundamental principles of RE-USE, REDUCE and RECYCLE in the following areas:

• Energy
• Waste
• Water
• Pollution
• Community and Conservation
• Carbon Footprint
• Wise Purchasing

Energy

• We offer our guests the option of reusing their towel and linen, only replacing on request.
• We buy local produce where possible to reduce transport emissions
• We buy energy efficient light bulbs
• Hibernate our rooms when not in use.
• We have installed Oil heaters instead of central heating,
• MEP Films (please see the Qualmark Sustainability report via the link below).
• For our only open fire (that our guests use for comfort in the winter) we use recycled sawdust logs and light the fire by recycling our egg cartons instead of using kindling.

Waste

• We compost our vegetable and fruit waste and recycle most other waste
• Brochures that are left by guests are re-cycled
• We use recycled paper for all our office needs and do not print unnecessary emails and documents.
• We also try to reduced packaging to a minimum by not using or buying singularly thus reducing the amount of waste going to landfill by separating it for re-cycling.
• We purchase our eco friendly toiletries
• Use dispensers and containers that can be reused.

Water

• Using only water efficient washing machines/dishwashers.
• Using cold water in our washing machines. Installing due flush cystems where we can or putting glass in our cystems to reduce water.
• Our showers have reduce water flow valves, thus saving water.
• We have a Ross Water Tank to save our rain water for reuse in the garden or for cleaning our car.

Pollution

• Using only biodegradable or non-toxic cleaning products.
• Regularly servicing our vehicles to help reduce carbon emissions.
• Using only natural/low or non-allergenic toiletry products.
• Using environmentally friendly cleaning and gardening products.
• Sourcing our materials from local or Fair Trade producers.
• Sending batteries and fluorescent bulbs for recycling/safe disposal of Hazardous waste. Once a month collection
• Measuring our carbon emissions and offsetting where we can’t reduce.

Community and Conservation

We at the Peace and Plenty belong to a variety of different associations and charities as well as donate our time and money to various local causes.  For more information please see the Qualmark Sustainability report via the link below.

Carbon Foot Print

Independent assessments indicate that an international visitor on a 10-day tour of New Zealand will have up to 90 per cent lower carbon footprint if they use Inter City and Newman's transport services than if they drive themselves in a modern 2.0 litre rental car. www.destinationcarbonneutral.co.nz

Air New Zealand's  new Dreamliner planes could be called Greenliner as they have cut emissions by 30%. www.airnewzealand.co.nz

In summer there is a good train service to Wellington. www.transcenic.co.nz

If you are concerned about your environmental impact as you travel through New Zealand, we offer you the chance to reduce your carbon footprint by helping reforest Motuihe Island. This experience is a great day out. Visitors work in the nursery or planting trees for half a day, are then given lunch and then have the rest of the day to explore the island.  www.motuihe.org.nz

However, we at the Peace and Plenty are aware that pollution is an every day concern.  Therefore we give you the option to reduce your carbon emissions continuously throughout your stay with us.

We start your journey in Auckland by offering you choices on how you arrive at the Peace and Plenty: Our own personal driver only drives the latest model/environmental car and eventually will use Hybrid Cars as transport has to continually involve. As he lives with 5mins of the Peace and Plenty it enables him to be economical with fuel as he is working almost from the point of pick-up.

The Airbus leaves the airport approximately every 10 mins, guest can catch the bus to Auckland Waterfront, then catch the ferry over to Devonport we are only a few minutes walk away. The Shuttle bus operates from the airport frequently and will bring you directly to our door. Green Cabs are also available at the airport and operate hybrid cars.

Wise Purchasing

As stated above the Peace and Plenty are very aware that how we conduct our business can have major effects on the environment and our local community. As a member of Devonport Community & Business Association the Peace and Plenty try to, where possible, purchase our products locally.  This not only boosts the local economy but also cuts down on pollution via car emissions.

Wise purchasing to the Peace and Plenty also means considering not only where our products come from but also how they are made and the impact this may have on the world at large.

Earthcare Bathroom Tissue

Earthcare Bathroom Tissue has been specially created by ABC Tissue for companies and organisations that have made a real commitment to environmental sustainability. Earthcare is manufactured in accordance with the fundamental principles of RE-USE, REDUCE and RECYCLE. The paper used to manufacture Earthcare is recycled unused office waste paper (known as "office whites"). The use of this recycled paper is estimated to save half a million trees annually. Oxygen rather than chlorine is used to bleach the paper, and the water used at the mill is recycled and re-used. All Earthcare products are fully bio-degradable.

Harney and Sons Organic Teas

As organic tea is in demand these days, Harney and Sons developed a line of teas, which are certified as grown and processed without artificial fertilisers and pesticides. They also certify that they are a pleasure to drink. Harney and Sons use Quality Assurance International as their certifier, which in turn reports their compliance to the USDA. Three of these blends are also Fair Trade certified.

Organic Breakfast: Historic researchers trace this tea's heritage back to the teas that the English drank regularly in the 1800's. Kosher & Fair Trade certified.

Organic Earl Grey: Four teas blended with natural oil of bergamot, then infused for over a month in special containers. Kosher and Fair Trade certified.

Organic Green with Citrus and Gingko: This refreshing blend delivers the benefits associated with green tea and ginkgo, with the bright taste of natural citrus. Kosher and Fair Trade certified.

Organic Passion Plum with Ginseng: This caffeine free herbal brew delivers delicious taste with the added benefits of American Ginseng. Kosher certified.

www.harneyteas.co.nz

Fair Trade Coffee

We also buy Chiasso Fair Trade/Organic coffee locally.  The coffee is a Pascolo blend which is a blend of Ethiopian, Mexican and Papua New Guinean coffee beans all of which are both Organic and Fair Trade. These beans are supplied to Chiasso by Trade Aid in Christchurch.

Devonport Organic City Farm.

Many thanks for your help and advice over the past 2/3 years.

Also for providing me with organic fertilizer for the flower barrels in Devonport, organized by myself through the Devonport Business Association of which I am a committee member.

The Green Thing

In the line at the shop, the check out person told an older man, that he should bring his own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The man apologized to her and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The woman responded, "That's our problem today.  Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the shop. The shop sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over.  So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have a lift in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery shop and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two streets.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind.  We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.  Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right;

We didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room... And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Auckland.  

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.  We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a spring or from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a plastic cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the tram or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.  And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

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