Department of Conservation Sustainability Award Finalist
Recognising a business or organisation that has introduced products, services, strategies or initiatives that are helping to reduce the organisation’s impacts on the environment and improve its long-term sustainability.
Ribbonwood Retreat Bead and Breakfast
Ribbonwood Retreat is a boutique accommodation provider set near Franz Josef.
"We have a strong environmental ethos at our Bed and Breakfast and have been involved with a range of sustainability initiatives including planting five hundred trees on the property, carbon reduction initiatives, and (environmental) volunteer community projects. During Covid, we have obtained the Qualmark Silver sustainability award and are aiming for Gold in the coming year. Despite the downturn in visitor numbers, we have made the most of this time to improve our systems, strategic planning and learning new skills. During the first lockdown we wrote up our Tourism Sustainability Commitment Action Plan. We measured our carbon emissions using the Toitu emissions calculator and offset our footprint by purchasing trees to be planted and managed in a sustainable forest. We maintained financial reserves to get us through this period of low income by living sustainably, growing our own vegetables, making soap, preserves, shopping at second-hand shops, cycling everywhere-never take a car if we can cycle, upgrading to a modern fuel-efficient car."