GREEN COMMITMENT
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.
We try to keep the entire property botanically endemically indigenous as far as the “alien invader” plants allow, and have many magnificent
specimen trees of Acacia, Africana, Stinkwoods, Riverbush Willows, Kiepersols and many other smaller species of shrubs and plants.
HORNBILL LODGE remains committed to reducing waste and our carbon footprint while maintaining the high level of service and comfort our guests know to expect. Through our continual efforts, and with YOUR help, we can continue to improve. We obviously are wild about nature and the outdoors and we are proud to be a company that participates in environmental conservation.
Why do we need to go green? There are many reasons driving the global push to "go green" and most have the
same incentive - CONSERVATION.
THE TOP THINGS WE HAVE DONE TO “GO GREEN” ARE:
🌞 Sun-Powered Showers: Our Sun Tank geysers, managed by the Geyserwise system, ensure you always have hot water, thanks to solar energy. Opting for a shower over a bath can significantly save energy.
🔋 Solar-Powered Comfort: Your room’s electricity is generated by our Sunsync system, which uses high-quality Canadian solar panels. On particularly rainy days, our reliable John Deere generator provides backup power.
🌟 Bright Nights: Our property is illuminated by numerous solar spotlights, ensuring sustainable lighting for your evenings.
♻️ Eco-Friendly Waste Management: Our Biobox sewage plant treats all wastewater, which is then reused for irrigation, keeping our gardens vibrant and green.
💡 Energy-Smart Lighting:
· All light bulbs are energy-smart LED globes.
· Some outside lights are solar-powered.
· Day & night electric eyes and time switches control lodge and garden lighting.
· Please turn off the lights when you leave the room. 75% of the energy in a hotel room is consumed when bathroom lights are left on for more than 2 hours, often when unoccupied.
🚿 Water Conservation:
· Water-conserving shower heads.
· Water-efficient toilets using only 1 liter per flush.
🌍 Sustainable Practices:
· Use of refillable consumables wherever possible.
· Recycling of worn bath towels and linens into cleaning rags.
· Donation of used cooking oil to a biofuel cooperative.
· Use of environmentally friendly products.
· Recycling of paper in our business office.
By embracing these eco-friendly practices, we aim to create a sustainable and comfortable environment for all our guests. 🌿✨
Biobox
Biobox http://www.biobox.co.za supplied and installed our Sewage Treatment Plant to receive and treat the wastewater generated from this facility. The wastewater then get recycled and irrigated to the green spaces surrounding the facility. There is no wastage of water at all.
By recovering, treating and recycling our waste water, we protect our environment. For example, the quality of the groundwater, including the groundwater that we depend on if our water supply comes from a borehole. More and more, local authorities are prohibiting the use of septic tanks, because of the inevitable risks of groundwater pollution. Once polluted, groundwater requires a similar level of treatment as does surface water.
Solar Geysers
We've installed SunTank solar geysers on the roof of the Lodge, restaurant and Cottage. SunTank assumes the leadership role in ensuring the rights of South Africans to benefit from the country's renewable energy sources, and in particularly solar energy that is so abundant in our land. http://www.suntank.co.za Our Solar Geysers: Please note that ALL geysers are solar and only uses electricity when there is no sun, Hornbill lodge water supply is from a borehole and gets tested on a regular basis like any other water supply. We make use of a low pressure water system and therefore it takes a moment before your water becomes hot, as the Geysers are 100% Solar if you bath or shower at night the water will only heat up again the next morning (when the sun returns
Solar System
We have installed a Sunsynk solar system that provides electricity to our Rooms https://www.sunsynk.org/ Sunsynk is one of the best Systems in the world with a efficiency range from around 97.6% to 98.4%, which is very good performance. Efficiency of this level ensures that minimal power is wasted.
-
• Electricity Gobblers: Please avoid using high-wattage appliances like kettles (1500W), heaters (1500W-4500W), and air conditioners (3500W) as they can overload our system.
-
• Guest Comfort: To ensure your comfort, all beds have electric blankets for cold nights, ceiling fans for warm days, and portable gas burners for those who need their morning coffee fix (available for rent at the restaurant).
