Energy Use
98% use of energy efficient lighting, using compact fluorescent and LED lighting.
100% green power
Solar evacuated tubes installed to heat water
Natural gas used for boosting of hot water supply when required (no-one will go without a hot shower!)
Photo voltaic cells provide approx. 60-70% of all energy needs and feed back into the main grid when not required.
Air conditioning using inverter technology

Water Use
Smart flush toilets
Highest water saving rating for all taps and shower heads.

Waste
Composting of green waste using Aerobin treatment system
Recycling facilities for paper waste and bottles with 95% guest involvement (thank you!)
Owners use appropriate safety collection facilities for the disposal of toxic products such as paint, cartridges, light bulbs.

Design
Passive solar principles incorporated into design of retreats,
Louvre windows allow cross flow ventilation of cooling north east breezes in summer.
Fully insulated walls, ceiling and floors.
Use of environmentally sustainable building materials where possible including Australian plantation pine and bamboo flooring.
Internal paint is Dulux EnvirO2
No rainforest hardwood used in construction - including the decks. Click here for more>>>
Building materials were chosen according to their sustainability and impact on the environment to the best of our ability and knowledge.

Product Choice
Coffee
Byron Bay Rainforest Alliance Certified Plunger coffee (Australian owned, sales go towards replanting Australian rainforest)

Office
Use of 100% recycled paper, office paper (post consumer waste when possible)
Use of recycled printer cartridges, rechargeable batteries when possible
Marketing material uses recycled paper and vegetable ink dyes.
All marketing brochures printed on FSC certified paper.

Bathroom
Blackwattle uses either:
Naturale 100% recycled toilet tissue which is manufactured predominately from post consumer materials such as clean used office paper.
Kleenex Cottonelle, which was in 2010 granted certification by the Forest Stewardship Council, internationally recognised as the world’s most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management. It is also the only forest certification scheme endorsed by prominent environmental groups such as the WWF and Greenpeace. FSC certification means that they have been independently, third-party audited to ensure that every roll is sourced from responsibly managed forests and plantations
L'Occitane toiletry products chosen with certified genuine organic products using refillable bottles from bulk recyclable containers where possible.
L’Occitane is already heavily involved in the production of Shea Butter under the EFT label, Ecocert’s ethical and sustainable certification.
More info >>
Naturale facial Tissues: 100% recycled tissue, not rebleached, biodegradable, no fragrances, Australian made and Australian owned.
Naturale's 3 point commitment to the Hero2 campaign includes: protecting old growth rainforest with the purchase of a hectare of pristine rainforest in the Daintree, tying up an enormous amount of carbon in its biomass; the Australian Rainforest Foundation plants 4000 trees on their behalf to further extend and repair the rainforest; recovering threatened animals with the provision of significant funding towards the Foundation's Cassowary Corridor, helping to recover this endangered species.

Cleaning
All cleaning products used in the retreats are as environmentally friendly as possible using recyclable containers.
Below please find an example of product choice that we use in Blackwattle Luxury Retreats and the credentials we look for in any product:
Orange Power Bathroom Cleaner
- Endorsed by Planet Ark and buying this product helps support Planet Ark's environmental campaigns.
- GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) accredited and meets ISO14024 Standards. This means you can be sure that an independent authority has scrutinised the label claims and business as a whole, to meet international standards for environmental claims. Has no added colours, preservatives or synthetic perfumes.
- No Chlorine bleach • No Ammonia • No dangerous fumes
- Orange Power does not use any artificial, synthetic fragrances – simply the natural fresh fragrance derived from citrus.
- PET bottle is recyclable and the trigger spray is reusable.
- Orange Power products are readily biodegradable
- Australian Made & owned and is not tested on animals.

We are attempting to do our best to minimise the way our accommodation impacts on the environment. We acknowledge that most of the measures we have taken are small, however our policy is to continue to constantly strive to lessen our environmental footprint. Any advice or comments about product choice are always welcome.

For more information about tourism and the environment, please visit the ecohotel web directory