Protecting the Environment

The Chester House is committed to doing all it can to conserve and protect Vermont’s and our country’s environment and natural resources. It makes so much sense, especially in a state as beautiful as Vermont!

We will do all we can to lessen our impact on the local and global environment by conserving our natural resources, reducing waste generation, recycling, purchasing recycled products where appropriate; and reducing our use of toxic materials, without taking away from our guests’ experiences of a first-class bed and breakfast. We are committed to pollution prevention, continual improvement and meeting or exceeding all environmental regulatory requirements.

Specifically, we have replaced as many as possible of the Inn’s light bulbs with the coil energy-efficient type. We have provided a night light in every bathroom.

We have replaced the shower heads in most of the guest rooms with Low Flow water-saving ones, which reduces water consumption for showers by 50% to 60% while still allowing guests to enjoy a powerful and invigorating shower.

In 2006, we were environmentally responsible when we replaced the roof of the Inn with an alternative roofing product. We used a faux slate tile made of recycled materials from post-industrial waste. No mining (slate) or oil drilling (asphalt) was needed to produce these polymeric tiles. They are made of recycled rubber and plastic. The tiles also offer long life and can themselves someday be recycled, which will mean less roofing material that will be hauled to landfills. The use of these materials means less energy consumption and less natural resource depletion and pollution. They also are less toxic for both the planet and its occupants. And an added bonus: the Inn never looked so good!

We recently replaced the Inn’s hot water heater and dishwasher with more energy efficient models. Whenever we add or replace an appliance in the future, we will seek out the most energy-efficient brand/model.

We have the Inn’s furnace and fireplaces serviced regularly so that they perform as efficiently as possible. All of the Inn’s windows have been replaced with energy-efficient ones, and we are improving the Inn’s attic insulation.

At the markets, we look for locally grown food. We use biodegradable cleaning products as much as possible.

We do all we can to limit the amount of the Inn’s trash that winds up as garbage landfill. Rather than throw everything into plastic bags and use a garbage pick-up service, as some businesses do, we take the Inn’s used newspapers, office paper, cardboard, glass, steel cans, aluminum, #1 and #2 plastics, batteries and old paint to a recycling center where it all gets recycled and doesn’t become problematic for future generations. Even our unsoiled egg cartons (and we use a lot of eggs!) get re-used by local producers.

All our grass cuttings, raked leaves and other yard waste is returned to the earth and not carted away in a garbage truck.

We have purchased “Local Color Paint,” which is produced by a Vermont program to divert unwanted leftover latex paint from being solidified and landfilled and, instead, turn it into a valued product. Latex paint is one of the largest waste streams by both volume and weight. Every partial can of leftover paint collected from area businesses and residents is inspected for quality and sorted by color. Selected paint is re-blended, double filtered, and packaged for resale, saving natural resources, diverting waste from the landfill and creating a product that utilizes local resources.

We give our guests who stay more than one night the option of letting their damp towels dry naturally on bathroom towel racks during the day while they are out. This helps conserve both water and electricity.

We were delighted to hear that a recent survey of travelers revealed that:

• 40% are concerned about the environment
• 38% said they have stayed at an environmentally-friendly lodging facility
• 9% specifically search for environmentally-conscious lodging
• 78% said they choose not to have their towels changed, when given the option
• 34% said that they would pay more to stay at an environmentally-friendly lodging facility.

We just try to run our lodging business in an environmentally-responsible way, and we hope that our guests appreciate our efforts.