Sustainability in 2024

At Holiday Resort Unity & Brean Leisure Park we are committed to ensuring our visitors have a wonderful stay whilst preserving the natural world for future guests to enjoy. My job as Sustainability & Energy Coordinator is to ensure our sustainability strategy is firmly embedded into our business operations.  I have been busy over the last couple of months working towards our sustainability goals for 2024:

REDUCING WASTE

Recycling
Having achieved a 51% recycling rate in 2023, we are aiming to recycle 55% of waste in 2024. So far this year we have recycled over 30 tonnes of waste. There are 26 Recycle Stations across the resort for visitors, owners and employees to use making it really easy for everyone to do! We have even started wood recycling within our maintenance department.
 
Food Waste
Included in our recycling figures is food waste from our food and beverage outlets. Food waste is collected by Olleco, who process it at an Anaerobic Digestion plant. These plants safely capture the methane emitted from food waste and turn it into renewable biogas. This process is the best possible outcome for the food waste we produce and is six times more effective at reducing carbon emissions in comparison to composting!
 
Packaging
We are always looking at alternative options to reduce unnecessary packaging.
This year we have gotten rid of our laundry bags – saving over 12,000 plastic bags a year! Our team uniforms are also arriving without individually being wrapped in plastic.
We have also introduced reusable swim nappies for babies and toddlers to use in Brean Splash, replacing the sales of single-use disposable ones.
 
With the support of Plastic Free Communities and in line with the new legislation on single-use plastic, we have removed all items now banned and replaced them with reusable, environmentally-friendly alternatives.
 
In our supermarket, you can buy one of our reusable plastic cups for £1 and refill it across our venues multiple times!

REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION

We now have a responsibility to report on our Scope 1 and 2 emissions in line with SECR, a new government legislation. As a large, environmentally-conscious organisation we believe in transparency and accuracy, so earlier this year we worked closely with expert Net Zero consultants to gather the appropriate data. 
 
We are continually working hard to reduce our energy consumption across the resort. In 2023, we consumed 3,517, 181 kWh of electricity. This year, we want to consume at least 3% less.
 
Last year our existing solar panels generated over 220,000 kWh of electricity!
 
We are committed to investing in more energy efficiency projects. Recent projects include:

• Commissioning additional investment in solar panels on additional buildings across the resort.
• Replacing swimming pool air handling units in Brean Splash.
• Upgrading our energy management systems to allow us to track and reduce energy consumption in real-time.

INCREASING BIODIVERSITY

This year we are working to retain our David Bellamy Gold award and have taken the David Bellamy Blooming Marvellous Pledge for Nature. Our Gardeners and Greenkeepers have been working tirelessly across the site to keep it looking clean and tidy whilst maintaining our fabulous biodiversity! We have our own Secret Wood which we are very proud of. It provides an excellent habitat for a range of wildlife and is even used by Secret World to release animals back into the wild.
 
Last year, across many of our ponds we saw tadpoles, sticklebacks, leeches, water beetles and an array of other creatures. Earlier this month the Environmental Agency released more crucian carp into our ponds as part of an ongoing national initiative to promote the conservation of the species and its habitat.

 
A range of wetland birds from swans, mallard ducks and moorhens to birds of prey such as buzzards and sparrow hawks are often spotted across the resort. Feeding platforms dotted around our Secret Wood encourage birds to feed and nest at our resort each year.
 
We have been classified as a BBCUK Bee-friendly Resort. We currently have 6 beehives on the go and our beekeeper Patrick is responsible for looking after over 30,000 bees!  We are proud to produce our own honey which is available to buy at Brean Country Club and Holiday Resort Unity reception. Many know it as our ‘golden elixir of sustainability’ - we seriously recommend buying a jar for a nutrient-rich treat!

Across the Resort you’ll see a number of planters blooming with geraniums and other flowers which helps to attract bees and other insects.
 
Responsible Sourcing
We have formed some brilliant partnerships with local food and drink producers and seek to procure locally wherever possible.

Across our venues you’ll find rhubarb and apples from our gardens, honey from our beehives and coffee from as close as Exeter.
 
In the supermarket we stock local cider from Thatchers and Rich’s Cider Farm and bakery items from Winnies.
 
We only source Fairtrade bananas and stock Cocoa Alliance certified chocolate for guests to enjoy!

SUSTAINABILITY TEAM TRAINING

We wouldn’t be able to achieve our sustainability goals without the engagement of our amazing employees. So, we’ve made basic sustainability training mandatory for all new starters.
 
Holiday Resort Unity & Brean Leisure Park boasts several food outlets and we have pledged to tackle the global issue of food waste. Employees working across our food and beverage departments are undergoing their Guardians of Grub training, up-skilling them with the practical knowledge to prevent food waste.
 
At the end of last year, 10 of our employees attended the North Somerset Carbon Literacy Action Day and received certificates for their participation in tackling the climate crisis. We are hoping to become a certified Carbon Literate organisation in the future which will empower even more staff to join our collective ambition for positive environmental impact.
 
Sustainability has been a key priority at the Resort for over a decade, and I am proud to have joined a team that prides themselves on positive environmental impact. We look forward to sharing our progress with you over the coming year!

Sustainability Co-ordinator

Hannah Shepherd