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Muntham Sustainability Policies

Ever since we've been in business, we have wanted ours to be one that is truly sustainable.

We want our activities and those of our guests to have as little negative imapact on our environment as possible BUT actually have wanted to go further and to have had as positive an impact as possible.

We don't support lunatics who hold up traffic including ambulances, we don't agree with juvenile acts of vandalism against law abiding businesses and neither do we want to see our ancient monuments descecrated and our cultural assets damaged by entitled, ignorant brats who have never had to work a day in their pampered mummy and daddy funded existence.

But like millions of ordinary people, we want to do our bit for our planet in the hope that the generations who come after us will thank us for our efforts and not codmen us for our stupidity.

So, what follows are the things that we are doing to make our business a sustainable one.

Recycling at The Muntham Luxury Holiday Apartments in Torquay

Re-cycling - What a load of Rubbish!

Yes, exactly.

We have our recycling bins in the car park and encourage all our guests to separate out recyclable items. Glass goes in one bin. And hard plastics, carboard, tins and paper go in another.

We know some people can be cynical about where the recycling items end up BUT Torbay Council have a very handy page which tells us where our recycled items do actually go. Click here to find out more:

  • Our toiletries come in re-useable pump dispensers and not the little disposable single use bottles. We buy bulk 5 litre containers and pour into the dispensers. Our toiletries supplier manufacturers in the UK.
  • At the end of the season any unused tourist information leaflets go to be recycled.
  • As they get old and shabby we dye our towels green so they can be used for our canine guests.
  • When it comes to the booking process, we are pretty much paper free and each stage of the process involves paperless communication.
Saving Energy at The Muntham Luxury Holiday Apartments in Torquay

Energy Consumption

It makes sense that we should get the maximum bang for our buck while we need to still use fossil fuels. This is especially the case since our gas tarriff tripled in 2023. We have become prat of a Net Zero scheme that has enabled us to get a grant to help fund the cost of new gas boilers. These highly efficnet (and very tiny boilers) mean we can heat the prperty much more efficiently and reduce our carbon foot print at the same time. We have also spent about £1,800 on insulation for our loft to prevent the escape of valuable heat.

Our beautiful Victorian building has some socking big windows which were designed long before energy efficieny was a thing BUT the Victorians knew a thing or too about keepingt themselves comfortable and we are extremely lucky that in may of our apartments original internal wooden shutters were preserved and we have pressed them back into use and they provide exceptional  evening and night time insulation.

  • Our electiricity is provided by 100% renewable sources.
  • Our external ligting is on dawn to dusk sensors or timers.
  • In the apartments, all radiators have thermostatic controls so guests can turn them down if they get too hot (rather than opening windows!!)
  • For guests with electric vehicles we have two EV charging points.
  • LED lighting is now standard throughout the property.
  • All of our apartments have been refurbished snce 2017 and as a result we have been able to buy the most energy efficient appliances available.
  • We replace bedding and towels only for guests who stay with us for seven nights or more.
  • All our toilets are dual flush to help reduce water useage.
Drought tolerant planting at The Muntham Apartments and Town House

Our Gardens

The gardens around Muntham provide a tranquil space for guests but also are important habitats for wild creatures.

We have plants specifically designed to atrract bees such as lavenders and the impressive towering echiums. We also have a mature large buddleia which we manage carefully to maximise flowering in support of butterflies. Some parts of the garden are subject to prolonged sun and dryness and so we have adapted our planting to account for this.

  • We also shut off lights in the garden after midnight so that the darkness is more natural and less disturbng to our night time visitors such as owls.
  • We keep our bird baths full and clean all year to give access to fresh water.
  • We recycle all our own kitchen waste in our three wormeries which go on to provide the most stunning compost for our garden.
  • We buy non peat compost as standard for the gardens.
  • We don't use weed killers around the garden but instead use good old fashioned man power plus occasionally a weed burner.
  • We have untidy corners around the garden including a stumpery which gives homes to a variety of little critters.
  • We have three brown garden waste bins which are collected every fortnight. This allows us to dispose of excess garden waste responsibly. It is collected by the Council contractor and then used for composting.
English Riviera Autumn Walking festival 2023

Supporting our Community

  • Businesses such as ours support scores of other businesses and over the years we have built strong connections with many other small local businesses these include plumbers, electricians, plasterers, and a whole host of other skilled craftsmen.
  • We also actively support local restaurants, bars and cafes. Guests will have access to our recommended list of eateries the overwhelming majority of which are independent and not part of chains. 
  • We are part of business groups such as The Bridge Group which provides mutual support to toehr small businesses.
  • We are home to one of the local Cat Protection Vans and help out with their activities where possible.
  • We encourage our guests to make the most of our beautiful Bay by exploring on foot or by using one of the many different types of public transport available.