How Green is Craflwyn?                                              Green activities        

Concern for the environment plays a big part in how Craflwyn is run. All staff and visitors are encouraged to be as ‘green’ as possible whilst they are here and, hopefully, when they return home too.

In recognition of our efforts to be more environmentally responsible, Craflwyn has recently been recognised as achieving level 3 Green Dragon status. This is a 5 step standard that is undertaken by companies and organisations wanting to make a real commitment to environmental management. To find out more about Green Dragon, click here.

Tthe building has been built with these concerns in mind: the heating and hot water are powered by a combination of heat recovery , solar panels and LPG. Every effort has been made to ensure that heat is conserved by using ‘thermafleece’, double glazing and by ensuring that all floors and ceilings are well insulated. Waste is dealt with by the hall’s own sewage treatment plant , composting, and recycling.

When visiting the hall, you will notice that all the light bulbs are energy saving, all the taps are press taps working on a timer (thus reducing waste) and all the cleaning products used are non invasive.

Staff here are encouraged to share cars when travelling to and from work and visiting groups are encouraged to travel here by public transport whenever possible. This all helps to reduce the environmental impact of overuse of cars  and minimises Craflwyn’s carbon footprint.

During your stay at Craflwyn you will encouraged to think about the impact you have upon the environment. As part of this, we have set up links with Bikes Beddgelert and are now able to offer you reduced price bike hire for the duration of your visit. You can hire bikes along with all the necessary safety equipment and any accessories that may be needed for smaller children.

By hiring in advance, you will be able to ensure that your bikes are here ready for you to use when you arrive.  You can contact Beddgelert Bikes direct by clicking on the logo above or by ‘phoning Peter Harding on 01766 890434. He will arrange delivery and you will receive 10% discount on your order.

If you want to learn more about our environmental policy and to see how we are progressing click here

Heat Recovery

This system is based on quite a simple principle. The temperature deep in the ground remains more or less constant at 10 to 12 degrees throughout the year. We buried pipes containing a non freezing liquid in the grounds around the hall. This liquid warms up and the collected heat is transferred to our heat pump in the Hall which, in turn, powers our under floor heating system. The cooled liquid then returns to the ground and the process is repeated. For more information see http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/generating/types/groundsource

Solar Panels

The hall has 2 solar panels on the roof. The energy stored is used as a back up to heat the hot water required by those using the hall.  For further information see

http://www.greenenergy.org.uk/sta/solarenergy/content.htm

Thermafleece   

Parts of the hall are insulated using ‘Thermafleece’ this is a natural product made of sheep's wool (highly appropriate in this area) which has terrific heat retaining qualities allowing the building to conserve heat in the winter and keep cool in the summer.

Sewage Treatment Plant

The hall has its own sewage treatment plant which operates on the same principles as larger commercial plants. There are 2 chambers, the first of which collects all the sewage waste from the hall. The second aerates the waste which then settles. The surplus fluid waste is mixed with surface water until it reaches a standard where it can be legitimately discharged into the river.

Composting

Craflwyn has recently acquired a Rocket composter for all its composting needs. Kitchen waste, loo rolls, eggshells, even the waste paper from our offices all gets composted and is then used in Craflwyn’s allotments.

Recycling

We recycle as much as we can. Like most households, we recycle all the usual goods such as paper, glass, plastic and cans. In the offices we use only recycled paper and we recycle all the ink cartridges in our computers and printers. Even the used tea bags from our breaks go off to the compost! For more information see http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/

Carbon Footprint

Your carbon footprint is a measure of the impact you are having on the environment in terms of the greenhouse gases you are responsible for producing. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide. For more information on how to measure your carbon footprint, visit www.carbonfootprint.com

Double Glazing

All the windows in the new part of the hall and in the conservatory are double glazed which helps to reduce unwanted heat loss.  For more infomation see http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/insulation/glazing/