sustainability
Unfortunately, we are not yet one hundred percent green... However, trying to live in a smarter and more sustainable way while enjoying nature and a degree of modern convenience his one of the goals of staying at plantation. Looking at reducing our carbon footprint day after day, we are taking small steps to reduce our use of plastic, and recycle as much as possible. Keep in mind that this is Sri Lanka, and there are little to none public service in place for garbage collection. Local people have had for a long time the habit of throwing their garbage away along roads or in front of their door. This was probably fine when meals were wrapped up in a banana leaf... but this is not the case anymore. This practice leaves daily mountains of uncollected garbage, and this is the root of serious environmental and health issues.
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With the development of mass-tourism combined with seasonal droughts, Sri Lanka faces regular water shortage that lead local authorities to rationalize the flow. At plantation, the problem is avoided as the water is sourced directly from our two wells. Only one bathtub was installed in our master bedroom to avoid over consumption, and our septic system returns grey and dark waters to the ground for natural filtration. Although the well water is fine to drink, a filtration system is available in the kitchen for extra purification.
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Similarly to water shortages, the country experiences regular electricity power grid issues. This can leave the more rural areas without grid-power for extended periods of time. Although solar panels are great, our project did not allow us to integrate a sustainable solar power source in the first stage of development. We however installed solar water heaters to ensure guests enjoy a nice relaxing warm shower at times. Although this was not an easy choice, we implemented a diesel generator on the property to make sure basic power requirements are met during your stay (fridge, air conditioning, or internet).
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The garden is an essential part of the experience of staying at plantation. It has many fruit trees that are the house of resident monkeys and migrating birds. Once the construction got completed, it was replanted with more than a hundred cinnamon bushes that act as natural mosquito repellent. When the season is right guests can harvest mangoes , jack fruits, king coconuts or bananas. Other local fruits such as wood apple or rose apple grow as well. Future plans will see the garden extend to a small organic seed-to-plate area at the back of the main villa for fresh vegetables and herbs. Until it can provide enough for our guests, our chef relies on ingredients sourced from local producers at the nearby markets. All our kitchen organic wastes are placed in our compost pit and provide fertilizer for the garden.
Small habits can help reduce the use of detergent and industrial soaps. At plantation bed sheets and bathroom linen are changed every three days and sent to an external laundry who takes a professional yet environment-friendly approach. Bathroom soaps are made in Sri Lanka using natural bio-products (coconut oil, ginger...). Do not hesitate to grab a few extras for the rest of your trip or to bring back home as souvenirs.
For plastics, from day one on the project, we worked with our general contractor, workers and staff to collect and dispose properly of the many plastic wrappers and bags that construction materials came in. We encouraged our guests to embrace this philosophy while staying at plantation. You can make a difference during your stay by avoid using plastics. Ask for the available reusable bags for your visits to the beach or the local markets, and avoid as much as possible the use of sole-use items such as plastic water bottles, cutlery and straws.
Staff on property have received an eco-friendly briefing, and they follow a simple eco-friendly checklist. If you would like to provide feedback, or if you have questions please contact our villa manager or send an email.
