From reducing carbon footprints to actively supporting local ecosystems, it’s fantastic that caravan park owners across the UK and Europe are striving to become more eco-friendly.
If you own a caravan park or leisure facility and want to develop a greener business model, below are a few tips from static caravan transport experts, Hanson European Caravan Transport Ltd.
Make recycling easy
Everyone knows that recycling is very important, so why do some people not bother? The main reasons for individuals throwing recyclable packaging into regular waste bins comes down to three factors: time, convenience and clarity.
- Time: By placing recycling bins throughout your caravan park, you reduce the amount of time it takes guests to access them.
- Convenience: Adding waste and recycling bins to other areas of your land, such as woodland walks, will encourage visitors to use them responsibly.
- Clarity: Each bin should be clearly labelled so that recycling is optimised. Colour coding the bins also helps, such as green for recyclables.
Support your local pollinators
Bees really are wonderful creatures and without them the world would be a very different place. As a caravan site owner, you can help local bee populations by sowing particular species of flowers and plants.
There are so many bee-friendly plants to choose from, including cornflower, aster, heather, lavender, ivy and many more that will look fantastic across your premises.
Collect and use rainwater
Most caravan parks have water butts in place for collecting rainfall, yet many don’t put them to full use. It’s often the case that the water butt will be left to stagnate and spill over, which defeats the purpose.
When you collect rainwater, make sure to regularly put it to good use. As long as you make an effort to keep the water butt clean, there are quite a few applications to choose from:
- Watering outdoor and indoor plants, shrubbery and lawns
- Washing cars and other vehicles
- Filling birdbaths, ornamental ponds and water features
- Cleaning paths, fences, signage and building exteriors
- Visitors can use it to wash their dogs
- Use it as a back-up water source for emergencies
As an added bonus, collecting rainfall helps to prevent your site from becoming waterlogged.
Protect the environment
If the time has come to expand your caravan site or simply move things around a bit, you need to consider the local flora and fauna. All it takes is for tree branches to be chopped during nesting season and entire families of birds will be displaced.
Likewise, removing a few bushes and hedges could cause damage to a hedgehog’s home, plus grass should be left to grow long where possible so that insects can thrive.
Team up with a nature organisation
Chances are you already have a favourite wildlife conservation charity, so why not partner with them officially? A few top examples are National Trust, RSPB, Natural England, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, The Wildlife Trusts and Bat Conservation Trust. Aside from raising awareness and funds on their behalf, they may also have useful resources that you can share with your guests to enrich their visit.
