At the Romany Rest we are trying our best to be an environmentally-friendly establishment, caring for the environment and, at the same time, your well-being.   We want to reduce toxic compounds in our B&B so that exposure to them is minimised, so we’ve decided to use safe personal care and cleaning products, free from harmful chemicals and have searched out the best products we could find.    Being green certainly doesn’t mean compromising on elegance or luxury, though. We pamper you with the finest of foods and toiletries.

 

Offering you toiletries in dispensers in the bathrooms avoids lots of cartons and wrappers ending up in landfill. In this way we can spoil you with the very best organic products, the healthiest option for your wellbeing and for the planet.

 

Nature's Gate products are botanically based, ecologically safe, environmentally-friendly and cruelty-free:   Organic Lavender & Aloe Liquid Soap Lemongrass & Clary Sage Volumizing Shampoo Oganic Cucumber & Mint Body Wash Organic Lavender & Aloe Lotion with Vitamin E rganic Chamomile & Lemon Verbena Conditioner

 

If you have allergies to perfumed products (albeit natural botanicals), we also provide, for your comfort, Gourmet Rose unscented product in each room. This liquid glycerine soap is suitable for use as a handwash, bodywash and shampoo.  Gourmet Rose liquid glycerine soap is 100% natural with no sulfates, colours, alcohol, dyes, perfumes, scents, detergents or surfactants. It is vegan, hypo-allergenic and biodegradable. It contains: Saponified Oils of Coconut & Olive, Oleic Acid, Glycerin, & Purified Water.

In addition to this range of toiletries we also offer you a welcome pack of amenities including vanity kit, shower cap, sewing kit, shoe mitt. These amenities are recyclable and/or compostible. To add to your relaxation during your stay we offer you complimentary spa slippers. These are washable, so please do feel free to take them home with you and continue to use them there.

LAUNDRY

Laundry is washed in cold water using phosphate-free, perfume-free, enzyme-free and dye-free, biodegradable laundry liquid. It comes in a recyclable container.  We remove the need for softener by adding chemical-free, hypoallergenic “Ecoballs” to the wash. They are said to produce ionized oxygen that activates the water molecules naturally and allows them to penetrate deep into clothing fibres to lift dirt away and also to be antibacterial. Sandra has been using Ecoballs for about three years now, and for our own washing we often use ecoballs alone without any detergent. For the B&B laundry, however, we use a combination of the two.

CLEANING

We use products which are safe for you and for the environment. At the same time, these products work efficiently to ensure hygiene:

• Toilet bowl cleaner is non-toxic, biodegradeable, septic & grey water safe. It contains no hydrochloric acid, phosphates, harmful clays or dyes. The natural disinfectants in this product are thyme oil and tea tree oil. It is not tested on animals and contains no animal ingredients and is packed in a recyclable container.

• All natural household disinfectant kills 99.99% of germs, mould and mildew. Using aromatherapeutic plant extracts it is proven to kill salmonella, staphylococcus, pseudomonas and other bacteria and atheletes foot fungus. Even though this product is a powerful disinfectant, it contains no perfumes, dyes, ammonia or chlorine. The active ingredient is thymol and the product is biodegradable, not tested on animals and contains no animal products.

Spray cleaner is botanically derived, hypoallergenic, non-toxic, no bleaches, perfumes, dyes, phosphates, animal products or suspected carcinogens. A cruelty-free product, made in Canada in a recyclable container.

For the kitchen we meet the regulations set by the Provincial Environmental Health Department, put in place for your protection to ensure food safety and hygiene. They require disinfection of surfaces and utensils with a solution of household bleach.

• All Natural liquid. hypoallergenic and unscented dishwashing liquid and tablets are used. No dyes, perfumes, phosphates or suspected carcinogens. Septic tank safe, free of sodium lauryl (laureth) sulphate or DEA. Biodegradable & not tested on animals, made in Canada in a recyclable container.

• Ammonia-free glass and window cleaner is hypoallergenic and non-toxic. The natural astringent and antiseptic property of the cleaner comes from witch hazel wildflower and there are no harmful phosphates or enzymes. Again, the product is not tested on animals, contains no animal ingredients and is packaged in a recyclable container.

IF YOU SUFFER FROM ALLERGIES

Environmentally-friendly cleaning & Laundry products
There is a plug-in air purification system available for your room on request - it’s an electrostatic ionic purifier which reduces airborne pollutants such as dust and allergens
No Pot Pourri or room deodorizers
Hypo allergenic mattress and pillow covers with frequent laundering
No smoking
We have our own well, so there is no chlorine in water
For sanitization we use a low concentration bleach mixture made on the premises to avoid additives when sanitizing
HEPA filters in vacuum cleaners help maintain quality air indoors

Please note that we now have a dog.  She is resident in the house during the winter (cottage during Jun, July & Aug).  If you are severely allergic to dogs there may be some residual allergens within the house, so this may not be the place for you.

ENERGY

3 panels for Solar Power Heated by wood (renewable) Solar Hot water System 26 wind micro turbines A windmill aerates the pond Retrofitted for Passive Solar Retrofitted for EcoEnergy Energy Star Appliances Energy Star rated windows

COMPOSTING

By composting non-protein food scraps and incorporating the resulting loam into the land, the soil is nourished and moisture retention improved. Composting lightens the load on the landfills.

PERMACULTURE

To read more about Permaculture at the Romany Rest B&B visit our Permaculture page.  There are a whole range of sub-headings once you reach "Permaculture".

TISSUE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

We buy recycled computer paper
We provide recycled toilet tissue and kitchen towels which is made mainly from recycled office paper which would normally have ended up in landfill. There is no chlorine bleach used in the manufacture of these tissues.

RECYCLING

There is a blue recycling bin in each room for the recycling of plastic, glass, paper. The province of Prince Edward Island has a fantastic recycling scheme where we are able to ensure that the majority of our garbage can be recycled.

ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD

Wherever possible we aim to serve food which is locally produced and organic. Sometimes it is not possible to get both, but you can rely on us to source the healthiest and most environmentally-friendly food we can obtain. In the case of tea and coffee we aim to serve organic and fairly-traded products.

Local food supports the local economy and reduces ‘food miles’, i.e. the distance food must travel before it reaches the consumer. This lessens our dependence on oil, reduces air pollution, and decreases wear and tear on the roads. Locally grown and shipped food has reduced packaging, reducing landfill.

We produce some of our food ourselves and are committed to growing organically.  Other items are purchased locally from organic growers or from the Farmer’s Market in Charlottetown.

Fabulous Permaculture Diary & Calendar 2010	Details!