Environmental Charter

Ecotourism, Sustainable development in Puy de Dôme

From the very beginning of its conception, La Transparence Guest rooms and Guest table is a project at the crossroads of sustainable development, permaculture and ecotourism.

Located in the heart of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park and its preserved nature, our project had to be environmentally friendly because of it’s location but also because we believe in a better tomorrow. For us, for you and for future generations, we do everything possible to minimize the impact of our activity on the environment.

In this continuity we have established the following environmental charter based on the three founding pillars: Sustainable Development, Permaculture and Ecotourism.

Ecotourism, a matter for all

• Our service providers and suppliers are chosen according to their sustainable and social commitments;
• We offer many alternatives to limit car travel, such as bicycle rental, hiking routes from the house, carpooling and soon an electric car recharging dock;
• We put at the disposal of our visitors information booklets, documentations, concerning the animal and botanical species of our biotope;
• We have been trained in responsible eco-gestures in our daily tasks.

Resource management: saving water and energy

• We have installed water savers/pressure reducers on taps and showers to avoid depleting the resource;
• We follow our water and electricity meters every month to better manage our consumption;
• We have installed a water collector to water the green spaces and thus limit the use of drinking water in the yard;
• All of our lighting is LED which allows energy savings and a similar comfort for our customers;
• We have installed occupancy sensors in the common areas/hallways to limit energy waste;
• We are committed to the development of renewable energy through a contract with a 100% green energy supplier;

Let’s limit and sort waste

• We are committed to an active approach to Zero Waste through ZEROWASTE FRANCE and have validated an online training accessible to all for free;
• We have set up a policy of selective sorting and ask for your collaboration when you have waste in your room: Give us your waste and we will sort it according to the local regulations;
• All types of waste are sorted, even biowaste, for recycling in our composter and to the delight of our neighbors’ chickens for non-compatible waste;
• We work with a majority of products in bulk or in large packaging to limit unnecessary packaging;
• All of our hospitality products come without packaging to reduce waste;
• We do not propose any disposable tableware and provide you with reusable tableware for your stay;

To be attentive to the well-being of our Visitors

• We are what we eat! For your well-being, almost all the products of our table d’hôtes, breakfasts and snacks are local, of organic origin or at least from a reasoned agriculture;
• Our gastronomic offer proposes only seasonal and local products;
• On request, we can cook vegetarian meals, and we can adapt to certain special diets;
• We will be happy to share with you the addresses of our producers or to buy their products;
• The products used for the maintenance of the rooms are all eco-labelled;
• For everyone’s well-being, we have banned bleach, which is irritating to the respiratory tract and toxic to the environment;
• Our establishment is completely non-smoking;
• We have chosen fair trading certified bed linen and towels (organic cotton). The latter is maintained by a partner committed to the respect of the environment;

And more…

• Our green spaces are maintained without pesticides and we promote bio-diversity for a good balance of the biotope;
• Thanks to our beekeeping activity, the whole village benefits from a first-rate pollination which translates into a luxuriance of the local flora;
• Each year we commit to new criteria to perfect our approach. Don’t hesitate to send us your ideas!

Thank you for having read this Environmental Charter Ecotourism Sustainable Development and for supporting us in our approach during your stay!