Our guests are primarily British, so we get through our fair share of tea! That’s why we source ours from Hoogly Tea, a conscious supplier that blends the finest vegan ingredients into biodegradable tea pyramids. Based in Brighton just a beach pebble’s throw away, Hoogly’s proximity keeps transport emissions low whilst their eco-friendly packaging keeps our percentage of recyclable waste high.

Climate change might make Old Blighty more suited to winemaking, but grape harvests need a good balance of conditions to bear the best fruit. That’s why Rathfinny Wines strives to be a vineyard for the next generation.

This Sussex-based business produces some of the best-quality sparkling wine in England, and their high-standards stay consistent in terms of sustainability, too. Rathfinny is a certified B Corp, an elusive certification only awarded to businesses with truly stellar environmental performance. As well as supplying wine to buyers like us, Rathfinny also champions the environment in the wine tourism industry, focusing on sourcing locally, using seasonal produce in their restaurants and investing in renewable energy on site.

Although not the most savoury topic, this water-closet essential is an important staple in the hotel business. We recognised that switching to an eco-friendly alternative meant we could do good every time a guest nipped to the loo. So, we started sourcing from Who Gives a Crap.

The answer to the question posed by their name is, well…they do. Fifty percent of all their profits go to charities providing toilets, sanitation and clean drinking water in third world countries. On top of this, every 3-ply roll is certified eco-friendly by none other than the Forest Stewardship Council, the global non-profit dedicated to the well-being of our forests. This company is also a B-corp: gold stars for them!

Surfers against sewage have done a lot of noble work to promote cleaner oceans around the UK. Working locally with them is Plastic Free Eastbourne: a community organisation working to eliminate the consumption of single-use plastics both locally and on a larger scale.

Plastic Free Eastbourne works with individuals and businesses like us throughout Eastbourne to campaign for schemes like Refill stations that ease the need for plastic bottles. We’re lucky to have such a strong movement within our own community, and will continue to support Plastic Free Eastbourne’s work as long as they keep doing the good they do!

As an English hotel chain, we like to keep our guests well-equipped for bouts of English rain. We stock our rental service with Dripdrop umbrellas: a brand that works to protect the planet as it protects you from the elements.

Things just don’t last like they used to, but these sturdy umbrellas do. Combining traditional ethos and modern technology, these storm-proof, fibreglass frame brollies are built for longevity. Each is made from five recycled plastic bottles, producing ten times less carbon dioxide than the average product and reducing landfill while they’re at it. This would be enough to prove their worth as a sustainable company, but they go a step further, working with the Eden Reforestation Project to plant a tree every time you rent one of their umbrellas. Who would’ve thought you’d be hoping for rain!

Sometimes, it’s the little things. We looked at our bathrooms and realised that providing toiletries in every room meant we were hemorrhaging plastic waste at an alarming rate.

We put our heads together, and decided to swap out the little bottles for the larger Geneva Green dispenser bottles.

This change has meant we can provide all our guests with toiletries whilst only having to dispose of plastic once when the container is empty. Win win!

Last but certainly not least is our fruit and vegetables. At the Lansdowne hotel, you can dine with us safe in the knowledge that the produce you’re eating was grown less than 10 miles down the road!

That’s because we supply our groceries from JR Wholesale, a local fruit and vegetable wholesaler based in Hailsham. For the last fifty years, Falkenvil Farm has found its niche in supplying high quality produce to customers in and around East Sussex. Their distance and small-scale already makes their operation greener than the average farm, but they also go above and beyond to keep their carbon footprint low: restricting farming to a 30 mile radius and achieving an STS certification in solar power.

We’re always looking for ways to improve our environmental impact, and now you know some of them! So next time you’re eating at our 1912 restaurant, showering during your stay or having a cuppa, you take pride in knowing you’re contributing to a more sustainable world with your stay at The Lansdowne Hotel!