Award-winning country house hotel and spa, Sopwell House, has achieved the EarthCheck Silver Benchmark, recognising its commitment to sustainable operations, environmental performance and practices.
This globally recognised certification, awarded by the world’s leading benchmarking group for sustainable tourism, reflects Sopwell House’s dedication to a structured, transparent approach to environmental stewardship.
Paving the way to a greener future, the hotel has adopted numerous techniques to run a more regenerative hospitality business. Beyond improving energy and water efficiency, Sopwell House has achieved a 0% landfill rate across all departments. Waste is instead repurposed, including the use of coffee grounds and tea leaves as natural fertiliser in Sopwell’s expansive gardens.
Leadership and accountability are also key to the hotel’s success. The initiatives are driven by a dedicated ESG team and a Green Team taskforce, who embed sustainable practices into everyday operations without compromising the guest experience. This includes on-site changes with the increase of sustainability sourced, local and Fairtrade products used at the hotel, and staff initiatives and training, aimed to educate and empower staff to support these goals. Giving back to the community, Sopwell House also runs a number of fundraising initiatives, including incentivising guests to bring their own spa footwear, and charity drives from bake sales for MacMillan to Sleepsmart, all aimed at helping support local causes in and around St Albans.
Rafi Bejerano, Hotel Director at Sopwell House, comments:
“Achieving EarthCheck Silver is a huge undertaking and a true reflection of our team’s unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship. We are incredibly proud of this achievement as we look ahead to a sustainable future, strengthening our business resilience and preserving the environment for generations to come.”
The accreditation marks the continued progress by Sopwell House towards a sustainable future, with the hotel set to continue to maintain and strengthen its sustainability practices over the coming years, with more details available here: www.sopwellhouse.co.uk/sopwell-house-achieves-earthcheck-silver-certification/
Sopwell House
Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 2HQ