Preceding the way of protecting the environment
The protection of the environment is one of the basic prerequisites of the dealings of our concern. All the partners concerned in tourism must look for solutions together - solutions which allow tourists to continue enjoying the beauty of Kenya whilst preventing the destruction of exactly those things which they have travelled to see. Especially areas in the third world are way behind Europe in respect to the environment. And for this reason private initiative is required. Severin Sea Lodge precedes this by taking the environment into consideration in their company policies.
A comprehensive concept for the environment
It is our responsibility to look after the resources that are available to us and to regard nature as an equal partner. This is the reason why effective protection of the environment is a principle of the concern and a matter for the management. With this declaration, Severin Sea Lodge declares its joint contribution to the solving of environmental problems in Kenya.
We are the first hotel in Kenya to have somebody on the staff with responsibility for the environment. They have developed an extensive 120-point concept which has been conceived to fit the 200 room hotel and its leisure activities exactly. One of the main tasks is to convey a way of thinking to the local population that is more environmentally aware. In seminars, of which we are the organisers, the guests, staff, local boat-owners and traders are taught about the threat to the environment and the protection of it.
Through the installation of sewage-works, which were built to European standards, the entire water from the rooms, the kitchen and the laundry is cleaned biologically. Only then is it allowed to seep back into the ground water. In this way we can be sure that no waste water pollutes the ground water or the sea water. The plant cleanses up to 150,000 litres a day.
There is also an extensive recycling concept, which is intended to sort out as many recyclable materials as possible, in order to be able to incorporate them back into industrial processes.
Apart from the kitchen and the garden areas the individual rooms also have a system to seperate waste (the green point collecting system). Remains of food are passed on to pig breeders. Paper, glass, and metal are recycled. Garden rubbish is put to use in the hotel compost heap. Besides this there are containers for batteries, which are then sent to Germany for disposal.
The hotel management endeavours to handle the country's natural resources carefully. Stickers in the hotel rooms ask the guests to save water and electricity where they can. When the window is opened a contact is broken ensuring the meaningful use of the air conditioning. The hotel has changed all of the laundry bags from plastic to paper. The hotel suppliers are asked to deliver their goods in packaging which is biologically disposable or to use returnable containers. The walls and the fences are being replaced by hedges in order to give birds protection and provide a place to build nests.
The hotel's warm water supply is supported by 300 square metres of solar panels. Kenya's sunny climate is well suited for this clean form of energy.
International environment awards verify our involvement in the protection of the environment.
