The Sandcastle makes a splash with their second Green Key award
John and his team celebrating with the Green Key flag
The Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool have renewed their Green Key award for the second year in a row! They remain the only attraction in England to hold the award and we hope that others will now follow in their footsteps to green their tourism businesses and showcase how important it is that establishments from all sectors of the industry get involved.
“We are delighted to be awarding the Green Key to Blackpool’s Sandcastle Waterpark. Our tourism industry has a responsibility to improve its sustainability, like every other sector of our economy, and the Sandcastle are leading the way as a tourist attraction in trying to reduce their environmental impact.”
The Green Key demands high environmental standards and the Sandcastle has demonstrated a commitment to reducing its environmental impact, including taking steps to improve energy efficiency and removing single-use plastic where possible from its operations.
In addition, the attraction, which welcomes, on average, 340,000 guests each year, and despite the events of the past 18 months, has continued to work on its sustainability projects.
It is in the process of installing a new air-cooling system, which is at least 35% more efficient than the current system and its catering outlets have sourced more Fair Trade products in 2021 and its cutlery sleeves are now made from 100% recycled paper.
“Our teams, in all departments, have been working hard to reduce our carbon footprint. We have spent the past 15 years looking at every opportunity to lower our use of energy. During the past five years, and in collaboration with Blackpool Council, we have focussed on increasing the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods, and raising sustainability awareness throughout our business. Despite the challenges of the past 18 months we have worked hard to continue with these projects. We are delighted to have received this accreditation from Green Key.”
There has never been a more pressing time for businesses to improve their green initiatives and play their part in reducing the environmental impact of their establishment and its guests. With several more audits scheduled in the next couple of months, including several new hotels, we hope that sustainability and environmental awareness remains at the forefront for hospitality in England. Through combining a business’s individual efforts with a Green Key Eco-Label we can demonstrate the global commitment to making hospitality a more sustainable industry.