Sustainability Policy

At Aiteall B&B, caring for our environment is at the heart of what we do. We understand that both our day-to-day operations and our guests’ stay can impact the natural landscape of County Clare.

That’s why we are committed to protecting this beautiful coastal area, celebrating our local heritage, and supporting the biodiversity that makes North Clare so special.

We aim to run our B&B responsibly, making thoughtful choices that help preserve our surroundings for generations to come—without compromising the comfort, warmth, and quality of your stay.

Our commitment 

We work continuously to reduce our environmental footprint by:

Using energy and water more efficiently

Minimising waste and encouraging reuse & recycling

Choosing environmentally responsible products and suppliers wherever possible

Supporting local businesses and sustainable tourism initiatives

This policy is a living document and is reviewed each year to ensure our practices continue to improve and reflect our commitment to sustainability.

• We have established our baseline of carbon emissions from 2025 at 0.7212kg of CO2 produced per person, per day from our direct operations

  We aim to reduce this figure by 1.5% in 2026

• Our energy consumption we aim to reduce by 2% in 2026

• Our landfill waste we aim to reduce by 2.5% in 2026

• Our food waste we aim to reduce by 5.5% in 2026

• Our recycling waste we aim to continue to reduce by a further 5% in 2026

• Increase our local suppliers from the current 61% to 62.5% in 2026

• Reduce our international suppliers from 3.5% to 2% in 2026

• Apply for a dedicated mains connection for the joinery workshop. This will allow us to accurately measure the B&B’s energy use and identify further opportunities for reduction.

• Add more planters to grow more fruit and vegetables which we will serve when in season for breakfast

• Add hens to the Aiteall family so we can have fresh eggs metres from our door where possible

• Continue to improve our messaging to guests and our family and friends to help reduce waste production and water and energy consumption

2025 Highlights & Lowlights

In 2025 we achieved:

• An 8% increase in local suppliers in our green purchasing.

  A 44% reduction in our food waste from our operations as well as our household.

  A 5% reduction in our recycling waste.

  In 2025 we added an information blackboard for guests with local activity/music session updates etc. to further encourage reduction of leaflets/flyers being brought on site.

  We planted a mix of blueberry bushes, along with Irish elder, beech and curly willow, to enhance local biodiversity and support native wildlife.

  This year, we saw an increase in the overall C02 kg produced per person, per day by 1% - this was contributed to significantly by energy usage.

  Energy Efficiency:

  • Unfortunately in 2025, we did not achieve a reduction in energy consumption and instead saw an increase of 14%.

  • After investigating this, we believe that it reflects a change in how our property is used. 2025 was the first year that Éimhín ran the B&B full-time, allowing Jonny to focus on his carpentry work in the on-site workshop, including during the high season.

  • As electricity use is not currently separately metered, our next step is to apply for a dedicated mains connection for the workshop. This will allow us to accurately measure the B&B’s energy use and identify further opportunities for reduction.

  • We will also continue to communicate to guests the importance of reducing energy usage where possible including explanation of our heating system which is recommended at an ambient temperature of 18 - 19 degrees celsius, reduced shower times etc.

  • We will also ensure to use the clothes line for all laundry drying where possible - we are optimistic for a warm 2026 😀

  • Lastly, we will continue to encourage our guests to stay longer, reducing laundry needs and therefore conserving energy and water - through promotion of the wonderful area we live in - where one night really isn’t enough for the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren National Park!

    Landfill Waste Reduction

  • We were disappointed to see an increase of 7% in our landfill waste. In 2024 we had seen a decrease of 7.3% and noted that customers were bringing less waste on-site and therefore leaving less behind - however this pattern changed in 2025.

  • We continue to encourage guests in our pre-arrival communications to use reusable options where possible, such as keep water bottles and coffee cups.

  • We also promote choosing local shops for purchases and opting for products with less packaging.

  • In 2025 we added an information blackboard for guests with local activity/music session updates etc. to further encourage reduction of leaflets/flyers being brought on site.

  • We will continue to ensure that all products purchased where possible by Aiteall - have reduced packaging that is recyclable.

    Food Waste Reduction

  • A huge achievement for us in 2025 was a 44% food waste reduction - far exceeding the 10% target we had set for ourselves, we are absolutely thrilled!

  • As a hospitality business with food and beverage offerings, reducing food waste is a top priority.

  • This was achieved through:

  • Changing the menu based on customer feedback.

  • Reducing portion sizes to better match guest preferences.

  • We practice strict waste segregation on site and provide a food compost bin in the guest lounge area and our own home.

  • Implementing a two-bay composter, which has significantly improved our waste management, which we will increase to a three - bay composter at the end of the year.

    Recycling Waste Reduction

  • While recycling remains important, we prioritise reducing waste at the source to minimise the need for recycling.

  • We are delighted to have reduced our recycling waste by 5% in 2025 from 2024.

  • By focusing on reuse and mindful consumption, we aim to lessen our overall environmental footprint.

  • We also included in our pre-arrival communication with guests, reminders to bring their reusable coffee cups and water bottles. In Ireland - many coffee shops will provide a discount of between 20c - 30c for bringing your own cup!

    Green Purchasing

  • In 2025 we increased our local suppliers from 56.5% to 61% through the addition of homemade mugs by Potadoir pottery based in Ennis and local honey from down the road here in Clahane!

  • We also continue to purchase our jams and chutneys from the local Clare Jam shop in Doolin. Our cheeses are regional so where possible to find local cheese instead we will strive to do so.

  • Our national and regional purchases are at 17.5%, we want to increase regional where possible.

  • International stands at 3.5%, reduced from 5% in 2024 and which we want to reduce further over the years to 0%.

    Activities to date

  • In January 2022, we installed SOLAR Panels with an aim of significantly reducing our energy consumption and our carbon emissions through the generation and exporting of our own electricity.

  • Our goal for 2023 was to reduce our baseline emissions by 30% from 2.27kg in 2022. We exceeded this target and reduced emissions in 2023 by 58%.

  • Our goal for 2023 was to reduce our energy consumption from 5.89 kWh/person by 35%. We exceeded this with consumption established at 2.17 kWh/person in 2023 - a 62% reduction.

  • Our heating source is an Air to Water heat pump, with zoned heating with individual thermostats in each room - these are set at an ambient temperature recommended of 20 degrees.

  • Use of Energy Saving bulbs and LED, including outdoor motion activated lighting.

  • In periods of low occupancy, appropriate sections within the B&B are isolated so heating can be turned off.

  • We don’t provide individual single use toiletries, instead an Irish brand Homemade Soap Company supplies our guest refillable toiletries.

  • We don’t use disposable napkins instead linen ones for our breakfast room.

  • We fill reusable glass bottles for our guests as our tap water is safe to drink, significantly reducing our glass and plastic bottle wastage.

  • We don’t use single use items such as sugar sachets, salt and pepper sachets or mini milk pots.

  • We don’t print business cards or flyers and have reduced the volume of leaflets and flyers in our guest lounge area.

  • We make our own granola and fruit compote to avoid harmful additives.

  • We bring our used lighting and electrical waste as well as used batteries to local recycling drop off points in Ennistymon and Inagh, to ensure the proper disposal of batteries and this type of waste from our business and our home. (WeeeIreland.ie)

  • We switched to environmentally friendly cleaning products - Dr. Bonner and Lilly’s Eco Clean. This switch benefits both our environment, but also our team and our guests due to the removal of toxic chemicals from site which are major irritants.

  • Laundry, by reducing the quantity of towels we wash through encouraging our guests to reuse their towels where possible during their stay and encouraging guests to stay longer where possible.

  • Full loads in washing machines and dishwashers.

  • In 2022 we organised a biodiversity consultant to create a report on the land the b&b is on and surrounding land to ensure we are supporting local biodiversity in the best possible way.

    
    

• Our future aims

  • Continue with our native tree planting efforts creating more diversity choosing all native heritage fruit trees.

  • Continue to build planters on site to grow more seasonal and native vegetable and fruit to use for guests as well as ourselves.

  • Installing an electric vehicle charge point on site.

  • Switch to an electric vehicle ourselves to further reduce our emissions.

  • Install a rainwater harvesting system to flush our toilets and to provide water for our garden and plants.

  We appreciate your support with our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment.

  ​​Jonny &  Éimhín - 28.01.2026