Our commitment to quality and sustainability
Qualmark
St Leonards Vineyard Cottages is dedicated to providing an exceptional, safe & sustainable accommodation service for our guests to enjoy.
We are proud to have been awarded a Gold Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Award with a 5-star Boutique Accommodation rating.
St Leonards Vineyard Cottages is certified by Qualmark, whose Sustainable Tourism Business (STB) Criteria are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) for being equivalent to the GSTC Industry Criteria.
This approval ensures that we are being as sustainable as possible and reassures our guests that we are a safe place to stay.
The Qualmark award is a recognised and trusted sign of a quality travel experience.
A Gold business is a best-in-class sustainable tourism business in New Zealand, delivering exceptional customer experiences, an integral part of everything they do.
A Gold Sustainable Tourism Accreditation identifies those businesses leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world-class sustainable visitor destination.
- Qualmark NZ
Our sustainability commitment
We care for our land, our region, our guests and future generations.
Our approach to sustainability means caring for the land, respecting all people & cultures, expressing Manaakitanga hospitality to our guests, minimising our impact on our environment and giving back to our community.
We embrace the Māori concept of Kaitiakitanga to protect, guard and preserve the environment.
While we continue on our sustainability journey, we enjoy using locally sourced produce (including eggs from our free-range chickens and fruit from our home orchard), planting native trees and minimising waste through recycling and composting. Food scraps are separated and either fed to our hens or composted.
Our cottages are insulated to save power and have energy efficient LED lighting. When not in use, all power outlets are switched off. Our electricity is generated from 100% renewable sources - wind, water and sun.
Water for the property is freshly sourced from our private bore and is treated and filtered prior to reaching your tap, ensuring you have refreshingly pure New Zealand water with every glass.
Our bin liners are either biodegradable or made from recycled plastics, and our body and hair lotions are produced locally from sustainable resources. Even our small fire lighter blocks are produced in New Zealand, from compressed wood and wax.
To further reduce our carbon footprint, we will replace your towels after two nights' stay and and linen upon request. We encourage guests to hang your towels to dry, so they can be reused during your stay.
As well as focusing on our own sustainable practices we work with suppliers who are committed to fostering sustainable business practices also - not only in their approach to protecting and enhancing the natural environment, but also socially and within their communities. This helps us to select and work with like-minded suppliers who have a vested and active interest in doing 'business for good'.
We support our local community through sponsorship, community involvement and by purchasing locally within the Marlborough region as much as possible.
We're recycling for good
Ever wondered what happens to your recycling? Here’s what happens to recycled materials from St Leonards Vineyard Cottages:
Soft plastics are remanufactured into fence posts, vineyard posts, railings and sleepers, right here in Marlborough. Made from 100% soft plastics, Future Posts are as strong as timber, won’t split, rot or crack, and can be recycled again and again.
Green waste is chipped and mulched on-site for our gardens. Cabbage tree leaves can’t be mulched but are collected and used as fire starters.
Food waste is separated into food for our hens and compost for the gardens. Egg shells are baked and crushed, making a great calcium snack for our hens to stay healthy.
Steel cans are shredded and melted, resulting in pure, high-strength steel that is cast into ingots, rods or sheets – ready to be used in construction, manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Aluminium cans are melted and purified then rolled into aluminium sheets, ready to become fresh cans within 60 days. Aluminium from the cans is also used in automotive and aerospace sectors, where lightweight materials are essential.
Glass bottles and jars are remanufactured into new glass products that are some of the most sustainable in the world. Glass manufacturer Visy’s bottles and jars contain 70% recycled glass, making their production process up to 30% less greenhouse gas intensive than glass containers with no recycled content.
Water and soft drink bottles are remanufactured into new plastics bottles, fresh food punnets, bakery, confectionery and protein trays. Milk, laundry and medicine bottles, and yoghurt and ice cream containers are remanufactured into food-grade products including plastic bottles, oil containers, pipes and wheelie bins.
Tetra Pak food and beverage containers are remanufactured into innovative saveBOARD low carbon building materials. Every saveBOARD product purchased saves 25kg of packaging waste from going to landfill.
Paper and cardboard is repurposed here at St Leonards as a mulch base for our gardens and a fire starter.
Tiaki promise
Tiaki – means to care for people and place. New Zealand is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it.
The Tiaki promise is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now and for future generations. By following the Tiaki Promise, you are making a commitment to New Zealand - to act as a guardian, protecting and preserving our home.