Westville’s Tracey goes green, wins gold
T&T walked away with the winning trophy in the service industry category and a 'Best New Entrant' Trophy and certificate.
WESTVILLE resident and business owner, Tracey Phillips, lets nothing go to waste at her Bed and Breakfast, with almost every aspect being self sustainable.
She shares her passion for green living with her guests as almost every corner of her establishment has an innovative recycling project.
Also read: Be a champ for your community and recycle | Highway Mail
Tracey’s T&T Bed and Breakfast won the Service Category at the IWMSA’s KZN Waste Management Awards and took home trophies for being committed to responsible and effective waste management practices.
Several KZN based organisations took part in IWMSA’s KZN Waste Management Awards and the winners were announced on Thursday, 15 November, at the IWMSA KZN Branch’s gala function.
Tracey was inspired in 2010 to start looking at innovative ways to reuse and recycle all the waste from her B&B, when loadshedding was first implemented by Eskom. She couldn’t let her guests be left in the dark so all the lights are backed up by batteries and she harvests water to ensure even when there are water restrictions due to recent droughts, she is not affected.
T&T employs rainwater harvesting (4000 litres on site), has a grey water system, has solar powered lighting, an aquaponics system (which uses fish to produce nutrients to grow their own fruit, veggies and herbs in a closed system and is 100 per cent organic), and uses environmentally friendly cleaning materials.
It also practices recycling both by reducing the waste output and supporting a local school’s recycling project.
Tracey supports the Wildlands Recycling Plant in Cato Manor and also drops off her glass and tins at the Westville Civic centre.
“I encourage residents to drop of their recyclable waste at such centres as it helps support many families,” she said.
She is a member of the KZN Recycling Forum and said, even with the orange bag shortage and collection issue, residents should not lose interest.
The B&B has fruits and vegetables growing in every corner all thanks to the compost that Tracey makes.
“The biennial IWMSA KZN Waste Management Awards were established in 1992 and recognises the top organisations in the province that actively promote and incorporate best practices in waste management toward a greener and more sustainable future,” said chairperson of the IWMSA’s KZN Branch, Lindsay Strachan .
“From the entries it is evident that people are becoming more geared toward environmental sustainability, and all the organisations who participated showcased initiatives toward reducing energy, water usage, and waste generation,” Strachan added.
The judging process included a site visit and audit by a team of professionals from the IWMSA and the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA).
T&T walked away with the winning trophy in the service industry category and a ‘Best New Entrant’ Trophy and certificate.
With this accolade, Traceysaid she will implement more educational programmes for staff and guests and also ensure she quantifies her waste.
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