SUSTAINABILITY
Castle Hot Springs is committed to reducing their impact on the environment.
Committed to having a lower impact on the environment and aim to be stewards of the land we are so grateful to inhabit. We practice a closed-loop system where every detail focuses on reduce, reuse and recycle. Using our hot spring water source, to making renewable energy a priority for the resort, the efforts here have earned Castle Hot Springs a Sustainability Certification from Green Globe.
Castle Hot Springs Has Met the Requirements of the Green Globe Standard 1.7.
Green Globe is the premier worldwide certification and performance improvement program developed specifically for the travel and tourism industry.
Green Globe assists organizations to improve their economic, social and environmental sustainability while being rewarded and recognized for it. The Green Globe Standard provides organizations with a framework to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their environmental sustainability performance, through which they can monitor improvements and achieve certification.
Under the Green Globe Standard a selection of more than 380 compliance indicators is applied to 44 individual certification criteria. The applicable indicators vary by type of certification, geographical area as well as local factors.
Learn more about our entire sustainability efforts by viewing this PDF.
Our Pillars of Sustainability
TRANSPORTATION & EQUIPMENT
• Many employees live onsite as part of their compensation
• Employees who live off property can use a shuttle for their commute and are offered an incentive to carpool to the shuttle pickup
• Electric vehicle charging and use on property
• The team is adopting tools powered by batteries rather than gas or diesel — a move which has the added benefit of protecting the healing peace and quiet of the resort landscape. The journey towards renewable energy continues!
FOOD CONSERVATION
• We only use reusable water bottles. Water bottles that are left behind are recycled and reused.
• Important values align when our chefs choose local, fresh ingredients which are not only healthier and tastier, but also celebrate the unique beauty of location while offsetting environmental burden
• Regenerative farming practices at Castle Hot Springs focus on restoring soil health and enhancing biodiversity through cover cropping, crop rotation, and minimal tillage. By integrating livestock and utilizing composting, these methods promote nutrient cycling and reduce the need for synthetic inputs, supporting sustainable food production and ecosystem health.
• Harvest, the resort’s restaurant, belongs to a fair-catch seafood program, and only uses sustainably sourced fish from a local monger. A few examples of more sustainable & mindful techniques we stick to include sourcing true diver scallops, line-caught fish, and iki jime.
ACTIVITIES & ADVENTURES
• Pack in, pack out! Trash and food scraps are disruptive to the wildlife and ecosystem, especially in the dry desert environment. Our guides pick up anything left behind on our trails and roads whenever we see it and practice Leave No Trace principles.
• Hiking off trail can damage the vegetation, cause erosion, and disrupt wildlife. We encourage guests to enjoy our maintained trails and avoid off-trail hiking.
• The desert is home to many creatures and critters. We can practice sustainable recreation by giving wildlife their space and enjoying them from a distance. Approaching and feeding wildlife is dangerous to animals and to humans. Wild animals that are fed can disrupt their natural diet and insticts. Our guides educate guests on the risks of approaching wildlife and the importance of keeping a balanced ecosystem.
RECYCLE & COMPOST
• Hired a private recycling company to ensure reuse of product
• Minimize waste by composting all green waste
• Provide reusable water bottles for guests
• Reduce single-use plastic bottles
• Dedicated refillable toiletries (soaps, shampoos, conditioners, etc.)
PEST MANAGEMENT
• Use of Integrated Pest Management, which focuses first on prevention and non-toxic control measures
• Use of beneficial insects
• Hand weed garden and farm
• Essential oil-based pesticides
WATER WISE
• Heat from the eponymous hot springs warm the greenhouse
• All the water used onsite comes from the hot springs
• Effective water use by using drip irrigation on the landscape plants and on the farm
• Xeriscaping & intentional design