Sustainability

Investing in our future

Supporting local businesses, protecting our environment, investing in our community and developing a sustainable future are all part of operating a business.

From choosing where we buy the ingredients for our restaurant dishes, to sourcing guest bathroom amenities and reducing our waste, there are many decisions we make at Portage Resort on a daily, weekly and yearly basis that impact the future sustainability of the Resort and our unique part of the South Island of New Zealand.

Add to all this the fact that we grow seasonal produce in our own gardens including herbs, tomatoes, pumpkins, kale, radish, lemons, limes, and oranges.

Our drinks list is chock full of local wines, beers and spirits - we are extremely lucky to have amazing suppliers right on the doorstep.

Protecting our Environment

Making conscious choices about what we tip down the sink or discard as waste are all part of playing our part in helping to protect the pristine environment of Kenepuru Sound.

• All our Bio-Zyme cleaning products are sourced through a locally owned and operated company in Blenheim, these cleaning products are certified organic, biodegradable and non-toxic, reducing the disposal of chemicals back into the system. The company also supply us with compostable rubbish bags and bio-degradable dishwashing liquid.

• Our water supply is rainwater which is collected from streams into tanks on site and then passed through UV filters to ensure that it is potable and safe for human consumption.

Our guest room amenities are also eco-friendly and locally sourced: We use ecofriendly refillable body products such as shampoo, body wash, conditioner.

Working To Reduce Our Energy Consumption & Our Carbon Footprint

We have implemented measures to ensure that our use of resources is in balance with nature’s ability to replenish them. Sensors and dual flushes in the toilets help to reduce wastewater which is treated onsite and used to irrigate native forests behind the hotel.

Here at Portage Resort, we compost all of our kitchen waste in our own compost bins, and we ensure that glass is recycled or returned to the supplier where possible. We separate our glass bottles, cupboards, tins and work with our local waste management company Wizard Waste to recycle these. We purchase milk in 20L bulk bags to reduce use of small plastic bottles.

Packed lunches come in paper bags, and we opt to use bamboo packaging where possible. Having suppliers who actively reduce the amount of packaging that they supply our goods in is also important to us. Working with our supplier to send food in reusable creates to reduce wastage.

Investing in Our Community

Kenepuru Sound and the surrounding areas are small rural communities, and we rely on each other to provide support not just in times of crisis but all year round. It is important to us to support local, and we work with several local organizations including accommodation donation for local school fundraising.

TIAKI PROMISE

Here at Portage Resort, we strive to follow the Tiaki Promise, a Tourism New Zealand initiative outlining the responsibility each one of us has to caring for New Zealand. Tiaki means ‘to care for people, place and culture’. Ways to do this during your travels of our beautiful country include:

• Protect Nature

• Keep New Zealand Clean

• Be Prepared

• Drive Carefully

• Show Respect

Please join us on our journey to becoming a zero-waste operation by providing suggestions or feedback and you could become part of our sustainable tourism story.