UK hostels win top environmental award

Two UK hostels are the first businesses in the UK to be awarded a top European environmental accolade.

The hostels in Lockton, North Yorkshire and Langdon Beck in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, have both been awarded the European Ecolabel, a top-level European Commission award scheme, run by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK.

The scheme's flower logo is used on a range of goods and services across Europe in recognition of their adherence to a range of strict environmental criteria.

To win the award, both hostels had to demonstrate they met the highest standards in every aspect of their impacts on the environment, including efficient use of energy and water and staff training on green issues.

The hostel in Lockton has achieved a 30% reduction in water consumption and a 40% fall in carbon dioxide emissions, with green features including showers heated by solar panels and a system for harvesting rain water. The Langdon Beck hostel boasts a 2.5kW wind turbine and a solar hot water system, as well as a rain harvesting system to provide water for its toilets.

"It is fantastic to be the first in the UK to achieve this and it represents a key milestone in our development of a network of ‘green beacon' centres," said YHA environmental manager, Ewan Boyd.

By Matthew Batham

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