Meryem’s takes its commitment to minimise the impact it has on the environment very seriously. In 2015 we invited a top energy consultancy firm to carry out a government backed audit called Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) on our hotel to suggest ways we could run in a more energy efficient way. Our aim is to reduce our energy use by 3% every year for the foreseeable future.

BUILDING MAINTENANCE: we carry out regular maintenance checks on all the hotel buildings.

ELECTRICITY: we use solar energy.  We keep lighting in all public areas to a minimum overnight except emergency lighting. We have replaced all guest bedroom and corridor lamps with LED energy saving bulbs, which has reduced energy output from 40w to 4w.

FOOD AND DRINK: we have a policy of purchasing the freshest seasonal ingredients available. The breakfast, room service and dinner menus consist mostly of ingredients from our mini farm (eggs, goat milk, hellim – homemade local cheese), the vegetable garden, fruit trees and bushes (homemade jams). Our olives and olive oils are 100% virgin picked from the olive grove owned by Meryem’s.  All hotel rooms have little baskets for our guests to pick what they wish. We also make sure to use local suppliers to reduce our carbon footprint. All the meat we buy is from the local butcher to ensure Fairtrade produce whenever we can.

GAS: most of the gas appliances in the hotel kitchen have been replaced with an electric system. Heating is via air conditioning and real fire places, hot water is predominantly via the solar panels.

POLLUTION CONTROL

• Air: vehicles are not permitted to leave their engines running while delivering to the premises.
• Drainage: an automated dispensing system is used to clear all pipes of grease at regular intervals

RECYCLING

• General: we recycle paper, cardboard, glass and food.
• Equipment: Disused or dilapidated equipment that is capable of being broken down into reusable components is disposed of by a registered waste contractor.
• Printing is minimised by using technological devices for administration and marketing, we also try to avoid using plastic.
• Leftover food is disposed to the animals at the mini farm or given to Kyrenia Animal Rescue.  It is also common for you to see deposit boxes of water around the five-and-a-half donum gardens of Meryems for cats, birds and wild life.

WATER: to reduce the amount of water used, we have installed slow flow shower heads, pressure reducing systems, smaller cistern capacities, flush volume measurement, and sensors for urinals. Our water quality is regularly checked to make sure it conforms to the latest EU legislation.

WASTE DISPOSAL: All waste must be disposed of in accordance with the relevant legislation.

GREEN ACHIEVEMENTS

Meryem’s fully understands its responsibility to minimise its impact on the environment and is committed to this at all levels of the business.

• 90% of all lights are LED
• Reduced electricity, gas and water consumption and costs by 10

BEES at Meryem’s

Bees play a vital role in our eco system, pollinating flowering plants, trees and crops but they are becoming an endangered species. Parasites and disease, climate change and air pollution all have an impact on bee health, especially pesticides.

Bees pollinate approximately 80% of our flowering crops, which constitute one-third of everything we eat. Losing them could affect our only dietary staples such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers. Bees are of inestimable value as managers of cross-pollination and many plants are entirely dependent on particular kinds of bees for their reproduction.

As part of our green initiative of protecting our environment, Meryem’s has now installed three beehives in our olive grove. There are 110,000 Buckfast bees in each beehive as well as 2 Queen bees. We have trained beekeepers from Meryems staff who ensure the bees are healthy, happy and in clean surroundings.  The natural honey produced by our bees is available at our breakfasts and is used by our Chef in Meryem’s kitchen!

GREEN TOURISM AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Meryem’s is a member of North Cyprus Green Peace Organisation.

Tourism supports economies of destination to grow, which is a very important philosophy for small island states like Cyprus.  To uphold this, we have taken several measures to support the local community:

“Think international, act local”

Whilst the designs of our rooms and public areas are to international boutique hotel comfort, we have made sure that all décor, fixtures and fittings have been purchased by local suppliers that are in the region within the Fairtrade policies.

The local souvenir shop onsite is  a showcase of local handicrafts, delicacies and cultural traditions, which support the local heritage, local women entrepreneurs, and sustainability of culture.

The soaps in the roomsare made by the local olive-mill from leftover oils, and our shampoos are organic and friendly to the environment.

Working with research specialists from the local university – Final International University

Meryem’s takes great pride in obtaining professional consultancy from the local universities’ academics regarding guidance on developing sustainable tourism models; this has included guidance on how to increase positive impacts and mitigate negative impacts on aspects of the Environment, Socio-Culture and Economy.

 Internship and Employment

Meryem’s not only supports local suppliers and producers, but also encourages young talents to work alongside our professionals to learn the skills of hospitality.

HOW TO BE A ‘GREEN VISITOR’

At Meryem’s we are committed to operating in an environmentally friendly way. Here are some suggestions on how to be a greener visitor:

• Give the car a rest and travel by bus –our hotel is on the central road where buses pass every 30 minutes
• Re-use towels – towels are changed on the 3rd night of your stay to avoid wasting energy through unnecessary laundry.
• Conserve energy – switch lights off when not needed and keep windows closed when air condition is on.
• All rooms have thermostatic valves on the air cons. so heating/cooling temperature can be adjusted as required.
• Be water wise – use water wisely, such as by turning the tap off when brushing your teeth.
• Reduce, re-use, recycle – leave recyclable goods in your room and we shall recycle them.