Eco-Friendly Luxury For Sustainability
Feel Great As You Have An Unforgettable Stay
“Sustainability” is more than just a trendy buzzword at the Pendray Inn & Tea House; it’s a way of life. As the winner of the 2019 Ecostar Greenest Lodge Award and the 2024 Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Award for Best Sustainable Practices, along with our sister property Huntingdon Hotel and Suites, we’re committed to the triple bottom line principle and protecting Victoria’s natural environment through an array of eco-friendly programs and social policies.
Biosphere Certified
At the Pendray Inn & Tea House, we're honoured to hold Biosphere Certification. This reflects our commitment to the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, driving us, our team, and our visitors, towards shaping a brighter future. For more information or to view our Biosphere page, click here.
4 Green Keys
The Pendray Inn & Tea House is proudly certified as a 4 Green Key accommodation. The Green Key Eco-rating program is recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). This 5-grade rating system is designed to acknowledge hospitality properties committed to improving their environmental performance.
100% Ocean Wise
The Ocean Wise seafood program is a non-profit organization committed to protect our oceans by ensuring that providers are sustainable and offer ocean-friendly seafood selection. The Pendray Inn & Tea House is 100% OceanWise Certified.
Eco Dine
The Pendray Tea House proudly supports the EcoDine Forestry Initiative, preserving Canada's native woodlands through forestry preservation and tree planting. In support of this initiative, your bill will include a $0.75 contribution per diner. Together, we protect vital wildlife habitats and enhance carbon sequestration for future generations. Learn more about EcoDine.
The PLEDGE on Food Waste
Pendray Tea House is proud to be the first restaurant in Canada to obtain The PLEDGE on Food Waste certification, achieving Gold Level status with an impressive score of 93%. highlights our commitment to sustainability, reducing food waste, and supporting a circular economy. Learn more here.
Our Commitment to Food Waste Reduction
At the Pendray Inn and Tea House, we are on an ambitious journey toward zero waste, striving to come as close as possible to this vision. By adopting a circular economy model, we aim to significantly reduce food waste at every stage of our food service, from procurement to plate. Our goal is to cut our food waste by 50% by 2030, through a series of effective measures and dedicated initiatives.
Our Food Waste Reduction Policy
Committed to sustainability and the responsible use of resources, we've outlined key actions in our food waste reduction policy:
- Zero Waste Goal: Embracing a circular economy model to strive towards zero waste.
- Food Management: Optimizing our processes from procurement to plate to minimize waste.
- Staff Training: Providing ongoing education on food conservation and waste reduction best practices.
- Measurement and Tracking: Utilizing systems to accurately measure and monitor food waste.
- Menu Planning: Crafting menus that reduce waste while delivering quality and variety.
- Inventory Management: Managing inventory efficiently to avoid overstocking and spoilage.
- Portion Control: Offering varied portion options to accommodate guest preferences and minimize leftovers.
- Donation and Repurposing: Redirecting surplus food through apps such as Too Good To Go and exploring creative repurposing opportunities.
- Customer Awareness: Increasing customer awareness and engage in the the importance of reducing food waste.
- Sustainable Sourcing: Prioritizing the procurement of sustainable, local products.
- Composting and Recycling: Developing composting and recycling solutions for unavoidable food waste.
- Reporting and Goal Setting: Continuously reporting on our progress and setting ambitious, achievable goals. You can view our quarterly report here.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly evaluating our practices and outcomes to enhance our sustainability efforts.
Together, with these initiatives, we're not just reducing waste; we're contributing to a more sustainable and responsible global community.
We value your feedback! Please share your thoughts on our food waste practices by filling out our Customer Feedback Form.
Green Level
BC Green Business Certification
The BC Green Business is a Victoria based certification that recognizes businesses in BC having made a positive impact on the environment and communities. BCCB members are leaders in both green and social practices challenging the status quo in a variety of industries. Certifications levels go from Silver to Gold and Green based on the number of actions implemented.
We are proud to share that Pendray Tea House achieved the highest certification level, Green for the past 4 years! In addition, we are recognized as Surfrider Vancouver Island Approved for our efforts to reduce single use plastics and protect our environment. bcgreenbusines.ca
EcoFund Verified by GreenStep Solutions
Stay with Us, Make a Positive Change
We are committed to help protect our planet and reduce our impact on the environment.
This is why we have become an EcoFund Verified business as of March 1st, 2021. As part of this program, we invite our guests to join in making a positive change. Each night you will stay with us, a $2.50 EcoFee will be applied to support large carbon reduction projects and help reduce our carbon footprint.
Transparency towards our guests and stakeholders is essential to us. As such, a third-party organization called GreenStep Solutions is working with us to identify and implement a range of energy, fuel, waste, and water conservation projects within our hotel. They also hold us accountable by verifying the results and impacts of these projects in reducing our carbon and environmental footprint. An annual report will be shared providing information about upcoming projects and success stories. An annual report will be provided with updates and upcoming projects as well as our success stories.
GreenStep Solutions, a consulting company located in Kelowna, BC, is specialized in helping businesses improve their sustainability performance while also increasing their profits. The organization is a Certified B Corporation and powered by 100% renewable energy with Bullfrog Power. For more information, please visit their website at: www.greenstep.ca
Some of Our Current Initiatives
- Home of Dr. Bonnie Henry Community Garden
- Recycling and composting program
- A herb garden that is used in our kitchen
- Linen and towel reuse program
- Eco-friendly cleaning products
- Recycling used soaps and toiletries to re-purpose them into hygiene kits for local shelters or areas in need
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Switched to zero emission solar powered yard care through local provider Garden Maids
- Use of organic and locally sourced products whenever feasible
- Elimination of single-use and unnecessary packaging
- Regular donations and fundraising events to support Victoria Women’s Transition House
- Hosting local honey bees hives for pollination
- EcoFund Verified by GreenStep
- Eco Dine carbon offset program
- Sustainability team and action plan