Sustainable Luxury
As a holistic mountain resort with a focus on organic culinary and spa programs, Old Edwards Inn and Spa has sustainable and energy-efficient operations throughout the property. Old Edwards Inn is the first hospitality provider in North Carolina to be awarded the NC Green Travel Award by the North Carolina Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach (NCDEAO) and the Center of Sustainable Tourism at East Carolina. NCDEAO is a governmental branch of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDNR) that strives to protect the natural resources of North Carolina. The NC Green Travel awards is designed to encourage the tourism industry to "go green" by recognizing businesses that have established an energy team, recycle material, excel in water efficiency, practice energy conservation, and strive to practice green standards." In 2016 Old Edwards Inn's rating was raised to a "three-dogwood blossom" status with additional "cardinal" - NC Green Travel's highest rating.
Outdoors
- Old Edwards Club golf course added filtered water stations to replace all plastic bottles
- Electric Car charging stations
- Three sustainable farms with organic vegetable and herb gardens supplying five restaurants, reducing the impact of produce transportation
- Natural composting at Old Edwards gardens
- Old Edwards employees participate in the annual Highlands Plateau Pick-Up, removing litter from area roads and highways
- Through a $1 per stay opt-out donation during our reservations process, Old Edwards guests support the Highlands Nature Center and Biological Station. As of January 2023, this has resulted in $105,350 of contributions through the generosity of our guests since 2011.
- Many employees within walking distance choose to walk to work rather than request the employee shuttle
Indoors
- The Spa at Old Edwards uses biodegradable tea bags, containers, Bare paper cups, and paper shopping bags. They clean, sterilize and reuse hair brushes, combs, and slippers, provide on-site training to reduce carbon footprint and donate unsold products to local charities. The Spa has refillable soap containers in the shower and washcloths in place of paper towels. They have lemon/antioxidant water stations that replaced all plastic bottled water, herbs from Old Edwards Gardens for seasonal treatments, and candles with rechargeable batteries. Learn More about The Spa's sustainable vendors.
- Reuse of office paper for internal printing
- Moving to digital communications for internal long-format materials and many guest-facing materials
- Biodegradable straws are available resort-wide
- Paper is shredded or used for fireplaces
- Cardboard, glass (all glass bottles from water, alcohol, and wine consumption), plastic, and grease recycling bins resort-wide. Packing materials reused or sent to Highlands Business Spot for recycling.
- Filtered water stations and reusable bottles replace plastic water bottles across the property, saving 4 tons of plastic waste per year
- Molton Brown soap and shampoo dispensers replace single-use plastic bottles in guestrooms
- Optional linen change every other day offered to hotel guests
- Energy-efficient LED light bulbs
- Ban on Styrofoam, polystyrene products, and internal to-go cup use, reducing the use of cellophane wrapping
- Compostable cutlery kits
- Reusable dining menus in The Wine Garden, Madison's Restaurant, Rooftop Terrace, Hummingbird Lounge, Art's at the Lodge and The Spa Cafe
- All kitchens have designated compost buckets to be taken to compost areas and used in Old Edwards Hospitality farms
- Replaced five restaurant walk-in coolers with a freon condenser which uses water to cool the units, saving energy and avoiding possible contact with freon
- Any extra wine used in stocks and sauces
- Use local suppliers when possible to reduce carbon footprint
- Elimination of all newspapers
- Master thermostat control in portions of the property to reduce environmental impacts
- Madison’s Restaurant and The Spa at Old Edwards Lutron system installation coming soon which will allow for the use of LED lightbulbs
Training & Management
- Posted literature to promote guests' involvement
- Internal Green Team
- Continued research and purchasing from green companies
- Conducted Energy Assessment with the help of Waste Reduction Partners
- Partnered with Western Carolina University's Natural Resource Conservation and Management Program 2017 senior class for a research project focused on uncovering new approaches to green hospitality