SIGAS
¿What does SIGAS means?
Due to the new administration's vision, Monteverde Country Lodge started an ambitious and committed program of environmentally responsible management and operation, the adequate use of resources and their conservation.
This Integrated System of Environmental and Sustainable Management, known as SIGAS in Spanish, comprehends not only our natural environment, but the social, communal aspects and impacts of our operation.
Through this program, Monteverde Country Lodge aims to achieve a level of sustainable efficiency and to positively transcend towards other strategic allies, the neighboring community, our staff members, guests and clientele.
We plan to integrate elements from the initiative INTE/ISO 14001:2004 for Hotels and lodging establishments, and are currently on the process of obtaining the Sustainable Tourism Certification granted by the Costa Rican Tourism Board.
Furthermore, Monteverde Country Lodge has already initiated a process in which, along with other hotels and companies, is participating on a national initiative, sponsored by the Costa Rican government of becoming a CO2 neutral country by the year 2021.
SIGAS in actions:
Environmentally:
- • Monteverde Country Lodge is now building a water treatment plant (Bio-digestor) for decontaminating sewage from all sources.
- • After water is treated, an irrigation system will distribute it on our gardens, allowing for its clean return into nature and providing safe and clean nutrients to our plants.
- • Since the reopening and in tight cooperation with Hotel Poco a Poco we have carried a program of selection, processing and shipping of recyclables. Guests and staff are both encouraged to adopt these actions on their homes.
- • We purchase large, non-disposable containers. When possible, containers are refilled by our suppliers in order to waste the minimum resources. Individual serving packages are avoided: sugar, mayonnaise, ketchup, soap and others are bought on large portions and used as necessary. Table cloths, silverware, napkins and others are non-disposable.
- • There has been a lot of dedication and efforts to provide our collaborators with valuable training and information on Environmental Education. With the support of local organizations, friends and allies, we now have a small team of educators that are leading the Environmental Education process at a local school.
- • We try to work and purchase as much as possible from local producers and manufactures: Innocuous vegetables, cheese, milk and others.
- • All cleaning products are biodegradable. Soap dispensers are available at showers and rest rooms. Disposable garbage bags are oxo-biodegradable.
- • Over 75% of the plants at our garden are native; the majority of them have English/ Spanish natural history tags.
- • Since our reopening, we have run an energy management program, in coordination with the Energy Conservation Department of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity, ICE.
Programs, accreditations and certificates:
- • Since our reopening, we have been working on a System of Environmental Management according to the INTE/ISO 14001:2004 normative, for hotels and other lodging companies.
- • We are working hard in order to be officially incorporated on the program of Sustainable Tourism Certificate, granted by the Costa Rican Tourist Board. ICT.
Socially responsible actions:
- • Monteverde Country Lodge supports various reforestation programs sponsored by local organizations or by national initiatives: Our guests, co-workers, their children and families have planted native reforestation trees on our premises, back yards, farms and along river streams and springs.
- • Costa Rica is vigorously fighting against children exploitation of any kind. The National's Tourism Board, ICT, has promoted a Code of Conduct to which we commit and respond. A zero tolerance policy is applied in favor of children and their rights.
- • The hotel's purchasing policies are focused into maintaining the highest quality standards, local products are prioritized and indigenous ingredients are incorporated into our menu. Through these actions we help to create a better, more homogeneous distribution of income and more families are directly benefited by the tourism industry.
