The Hotel Jardim Atlântico was built in the heart of nature, to be integrated in the landscape, defending our environment since 1993.Our environmental policy shows all our prevention techniques to guarantee and respect the nature.

The following pages will inform you of all our environmental applications that we have gained during 9 years of experience research.We have received 24 awards during this period for environmental activities, from international organisations e.g. GREEN GLOBE (WTTC), IHRA (International Hotel & Restaurant Associations), from tour operators e.g. TUI (biggest German operator) from which we have received 5 Umweltchampignons (they select the best 10 hotels from over 15.000 contracted hotels worldwide) and other public entities.

Since August 2002, the international symbol for quality and guarantee for the environmental area and for saving our nature.

Since the opening, in 1993, Hotel Jardim Atlântico is orientated with a very strong environmental awareness assuring the respect and divulgation of all natural resources and the protection of the environment.
The Geographical localization, away from the centralized and populated areas, near the Madeira Natural Park, emphasizes our concern for the environment.
Our policy reflects our concern in involving all of our team, by providing advanced training and reinforcing their environmental awareness. Our objective is giving means to do everything possible to ensure a healthier world and increasing responsibility from every employee.
The bases of our environmental policy reflect the complying with the environmental legislation, actual and future; the prevention of pollution and assure a current improvement for a better environment. The team of Jardim Atlântico also complies with other environmental regulations like the ones from Greenglobe and TUI operator.
One important point for us is the surrounding community. For this reason we try to communicate and to involve the locals and other external corporations in the different initiatives from the hotel.
At the same time we involve all our suppliers to keep respect and perform in accordance to our environmental policy and encourage them for improve their procedures in order to reduce the environmental impacts.
The Hotel Jardim Atlântico would like to invite all its guests and visitors to participate by using efficiently all natural resources and energy, integrating their actions in our intern policy, helping us to achieve our goals.

Our environmental applications

Waste minimization, reuse and recycling:

* Separation of solid waste: glass, paper/cartons, plastic, metal tins, wood boxes, organic waste, batteries, used oil and rest waste.
* Elimination of individual packaging on our buffets: honey, jam, butter, yogurts, sugar, juice, vegetarian butter substitute, cereals, etc.…nothing is packaged. We buy everything in big packages when possible some is home made.
* Bar: water, juice etc…. we use only big bottles and sell in big bottles or in glasses, if this beverage don't exists in returnable bottles, which is a problem at the island.
* We us recycled paper: toilet paper, paper towels, photocopying paper, note pad, coverts ……
* We re-use the reverse side of the old office paper as note pads.
* We re-use the rest of the toilet paper from the rooms (check-out, or before end of the roll) and re-use them in the staff toilets. T he unfinished rolls are re-used for the stuff toilets.
* When we renewed our TV from the rooms, we sold these for a symbolic price to our employees
* We have created in front of the hotel a box with hem plots to use as walking sticks for our guests, which is returned for the next guests (reuse).
* We have created our own compost "ROTTE" for organic waste from the main kitchen, from the organic rubbish bins from every room and some from the garden foliage.
* We use this instead of fertilizer in our garden.
* All used crates and boxes (fruits, herbs and vegetables) are kept for the farmers to re use them.
* Old towels, linen and sheets are used as cleaning clothes
* We created a donating program "SOS-Sissy", where we collect used clothes and other objects, which the guests leave in the rooms or give them, which is donated to the poor native people in the surroundings.
* Kitchen food waste is used daily as pig feed.
* We use fresh food, mostly from the farmers in the surroundings.
* We use refillable highlighter pens instead of throwing away.
* We have installed a hiking boot/shoe cleaning place (next to the staff entrance) where you can clean your walking shoes to not use your bathroom.

Energy efficient:

* Key switches in the guest rooms: more efficient (less energy consumption when the rooms are not occupied, except the refrigerator) and every guest has the opportunity to switch off the electricity in his room during the night for better sleeping without the oscillation.
* We use energy efficient light bulbs.
* We use mostly apparatus and machines with low consumption and recovery energy equipment (deshumificador, boiler, laundry, etc.…) to reduce the energy consumption.
n Photoelectric cells, sub meters, move sensor, detectors, timers for exact controlling of illuminations and working hours of all the equipments.
* Good isolations in every part not to loose energy.
* The laundry uses digital measuring apparatus and exact computerized programs to obtain an exact capacity and lower consumption of water and energy
* The heat system of the dryers and mangle in the laundry work with gas, which is more economic.
* We have checklists, where we check every day, weekly or monthly all the maintenance of the house to have a control and a prevention policy.