Eco Rating Gecko Villa

Name of property	Gecko Villa…updated August 23, 2013 with more to come!
Person completing this form	Got
Position	Owner
Address of property	Baan Um Jaan, A Prachak, Udon Thani 41110 Thailand
Country	Thailand
Phone number including country code and area code	+66-81-9180500
Web site	Gecko Villa
E-mail	[email protected]
Type of property	Catered private pool villa
Number of rooms or cottages	1 villa, 3 bedrooms
Maximum number of guests	6
Eco memberships	NA
Eco ratings, certifications, awards	Eco Rating at Eco Tropical Resorts: 3.6 out of 5.

• Do you have a written environmental or social sustainability policy?     Yes

If yes, please attach.

• Do you have a written environmental management system?                  NO

If yes, please attach.

• Describe the property – aim, size, facilities, amount of land owned and leased  (150 words max)
  Gecko Villa is an unusual, 3 bedroom private pool villa set on over 30 acres of extensive, tranquil grounds. A Thai host family from a nearby village welcomes guests and looks after them during their holiday. Vacations here include delicious Thai meals at no charge, a real contact with the locals, privacy – and a unique opportunity to experience the real Thailand off the beaten path. Far from the tourist crowds,  relax at your private pool in complete privacy, or let us help you to discover places of natural and historical beauty, or immerse you in traditional ways of life.

• Describe the location, including distance to nearest town and size of town (100 words max)

Gecko Villa is set in the heart of the countryside approximately 25 minutes out of Udon Thani in Thailand’s rural Northeast.

• Describe WHY you made the decision to develop an eco resort (100 word max)

Marrying necessity with function. We wanted a  sustainable project in a location with no mains water and no local employment – and have succeeded in realizing this.

Introduction to the Butterfly Club’s Eco Rating

The Butterfly Club Eco Rating has five equally-weighted categories:

• Energy;
• Water;
• Recycling and waste;
• Land and nature conservation; and
• Community.

Each category has five levels, designated by one to five butterflies.  Through self assessment, resort operators completing this rating will determine their own levels within each category based on their responses to items listed below.

Two categories – energy and water – have similar rating systems with Levels 1 and 2 addressing conservation of existing resources, and Levels 3, 4 and 5 addressing creation of renewable energy or capturing water.

Level five in every category also requires written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record consumption; (2) test and apply additional conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific targets.   We require a copy of your policies if you achieve level 5 in any category.

Eco Rating Gecko Villa Energy

Levels 1 and 2 – conservation: Check all that apply:

___  use natural air circulation and fans, not air conditioners
y___  use natural light during the day
y___  minimize use of fossil-fuel powered vehicles, machines and equipment
___  use “on demand” or solar heating for hot water
y___  air dry clothes/linens
_y__  wash dishes by hand
y___  use energy efficient appliances and electronics
y___  use low wattage fluorescent or LED light bulbs
y___  change linens, tablecloths, napkins upon request
y___  switch off lights when not used
Other energy conservation activities? Please list:

Level 1 = four or fewer energy conservation activities

Level 2 = five or more energy conservation activities

 

Levels 3, 4 and 5 – renewable energy: Indicate proportion (%) of energy from each source:

___  solar
___  wind
___  hydro
___  generator
100___  public utility
Other energy sources? Please list:

100% TOTAL
How were these proportions developed?

In Thailand it is very difficult to go off the grid. High taxes on solar panels and the terrain/area is not suitable for other alternatives. We therefore try to minimize the energy we draw off the grid.

Level 3 = renewable energy is employed and is less than 1/3 of all energy

Level 4 = renewable energy constitutes 1/3 – 2/3 of all energy

Level 5 = renewable energy constitutes 2/3 or more of all energy.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record energy consumption; (2) test and apply additional energy conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific energy targets.

Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Energy Level 5 (required).

Your Energy Level (select 1 – 5) =   2

Eco Rating Gecko Villa Water

Levels 1 and 2 – conservation: Check all that apply:

y__  low flow faucets and showerheads
y__  low water use toilets
y__  change linens, towels, tablecloths, and napkins upon request
y___use table mats that can be wiped and not laundered
__  use biodegradable laundry detergent, dish soap and hand soap
y__  treat swimming pool with chlorine-free processes
Other water conservation activities?  Please list.
Rainwater Harvesting

Level 1 = three or fewer water conservation activities

Level 2 = four or more water conservation activities

Levels 3, 4 and 5 – capture and treat fresh water and manage waste water. Capture water: Indicate proportion (%) of water from each source:

___  spring
___  river
_70__  rain
10___  reuse gray
___  public utility
Other water sources? Please list.
Well 20%

100% TOTAL

Fresh water treatment: how is captured fresh water treated?
y___  naturally.  Indicate method: charcoal, ultraviolet light, other? List: 3 phase filtration
___  chemically.  List chemicals used:

Waste water management:
y___  septic tanks
___  cesspools
___  other? List methods:

Level 3: Water is captured (from springs, rivers, rain or prior use) and constitutes less than 1/3 of water from all sources.  Water is treated chemically.  Water disposal does not minimize damage to coral reefs and rain forests

Level 4:  Captured water constitutes 1/3 to 2/3 of all water.  Water is treated naturally. Water disposal minimizes damage to coral reefs and rain forests

Level 5:  Captured water constitutes more than 2/3 of all water.  Water is treated naturally. Water disposal minimizes damage to coral reefs and rain forests.   In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record water consumption; (2) test and apply additional water conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific water targets.

Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Water Level 5 (required).

Your Water Level (select 1 – 5): 4

Eco Rating Gecko Villa Recycling and waste

Check all that apply:

y___   use durable service items, e.g. cups, glasses, dishes, tableware, storage items
y___   buy fresh and local to reduce packaging and emissions from transportation
y___   purchase in bulk to reduce packaging
y___   recycle paper, glass, plastic, aluminum
y___   minimize emissions from fossil-fuel powered vehicles, machines & equipment
y___   zero waste in the kitchen
___   serve local water, not bottled water
___   cleaning products are biodegradable
y___   compost organic matter
Other methods to recycle waste? Please list.

Level 1 = four or fewer recycling activities

Level 2 = five recycling activities

Level 3 = six recycling activities

Level 4 = seven recycling activities

Level 5 = eight or more recycling activities.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record recycling and waste; (2) test and apply additional recycling and waste conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific recycling and waste targets.

Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Recycling and Waste Level 5 (required).

Your Recycling and Waste Level (select 1 – 5): 4  

Eco Rating Gecko Villa Land and nature conservation

Check all that apply:

y___   minimize tree removal when building
y___   use only botanical (plant-based) herbicides & pesticides in garden & grounds
y___   maintain organic gardens as food source for resort
___   use biodegradable cleaning products
y___   minimize external illumination
___   take additional specific actions to preserve the local habitat.
y___   Landscaping with native plants
Please list actions
and projects:
Reforestation of disused paddies
Preservation of woodlands

Level 1: one or two land and nature conservation activities

Level 2: three land and nature conservation activities

Level 3: four land and nature conservation activities

Level 4: five land and nature conservation activities

Level 5: six or more land and nature conservation activities.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record land and nature conservation activities; (2) test and apply additional land and nature conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific land and nature conservation targets.

Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Land and Nature Conservation Level 5 (required).

Your Land and Nature Conservation Level (select 1 – 5): 4

Eco Rating Gecko Villa Community

This category addresses policies and activities regarding staff, guests, suppliers and other members of the community.

Check all activities that apply:

y___  hire staff residing near the resort          100___% local nationals
y___  use local suppliers                                85___% purchased goods produced locally
y___  re-invest resort income locally            100___% income re-invested locally
y___  pay above local prevailing wage
y___  pay into local social security
y___  provide health insurance or coverage
___  use regular staff meetings to educate staff about sustainable processes throughout the resort, in the garden, with waste disposal, etc
___  provide educational awareness programs for staff, guests, suppliers and other members of the local community
_y__  provide sustainable transport to work for staff
y___  take additional specific actions to support the local community. Please list actions and projects.
Donations to the village school
Implementation and support of a waste disposal system
___  Have enrolled your staff in any personal green training/certification schemes such as ecohelpline.com green leaf certification.

Level 1: one or two community activities

Level 2: three to five community activities

Level 3: six to seven community activities

Level 4: eight to nine community activities

Level 5: ten or more community activities.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record community activities; (2) test and apply additional methods to support the community; and (3) work towards specific community targets.

Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Community Level 5 (required).

Your Community Level (select 1 – 5): 4

YOUR OVERALL ECO SCORE (add your level for each category and divide by 5and enter the result with the decimal point, e.g. 3.6):

3.6

We have three final questions which are not part of the eco rating: 

1. Please describe your single most important eco achievement:

Reforesting 20 rai of land adjoining the property and protecting a further 20 rai of woodland, this helping to preserve the indigenous ecosystem at risk from slash and burn / rice cultivation.

2. Indicate additional sustainable practices that you plan to institute within the next 6 months.

Solar powered energy should the very high Thai taxes on these systems be waived.

3. Is there anything else you would like to add to this eco rating?