The Grey Swan Inn Bed and Breakfast is now a participant in the Virginia Green campaign. To become a participant, the inn had to meet a required minimum of core practices in the following areas:

1. Linen services.

2. Recycling and waste reduction.

3. Water conservation.

4. Energy conservation.

5. Green event practices.

Our Green Statement:

“While honoring the past and its gilded history, The Grey Swan recognizes our responsibility for conserving energy and our natural resources. We initially started by inviting guests to reuse towels and charging bed linens every3 days or as needed rather than daily. We also let our guests know that we will recycle any plastics, glass, aluminum, or paper that is left int heir rooms. We have recently been participating in a community effort to establish a recycling center in the the town. Becoming green is an ongoing education process for us, reviewing our current practices and the willingness to change as we can to become better stewards for our property, community, and world.”

Here are some of The Grey Swan Inn’s practices:

Linen Service: use of cold water, use of non-phosphate, non-toxic, and biodegradable laundry detergents, minimized use of bleach, changing towels and bed linens every 3 days or longer rather than daily

Recycling and Waste Reduction: recycling glass, aluminum cans, plastic, toner cartridges, newspaper, cardboard, and packing supplies, tracking overall wast bills, eliminate the use of styrofoam, use reusable dishware and glasware, and minimizing the use of disposables

Water Conservation: tracking overall water usage and wastewater, preventative maintenance of drips and leaks

Energy Conservation: replacement of light bulbs with CLF light bulbs, use of hybrid vehicles, lighting sensors, conservative use of guest room air conditioners and heaters when unoccupied