Eco Farm - Eco Credentials

We are proud to be part of environmentally conscious tourism and help protect the delicate infrastructure of our special Alpine environment.

When we took on the task of re-building an old Savoyarde farmhouse we wanted to include as many environmental features as possible, as well as re-creating a gorgeous and comfortable mountain chalet. It took us over 5 years to renovate Eco Farm..... we believe Eco Farm is Chamonix's first environmentally friendly ski chalet! If you are interested is Eco places to stay see www.greentraveller.co.uk for great holiday destinations!

Our central heating system is GEOTHERMIC, 3km of capture pipes buried in our garden harness the stored heat in the ground and it is extracted by a heat exchanging pump. This form of heating uses typically 1/3 of the equivalent energy compared to a conventional system. The heating system in the chalet is all underfloor, ............there are no radiators to leave on full blast when out!
We have had a diagnostic assessment on the chalet and have top A energy rating, very rare for an Alpine environment...
RAIN WATER CAPTURE tanks; we’ve two of these, 6000L each. We mainly use this water for watering the garden but it can also be used for flushing loo's and the washing machine.
The chalet was totally rebuilt, we started from a bare shell of the wooden frame structure. We have re used as much of the original materials as possible, the original timbers, floors, wall panels and stone. Where needed we’ve sourced local reclaimed wood (swapping firewood for old sheds, lean-to's and the like!) and local stone from the quarry in Les Houches. Inside the chalet we have used Trevatino limestone tiles for the bathrooms and floors from nearby Italy.
We have a very well insulated roof! Deep section roof insulation offering extremely good "U" value rating.
Fermacel, in place of plaster board, has been used throughout the re-build process (recycled gypsum and cellulose) which has better acoustic, thermal and environmental properties.
Our supplementary heating by is via carbon efficient "insert" wood fire places.
High performance "Future Planitherm" double glazing throughout.
Much of the furniture is hand-crafted using reclaimed materials including the dining table, kitchen units, sofa, doors, bathroom cabinets, window surrounds and balustrade on the mezzanine and balcony.
We’ve used breathable lime plaster for the exterior and some of the interior walls applied in a traditional manner.
Eco light bulbs throughout and energy saving electrical appliances.
In Eco Lodge we have put in place all the necessary provisions in the walls and floors to support an AIR HEAT SOURCE heating system which we hope to install. We hope to install Air source in La Forge one day.

In General

Food

We are passionately interested in food, how it has been grown, who has produced it and how far it has traveled.

We give our chefs and cooks free reign to use as much seasonal produce as possible, using ingredients that have been grown in France and if possible, locally. The excellent local cheeses and air dried hams will always feature on our menu. Produce is bought locally in the valley ensuring it is fresh and used quickly. We have also pledged to use free range eggs in our catering; they taste better and are produced humanely. We also keep our own small flock of hens at Eco Farm and in the summer months have a large vegetable patch so during the winter season jars of home-made jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys may feature in our chalet recipes and cuisine!

And as part of our chalet service we supply....

Natural bathroom toiletries supplied which we have created directly with the producers, see www.renskincare.com
Mainly organic Egyptian 400 cotton sheets and duvet covers (Eco Farm)
Where applicable Eco friendly cleaning products and recyclable bin liners included in our cleaning buckets
An organic or 'Lable Rouge' catering option is available to groups, just ask us for details

Do your bit here and at home! (Every little bit helps!)

Turn off lights when leaving the chalet and shut any open windows, keep exterior doors open for the minimum amount of time.
Separate your rubbish in the chalet bins provided; paper and recyclable plastics/glass/general and take to the big 'mollock' bins located close to every property we have.
Don't run the water taps un-necessarily (especially when brushing teeth or cooking!)
Turn off standby mode on any electrical appliances (TV, DVD player)
Use the timers to run the washing machine and dishwashers after 00:30, cheaper electricity time!