Environmental Policies

Dorset House has a range of initiatives in place to help reduce our impact on New Zealand's beautiful environment. Many of our guests choose to participate in these initiatives for reducing waste and lowering our energy and water consumption. We would welcome your feedback and suggestions as to how we can continue to improve our environmental policies and reduce our footprint on New Zealand's beautiful environment.

Energy Reduction

• We have installed low-energy light bulbs throughout the hostel

• Some lighting in the hostel now operates on timers, such as the guest and staff laundries

• We encourage our guests and staff to turn off lights and heaters when they leave their rooms

• We have installed insulation blankets around cylinders to reduce the energy used in heating hot water

• We use instant gas hot water heating for some of the showers to reduce the need to store hot water

• We wash most of the linen in cold water where possible

• Our hot water cylinders are temperature controlled to maximise energy efficiency

Waste and Pollution Reduction

• We have placed recycling bins in the kitchen and in all bedrooms and encourage our guests to help us recycle paper, most plastics, metal, shopping bags and cardboard
• We have placed an organic composting bin in the kitchen to recycle food scraps for composting (the City Council collects these scraps from us once per week and takes them to Christchurch's new compost plant)
• We buy our cleaning products in bulk to reduce packaging and use them at the highest dilution possible
• We return 5l packaging containers to the supplier for reuse
  
• We encourage our staff to reuse paper and print double-sided pages where possible
• We do not use pesticides on our garden – it is entirely organic
• We use a gas heater instead of lighting the log fire, this is in support of Christchurch’s “Clean Heat” programme and helps to reduce smog

Water Usage Reduction

• We have installed dual-flush toilet cisterns that use less water than standard flush toilets
• We encourage our guests to be careful with water – turn off the taps and use plugs not running water
• We have fitted our showers with flow-control valves to prevent wastage of water
• We wash all our laundry on site instead of sending it out, we are careful to hold over half-loads of laundry
• We water the gardens on a timer and do so in the cooler part of the day to reduce evaporation

Community Support Initiatives

Cleanliness

Cleanliness is one of the most important issues when staying in any type of accommodation and at Dorset House we are meticulous about cleaning. Cleaning is performed to the highest standards at all times with professional cleaning products used to achieve high standards of hygiene. All common areas including the kitchen, lounge, bathrooms, toilets and hallways are cleaned on a daily basis. Guest rooms are thoroughly cleaned between guests including changing bed linen.

Security

Dorset House takes proactive measures to ensure you and your belongings are safe. Our external doors are locked 24 hours, 7 days a week and guests are provided with the access code to gain entry to the hostel. The access code is changed regularly and we encourage guests not to share the code with others. All rooms are individually locked and we are happy to store other valuables either in the safe or at reception.

Social

Dorset House is surrounded by residential neighbours and respects the fact that noise should be kept to a reasonable level. Tourism is great for the local community, with many businesses benefiting from it. As Dorset House has significant historical heritage and meaning, we are dedicated to uphold and maintain the essence and character of Dorset House. Unfortunately children under ten are not permitted to stay. Children between the ages of 10 and 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Health & Safety

Dorset House maintains a Building Warrant of Fitness Certificate that ensures the building meets strict fire and safety regulations. Fire exits are clearly labeled and sprinkler systems are installed in every room. A first aid kit is located in the kitchen and provides essential supplies for use in an emergency.

Transport

You will find that Dorset House is located close to the city centre, so most things are within walking or cycling distance. If you are wishing to experience more of Christchurch, bus connections are good and run at regular intervals. Cycling through Christchurch comes highly recommended; it’s a great way to see the city and it's environmentally friendly. Bikes are available for hire at Dorset House.