SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS OLD EDWARDS

PROUD STEWARDS OF
OUR COMMUNITY

a landscape of a mountain range with trees and hills

Sustainability is a guiding principle at Old Edwards. From mindful sourcing to energy-efficient operations, we’re committed to preserving the natural beauty of our Blue Ridge Mountain home while delivering exceptional guest experiences. As proud recipients of North Carolina’s highest Green Travel honors, we lead with a sense of care and responsibility.

a wooden structure with a bench under it
a bowl of purple and white flowers
a man kneeling on the side of a road with a woman in the background
a person pouring water into a small bottle
a man standing next to a car
DOING OUR PART

GARDENS

Three sustainable farms with organic vegetable and herb gardens supply five restaurants, reducing the impact of produce transportation. These gardens rely on natural composting.

DOING OUR PART

COMMUNITY
EFFORTS

Old Edwards employees participate in the annual Highlands Plateau Pick-Up, removing litter from area roads and highways.

DOING OUR PART

GREENER COURSES

Old Edwards Club golf course added filtered water stations to replace all plastic bottles.

DOING OUR PART

TRANSPORTATION

Old Edwards Inn offers guests electric car charging stations, and many employees within walking distance choose to walk to work instead of driving or carpool with the employee shuttle.

DOING OUR PART

GUEST
INVOLVEMENT

Through a $1 per stay opt-out donation during our reservations process, Old Edwards guests support the Highlands Nature Center and Biological Station. As of January 2023, this has resulted in $105,350 of contributions through the generosity of our guests since 2011.

SMALL CHANGES, Big Impact

  • Reuse of office paper for internal printing
  • Moving to digital communications for internal long-format materials and many guest-facing materials
  • Biodegradable straws are available resort-wide
  • Paper is shredded or used for fireplaces
  • Cardboard, glass (all glass bottles from water, alcohol, and wine consumption), plastic, and grease recycling bins resort-wide. Packing materials reused or sent to Highlands Business Spot for recycling.
  • Filtered water stations and reusable bottles replace plastic water bottles across the property, saving 4 tons of plastic waste per year
  • Molton Brown soap and shampoo dispensers replace single-use plastic bottles in guestrooms
  • Optional linen change every other day offered to hotel guests
  • Energy-efficient LED light bulbs
  • Ban on Styrofoam, polystyrene products, and internal to-go cup use, reducing the use of cellophane wrapping
  • Compostable cutlery kits
  • Reusable dining menus in The Wine Garden, Madison's Restaurant, Rooftop Terrace, Hummingbird Lounge, Art's at the Lodge, and The Spa Cafe
  • All kitchens have designated compost buckets to be taken to compost areas and used in Old Edwards Hospitality farms
  • Replaced five restaurant walk-in coolers with a freon condenser, which uses water to cool the units, saving energy and avoiding possible contact with freon
  • Any extra wine used in stocks and sauces
  • Use local suppliers when possible to reduce carbon footprint
  • Elimination of all newspapers
  • Master thermostat control in portions of the property to reduce environmental impacts
  • Madison’s Restaurant and The Spa at Old Edwards Lutron system installation coming soon, which will allow for the use of LED lightbulbs
  • The Spa at Old Edwards uses biodegradable tea bags, containers, Bare paper cups, and paper shopping bags. They clean, sterilize, and reuse hair brushes, combs, and slippers, provide on-site training to reduce carbon footprint, and donate unsold products to local charities. The Spa has refillable soap containers in the shower and washcloths in place of paper towels. They have lemon/antioxidant water stations that replaced all plastic bottled water, herbs from Old Edwards Gardens for seasonal treatments, and candles with rechargeable batteries. Learn More about The Spa's sustainable vendors.

PAYING IT FORWARD

We actively encourage guests to participate in sustainability efforts through posted literature and empower our dedicated internal Green Team to drive continuous improvement. Our staff regularly researches and purchases from environmentally responsible companies, and we've conducted energy assessments with Waste Reduction Partners to further reduce our impact. Additionally, a partnership with Western Carolina University's Natural Resource Conservation and Management Program facilitated innovative student-led research, identifying fresh approaches to green hospitality.

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