Our goal of becoming the most sustainable travel destination in Sweden is more than just an end. Sustainability is a part of our philosophy. So, we want to give you a little insight into what is important to us. Including our efforts to date and future plans. We want to be a positive force and encourage more sustainability and sustainable development in tourism through leading by example.
Sustainable tourism and nature-friendly stay
It is really easy to put the experience of nature and environment in the foreground during a stay in Ödevata. On the one hand, the location of the hotel or holiday accommodation is ideal for spending time outdoors. Whether be it fishing, hiking or relaxing by the water or in the garden. Here in the wilderness of Småland you can relax and enjoy the untouched nature.
On the other hand, we are committed to aligning our operations in a way that impacts our environment the least. We dream to save the world together by being a sustainable travel destination and we want to lead by example – for our future and our guests!
Our motivation
Our earth should be a place worth living in also for future generations. This includes the preservation of natural resources and a decelerated lifestyle. We want to develop a sustainable lifestyle and become one of the most sustainable tourist establishments in whole Sweden.
We want to actively contribute to a stable climate and not just adapt to it. With our work we want to show that it is easy and precious to take on responsibility. We share our experience in order to inspire others and to pass on our knowledge.
What we do
For us, sustainability means both the environmental and social, economic and cultural sustainability. We want to show that engagement in this area can be fun!
Both the various measures and our projects are based on the topics we are currently working on. We want to continuously improve ourselves. Knowing with every decision we make has an impact on sustainability, we do our part to make the world a better place.
On what we build on
We have been expanding our offer for nature lovers and tourists since 2005. Together with partners, we were able to implement sustainable projects that are nowadays signs of our commitment:
- Our company in Ödevata started as a fishing camp. Water as a resource and sustainable fishing in five nearby lakes therefore are important to us. In 2019 we inaugurated our aquaponic facility. Our 165 m² greenhouse is now a fish and vegetable farm in one. Plants grow in the nutrient-enriched water from the fish ponds. The plants clean the water and give the cleaned water back to the fish. This way, we reduce our water consumption while producing our own food.
- We see ourselves as pioneers and ambassadors for biochar. we produce biochar in different ways. In 2018, Sweden’s first biochar conference took place in Ödevata. To this day, we have been showing guests its various uses. We use biochar in several stages: as a feed additive and litter for our chickens, then as a filter system in our aquaponic cultivation and later as an addition in the compost bin. After all, it is used in the soil for our plants and thus becomes a carbon dioxide sink for thousands of years.
- Together with VegTeck AB, we have built the first green roof with a biochar construction in Sweden.
Behind the scenes
But our efforts don’t stop with the projects. In particular, we are committed to sustainable management in everyday work.
- Our employees are actively involved in the development and implementation of environmental measures.
- We purchase green electricity and because of it, we have been supporting Älvräddarnas, an association that works with fish and rivers, for 5 years now.
- Our heating uses a climate-positive system. We use a biomass heating system that uses specially developed technology to produce biochar during operation. We can bind CO² while heating and producing hot water.
- Much of the hotel’s breakfast buffet is home-grown and home-made in Ödevata. We spoil our guests with everything from apple juice to bananas.
- Regionality has priority. Whether buying groceries or commissioning regional suppliers, our goal is to support the region and keep delivery routes as short as possible.
- In housekeeping, we use certified cleaning products that don’t pollute the environment as much as possible. Recycling is very important to us. Not only in construction projects, but also in the renovation work do. We use existing materials and buy second-hand goods in order to enable a circular economy.
How we involve our guests
Our guests should also take home our positive impulse. During your stay we want to give you an idea about our biochar production and how we build up our aquaponic system with fish farming and plant cultivation. We will take you on a guided tour through the greenhouse and the garden. Learn about how we are a sustainable travel destination today, and how our experience helped other companies.
With our unique grills, guests have the opportunity to produce their own biochar and prepare their food at the same time. To explore the area in an environmentally friendly way, bicycles are also available. Of course, we ask our guests to use heating and electricity in a resource-saving manner and to support our recycling scheme during their stay.
We stand for our goals: Our eco-program
We are a small, two owners-managed, and family resort. It is organizationally and financially not possible for us to cope with the efforts of obtaining any certification. Nevertheless, we align our actions on existing environmental management systems and are working on an environmental program.
In the program, we specify in which areas we want to improve within the next 5 years in order to act as sustainably as possible. We let our visitors and partners – you – judge us with this program. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or discuss areas of improvements.