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The nature spirit of our campsite

Nature As a guideline

To protect nature is of vital importance and it is a true life philosophy for Séverine and Bastien, managers of the Camping Les Baleines. « Nature is here to feed and heal man, man has to protect it », such is their creed and that of their team.

Here, everything is aimed towards that goal: whether it be about the origin of the materials and the absence of harmful processes in the materials used for the accommodations, in the quality and the local origin of the meals served (most often organic), in the choice of the cleansing and maintenance products without harmful chemical products, etc.

At the Les Baleines campsite, a listed and protected natural site, Nature feels better… and so do you!

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Île de Ré, protected natural site

Certified European Eco-Label

The European Eco-Label is the only official European label which can be used in all the member countries of the European Union. Issued in France, by AFNOR Certification (independent certification body), today it attracts more and more tourist resorts in France as well as in Europe.
67 criteria guarantee the reduction the environmental impacts of the services throughout their whole life cycle. There are currently 4 resorts on the île de Ré which have obtained this label (on more than 80 establishments!)

In the same way as 1% for the Planet, the European Eco-Label is a voluntary certification process which allows to sort out the products and services which are the most environmentally friendly.

Since 2013, we have wished to enrol our establishment in this approach in order to participate in this global effort which proves to be more and more essential for our dear environment. For us, it is our campsite that has to adapt to its environment and not the other way around.

The île de Ré is a jewel of the Atlantic coast, our site is exceptional and remarkable: it is up to us to do everything we can to protect it!

Through the European Eco-Label, we show that it is possible to reconcile economic activity and preserve the environment.

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What we do for nature Every day

Here is what we have implemented at the Camping Les Baleines:

ENERGY

  • 100% of the electricity we buy is produced from renewable sources (Équilibre + EDF).
  • 100 % of the campsite lightbulbs are low-energy.
  • Presence sensors have been set in the 3 sanitary blocks, so that switching on and off the lighting is easy.
  • More than half of the outside bollard lights are solar.
  • 80 % of our I.T. equipment is certified « Energy Star ».
  • Our domestic appliances are class A and our washing machines have the « Energy Star » label.
  • In order to limit the use of the electric clothes dryer, we provide clothes drying rack for 0.50 € only. Leave it to the generous île de Ré sun to dry your clothes!
  • We have a fleet of over 80 bicycles.
  • We have acquired an electric vehicle (RENAULT ZOE) that can be rented.
  • We encourage our guests to use the free electric minibuses in July and August.
  • We monitor energy consumption with monthly ratios between consumption reports and the occupancy rate.

WATER

  • All the toilet flushes are limited to 6 litres.
  • Each water point, whether it is in one of our rentals or in the three sanitary blocks is equipped with a flow limiter (mixer tap flow 5 to 6 litres Max/minute and shower 9 litres Max/minute).
  • The sheets are changed when guests ask us to.
  • We monitor water consumption with monthly ratios between these consumption reports and the occupancy rate.

WASTE REDUCTION

  • Rigorous and daily management of selective sorting. We try to raise awareness among our guests and employees. Whatever position he/she holds in the company, each employee has to follow a waste sorting process.
  • 4 hens from a nearby poultry farm are a great help: they eat vegetable peelings.
  • Installation of an organic waste composter 
  • We have stopped using disposable products or wrapped single servings.
  • We regularly give to the Red Cross the objects (in good condition) that we don’t want wish to keep.

GROCERY AND BREAKFAST SHOPPING

  • In our little grocery, you can find local and regional products.
  • Our breakfasts are made of local products such as jams and butter. The coffee we use comes for Fair Trade it is supplied to us by a La Rochelle company.
    Milk and orange juice come from organic farming.

OUR INITIATIVES 

For the buildings

  • The interiors and the terraces of the rental 5 lodge tents are made of untreated wood.
  • The paint we use for the sanitary blocks or for the other common premises have the European Eco-Label.

For green open spaces

  • We use no plant protection products for weeding: it’s all done by hand.
  • Every autumn, we collect offshoots on existing plants that we nurse in our green house. With this process we avoid trips to buy these plants and avoid having them delivered.
  • With the exception of the lawnmower, the whole of the tools and equipment for the green spaces is electric.
  • The lube oil we use for the chainsaw is 100 % biodegradable.

For hygiene

  • 5 household maintenance products out of 7 are certified European Eco-label. 1 product is Ecocert, a German Eco-label. As a seventh product, we use white vinegar.
  • The toilet paper we freely provide in the sanitary blocks is certified European Eco-label.
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