Rachael's Dowry Bed & Breakfast
637 Washington Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21230 Central Maryland 410-752-0805 www.Rachaelsdowrybedandbreakfast.com The primary purpose in creating Rachael's Dowry Bed and Breakfast was to preserve an historic house. Management and Leadership We use the following best management practices: Environment Policy Statement Environmental Team: Owners, Norman Finnance and Letitia Bohner and Jacob Canal. We work together daily with monthly reviews of policies and procedures to insure maintenance of our environmental standards. Set Annual Goals: Our inn is inspected by the health department and fire department. We use the timing of these inspections to review our environmental policies. By adhering to our policies, we keep our maintenance and product budgets in line. We have a purchasing policy to encourage the purchase of environmentally-friendly products and services List of our environmentally friendly products and services: Building materials-salvage, furniture- antique or used, cleaning products, "green," vinegar, Simple Green, Gilchrist & Soames, etc... Environmental Restoration or Community Environmental Projects: Rachael's participates in the Ridgely's Delight clean-ups, maintains clean gutters and street drains. Waste Reduction We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property waste Track overall waste bills and established baseline data for quantity of wastes produced Performed a waste stream audit to determine baseline waste data and identify waste reduction opportunities Guest Rooms Use bulk soap dispensers instead of individual soaps / shampoos in guest rooms Use real coffee mugs and no polystyrene products Instruct housekeeping to save and reuse unopened items Use refillable shampoo bottles rather than single-use bottles Kitchen and Prep / Dining / Catering / Meetings and Events / Campground Snack Bar Compost food waste and other compostables Use effective food inventory control to minimize waste Purchase locally grown produce and other foods Purchase sustainably grown foods Do not use polystyrene coffee cups Do not use any disposable containers, dishware, cutlery or cups Use cloth napkins and tablecloths Use reusable dishware and glassware and minimize use of disposables Use non-bleached napkins and coffee filters Provide condiments - (cream and sugar, etc.) in bulk Use water pitchers and filtered water to minimize the use of single-use bottles Provide organic, local or sustainable food choices Launder staff uniforms using wet or other environmentally friendly methods versus chemical-based dry cleaning Restrooms Purchase recycled-content paper towels and toilet paper Registration / Office Use last-in/first-out inventory and effective labeling systems Use electronic, paperless registration Use electronic correspondence and forms Purchase from vendors and service providers with a commitment to the environment Encourage suppliers to minimize packaging and other waste materials Purchase recycled paper with a high percentage recycled content Make 2-sided copies / printed materials and avoid making extra copies Use recycled content paper for copies / printed materials Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible Reuse scrap paper for notes Offer Leave No Trace tips and green travel education to guests Promote other green attractions, activities and Maryland Green Travel facilities Buildings and Grounds Use green cleaning chemicals Dispense cleaning agents in bulk to reduce quantities used Purchase low-VOC carpets and fabrics Install carpet with sustainable or recycled content Use low VOC adhesives Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources Use latex paints that are low or no-VOC Reuse paint thinners Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents - required by EPA regulations Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing and vehicles Use less toxic materials Use integrated pest management - IPM Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers in landscaping Use natural fertilizers instead of synthetics Use composted production materials for fertilizer Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics in Waste Reduction: We have a system of creating a hole in the garden area with a post hole digger, then filling it with food waste. Recycling Guest room trash is collected and separated daily. Guests may bring their recyclables to staff at any time. We have clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop off locations We are recycling: Aluminium Cans Batteries Cardboard Electronics equipment Food Composting Food Wastes Glass Fluorescent Lamps Newspaper Office Paper Packing Supplies Plastic Printer and copy machine toner cartridges Steel Cans Baltimore City, Office Depot Water Conservation Have a plan in place to reduce property water usage Track water bills and established baseline data on water usage and wastewater generation Assessed production for water-conserving opportunities during cleaning procedures Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks Use water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of high use Offer water versus serving automatically Discourage water-based cleanup, ie. sweep first Defrost foods ahead of time in refrigerators to avoid the need for running-water defrost Use or installed the following devices: low flow restrictors on faucets and showerheads aerators on faucets (0.5 gpm or less for lavatory and 2.2 gpm or less for kitchen faucets) low flow toilets (1.6 gpf or less) tankless hot water heaters an air-cooled versus a water-cooled icemaker Have an effective landscape management plan which utilizes: native species drought tolerant species minimizes lawn areas landscaping using BayScapes techniques Have an effective storm water plan management including: Rain gardens Pervious pavement, and/or minimization of impervious areas like paving, concrete, etc Use rain barrels Use drip line irrigation Collecting wash-down water and using for irrigation	Energy Efficiency We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property energy usage Track overall energy bills and establish baseline energy usage Kitchen Regularly evaluated existing ovens and other kitchen equipment for temperature settings and energy efficiency opportunities Confirmed that all refrigerator, freezer and oven gaskets provide a good seal, or replaced Routinely clean condenser coils on all refrigeration equipment Implemented a startup / shutdown procedure which specifies timing for lighting, kitchen equipment, room temperature, etc. Have proper pilot light adjustment Lighting: Designed use of natural lighting Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms Use of directional, downward-facing, lighting in parking areas and other outdoor areas Use high efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs in rooms, canned lighting or wherever possible Use LED Exit Signs Use LED lighting for:room lighting Heating and Cooling Have a high efficiency heating and air-conditioning HVAC system Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system Have programmable thermostats for each room and ensure they are properly adjusted Have a centrally controlled HVAC system that is activated only when occupied Keep office doors and windows closed if HVAC system is on Housekeeping closes blinds and resets optimal temperatures Have installed additional insulation Energy Efficiency: Have a solar water heating system Turn off all electrical items in unoccupied rooms when not in use or at the end of the day Linen Service and Laundry: We use these best management practices: Provide optional linen service - Change linens only upon request Train staff on the process for optional linen service Have water- and energy-efficient washers and dryers Use non-phosphate, non-toxic and biodegradable laundry detergents Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals Line dry items whenever possible Other Green Practices Transportation: We use the following best management practices: Minimize the Comute of our Employees-Owners live on-site and employee walks to work. For guests: Encourage energy efficient vehicle usage Green Building: Our building is LEED certified: Historic Property:Rachael's Dowry is an historic property. Restoration followed the Dept. of Interior Standards. Sustainable Building Materials:We are strong advocates for use of salvaged building materials. Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics regarding our Green Building techniques: Building parts that become damaged are usually broken down to re-use the good components, such as glass from window sashes. Other: Programs:We are enrolled in an energy reduction program with BG&E. Measurable Results 1) We have a Solid Waste Recycling Rate of more than 50%; 2) We divert approximately 1.5 tons of recyclables from the landfill each year; 3) We compost approximately 210 lbs of food wastes per year (based on conversion of food wastes of 1 gal = 0.8lbs) (Source: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/recmeas/docs/guide_b.pdf); and, 4) We have $900 per year in energy savings (or approx 90,000 kWh per year).