Stonewall Resort - Case Study

Cost savings from Stonewall Resort’s sustainability efforts are reinvested in local West Virginia community.

ROANOKE, WEST VIRGINIA

At West Virginia’s Stonewall Resort, a variety of methods have been instituted to reduce energy and water usage and wastewater. In addition to installing consumption-flush toilets and water-saving mechanisms in showers and sinks to reduce wastewater, the resort also installed several different pieces of equipment in the kitchen specifically designed to decrease energy and water usage.

Two Hobart P914 Pot and Pan Collectors were installed to aid in the reduction of wastewater. The Hobart FT900 Series Conveyer Dishwasher with Opti-Rinse™ technology reduces water usage by up to 50 percent, in addition to the energy required to heat the water. With Opti-Rinse, the warewasher also requires a small-er, less expensive booster heater, resulting in lower acquisition costs and ultimately cutting utility bills in half. The FT900 saves Stonewall Resort $7,300 annually in water, sewer and rinse agents.

Additionally, Stonewall Resort is making efforts to cut down on its energy consumption. All closet lights are on timers to prevent wasted electricity. The resort also utilizes environmentally friendly fluorescent bulbs, which contain less mercury.

A recycling program has been put in place to reduce solid waste. Composting saves an average of 24 tons of solid waste per year from going to landfills. The recycling of cardboard alone saves an average of 20 tons per year. Furthermore, office and newspaper recycling has saved five more tons a year. Its recycling initiatives translate into a savings of $2,350 annually in disposal costs.

Stonewall Resort is reinvesting its recycling savings into the local West Virginia community. The resort has worked closely with the Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia to develop the economy of West Virginia. The goals of this initiative include fostering healthy eating habits among residents and increasing the wealth of farmers while improving profits.

Stonewall Resort has shifted close to $300,000 of its annual food budget away from commodity foods and allocated it to sustainable small family farms to support the local food economy. The resort considers local food to be produced ethically and responsibly within a five-hour radius of the resort. In addition, the resort insists food be produced with-out the use of chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics. Today, 70 percent of the resort’s produce comes from local sources.

Overall, Stonewall Resort has seen tremendous financial gains from their environmentally conscious improvements. More importantly though, it has reinvested these savings in the community to foster healthy eating habits and improve financial stability for local farmers.

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