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Tirimbina and Sustainable Developmente
By: Astrid Vredegoor y Gaudy Ramírez
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Tirimbina Lodge has a ‘4 leaves’ Sustainable Tourism Certificate from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute. With this achievement, we reinforce our commitment to the conservation and sustainable use of our natural resources in all the programs of our Reserve. The following are examples of actions and investments Tirimbina has made to ensure a responsible use of natural resources:
Solar panels
Tirimbina Lodge has three sets of solar panels which heat the water used throughout the Lodge. The water is heated by the sun and runs through copper tubes between the collector and a hermetically sealed tank. This tank also stores water heated the day before, to provide a constant flow of hot water. This form of heating water does mean you will have to wait a few seconds for hot water to come out of the tap. The electricity used to light the trails is also generated by solar panels.
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Biodigester "Rummen II"
Tirimbina Lodge has a sewage treating system called biodigester “Rummen II” which collects the sewage and wastewater (organic materials) from the whole infrastructure. The biodigestion occurs due to groups of anaerobic microorganisms present in fecal material, which upon contact with organic waste of plant and animal sources produce a gas mixture with a high methane (CH4) content -called biogas-, that can be used as fuel. As a result, the treated water is ready to be returned to the ecosystem without any risk of contamination.
Biodegradable cleaning products
The products used at the Lodge to clean the rooms, at our laundry service, soaps, shampoo and others which you can find in the bathrooms, are all biodegradable products. These products contain bacterial components that break them down and speed up the decomposition process, without harming the environment.
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Recycling
There are various recycling stations throughout our facilities where you can find waste bins marked for different recycling materials. The staff of Tirimbina Lodge checks the waste to make sure that different materials are separated before taking them to a storage area where it is properly disposed off, for re-use or recycling. We donate the stored recycled materials to educational centers in the area, so they may profit from the income of these. Moreover, all the paper used in our offices is re-used to print, write on both sides and afterwards recycled.
"Leave no trace"
Tirimbina has planned a system of trails that only covers 10% of the total forest, leaving the rest without the impact of tourist visitation. The trails use materials which reduce erosion and provide security to the visitor. Moreover, we have also put into practice various principles of the “Leave No Trace” program, which ensure a pleasant experience for you and other visitors and above all for the biodiversity.
Gift Shop
The Tirimbina gift and crafts shop makes an effort to mainly offer products from local artisans, thus supporting the community and stimulating the local economy. The majority of these products are made with recycled materials and none of them are produced with any type of material in danger of extinction, thus offering high quality souvenirs with a low environmental impact. This also helps to create an environmental awareness in the community.
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