Yesterday I saw and add on telly for Mout Cider. The add simply highlighted three things: A fully recyclable glass bottle, a cider that is vegan, and that the company are allied to the World Wildlife Fund that protects endangered species.  I was sitting on the couch and I instantly thought “Well that is a nice cider”, the add did not speak about it’s taste, or how refreshing it might be, or what fruit is made with, but the three things they highlighted, are three things I felt aligned too instantly.

Align your business values to your customer values

In a world where society is changing and demanding for companies to change their own mind-sets, a huge opportunity lies for those that are whiling to make that change, to highlight what is seen now as a positive effort towards climate change and protection of the planet.

The add resonated so much with me that this morning I had to get up and find this cider’s website. Unfortunately, the same message does not carry to their website, but I...

Hi Guys! 

In this week’s thought of the week I wanted to give you a quick update on the #SaucyChallenge, number 4 & 6 are my favourite updates!!

1. Keep your photos coming

So many people have sent us photos of their local pubs, restaurants and cafes that are not using individually wrapped sauces. I am humbled by the public’s reaction to this campaign and all I can say is a massive THANK YOU to all of you for supporting it. Keep those pictures coming!! As I want this campaign to be based in positivity, I will never name and shame a business that uses individually wrapped sauces or condiments, instead, I will champion those that have already made a change or that are whiling to make the change required to abolish them.

2. Keep talking to your local business

I have receive 3 phone calls so far, from business owners that heard about the campaign through their own customers so again WOW, a massive thank you to all of you that are highlighting the issue with your local food service prov...

This week's thought of the week could be no other than the new Climate Action Plan announced by our government recently. While I welcome the plan and it’s ambitious targets of Carbon reduction, I feel this plan is going to hurt those that have less incomes expenditure and benefit those that already make a lot of money, as now, they will also save more money than us middle class and lower income families.

Irish Climate Action Plan

Reading the report I got the niggling feeling that we are taking the “easy way out” by putting the burden of taxes to the public without properly investing and researching into innovative sustainable ways to reduce our Carbon output. Is this a punishment to kill the #GreenWave movement in Ireland?

Electric Vehicles and House Retrofitting

Yes, I agree, it would be wonderful to implement this for every family in Ireland, but the plan fails to explain how? Where are we all going to get the €50,000 to €100,000, per household, required to comply with EV and ret...

Last week I had a radio interview with NearFM about the #SaucyChallenge, and one of the questions Sabrina asked me was "When did all these single packaging starter?" and that got me thinking...

Shopping Frustrations

I don’t know about you but I am quite often absolutely shocked about the way shops, supermarkets, etc package the stuff I buy. Here is what happens, I bring my own reusable bag to put my shopping into, when I buy some fresh fish, they place it in a plastic bag and give it to me, I go to the check out till and the attendant puts the fish (already inside a bag), into a brown paper bag, for me to place the fish that is inside a bag, now wrapped in a second bag into my shopping bag. What the hell? When did I start accepting plastic as the new normal?

And it is not only fish, the same happens when I buy firelighters, which come in a box, which also has a second plastic bag inside the box already. The level of separation from my firelighters to my skin is plastic wrapping arou...

So the very first thing to say is: apologies for the egotistical blog! This one is about me and the Online training courses I have created to help Green Hospitality Businesses. 

Raquel Noboa: My Story

My name is Raquel. I'm originally from Spain but I have lived in Ireland for the last 20 years working in the Hospitality Industry. And yes, I completely understand how hard it is to take on new projects, or new challenges, while still being busy serving the visitor that is in front of you.

I have been working with Hospitality businesses for over 8 years now as a consultant, and it never fails, the starting point of every business owner I have met is the perception that Greening their business is going to cost them a fortune, and as you can imagine, that brings apprehension and a reluctance to change.

I Started my own Green Journey at Hotel Doolin, I was working there as the Sales & Marketing manager and my General manager at the time called me to tell me he wanted to run a Green Hote...

The days after an election are times for reflection. I am so proud of the Irish, I have always loved this country, but now I can also say I love it’s modern society. A society that is inclusive and caring of all, it’s people and it’s place.

The media and social platforms keep talking about the #GreenWave, but I am not sure I agree with that term. To me, a wave is something that comes and goes, a force of nature that picks and then retreats. That is exactly the opposite of what we need, what we need is a complete change in mindset. A completely different way to look at our own lives, our jobs, our businesses and our government policies.

I wrote a blog about this a couple of weeks back, the perception out there is that running a  "Green Business" means spending a huge amount of money. Investing in solar panels, geothermal heating systems and a bunch of new technology not everyone can afford. And yes, investing in new technologies will of course reduce your Carbon Footprint, don’t get m...

After last week’s Thought of the week and after discovering that Tourism could possibly be the most polluting Industry in the world in the future I have decided to take action, but I need your help!

My mission, is to Green the Hospitality Industry one step at the time. The big dream is to run an international campaign that will reach businesses all over the globe, but I want to start at home, in Ireland, after all, are we not known to be the Green Island or Emerald Island? It is time to live up to our name!

What is the Saucy Challenge?

So here is the challenge, and how you can get behind it, weather you are in the industry or not.

One of the big pain points of my life are Individually wrapped condiments, the Mayonnaise, ketchup, sugar, salt, butter, etc. You see them all over food service businesses, bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels… Every time a packet is opened, the wrapping ends up in Landfill. Now this might seem like a small thing to you, but consider this, imagine a food busi...

Today I looked at the definition of a “Green Hotel” and here is what google sent back to me from Wikipedia:

“An eco-hotel, or a green hotel, is an environmentally sustainable hotel or accommodation that has made important environmental improvements to its structure in order to minimise its impact on the natural environment.”

“Making environmental improvements to its structure”? It’s a bit much isn’t it? If I was a business owner, curious about greening my business, I would close the page and forget about greening my business straight away.

Improvements to a structure evoke to me SPENDING MONEY. Not just money, a small fortune more than likely.

I have always wondered, why does the Environmental conversation always start so big? Why does it keep asking regular people in the ground to insulate their homes, or buy solar panels, or invest thousands of €€€ in structural reforms in order to comply with Green living?

Big Environmental Actions

A couple of weeks ago I was delighted that th...