Why Sandpearl Resort is the Perfect Green Getaway
What does it mean to help protect the environment? At Sandpearl Resort, located along the pristine shores of Clearwater Beach, it means earning Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council – the state’s first resort to receive that designation. It also means conserving and recycling at every opportunity, providing locally sourced, all-natural products and services, and paying the benefits forward.
Here’s a dive into what eco-friendly looks like at the Sandpearl Resort, how its staff is committed to protecting the local environment, and why eco-luxe is the future of resorts.
5 GREEN INITIATIVES AT SANDPEARL RESORT
1. A Geothermally Heated Pool
The resort’s zero-entry pool is postcard-perfect, whether you want to take a dip or a soak in the sun. The large surrounding deck is replete with amenities, from comfy loungers to towel service to drinks served poolside by Tate Island Grill. Family-friendly movie nights and pool toys are available for your little swimmers, as well as the ever-popular Mermaid Tails. If luxury is your style, private cabanas offer HDTVs, couches, fans and fridges to keep your drinks cold on hot summer days.
Far beneath the ground, this lagoon-style pool is climate-controlled by a geothermal system that keeps it at the perfect temperature all year long. It’s an environmentally friendly heating method that, when combined with an ozone-assisted filtration system, saves around 1.5 million kilowatts of energy each year and uses around 10 percent less chlorine.
2. A Full-Time Recycling Steward
You’ve likely seen recycling stations with images showing what items can or cannot be added to the bins. The Sandpearl Resort takes this a step further: a dedicated Recycling Steward works out of the resort’s recycling room to ensure that everything that can be recycled, is. This includes opening every bag of garbage and going through it to separate and prep the recyclables, as well as making sure guests and other staff members have easy opportunities to recycle throughout the resort.
3. Green Rooms
Each of the Sandpearl Resort’s well-appointed, modern rooms contains eco-friendly products and services, from toiletries to glass coverings. As you enjoy your Gulf-front view, for example, you’ll be looking through double-paned windows that are designed to reflect heat. When you enter or leave your room, it will trigger the thermostat to enter energy-saving status. And when your room is serviced, the housekeeping staff uses green cleaning products that help everyone breathe easier.
In the bathrooms, toilets are equipped with air-assisted functions to reduce the amount of water that goes swirling down the drain. Water-efficient shower heads save up to 2.2 million gallons of water each year. And all that unused soap and shampoo? It’s donated to Clean the World, an organization that recycles soap and plastics for needy families around the globe.
4. Around the Property
Green initiatives are also found outside, around and beneath the property. The resort grounds are landscaped with native vegetation, like palm trees and tropical flowers, that are irrigated using a sensor-based system that directs usage based on soil conditions. In order to avoid the heat that can emanate from asphalt in the hot Florida sun, the resort’s parking garage is underground. And if you’re wanting to venture off property, you’re encouraged to use the local trolley or use one of the resort’s bikes – they’re free!
5. Behind the Scenes
Out of sight of the guests, the Sandpearl Resort runs smoothly on LEED-certified systems that include chilled water air-conditioning systems, thermal comfort for common areas, special glazing for windows and sliding glass doors, low-emission construction materials, extensive water conservation systems, waste conservation and even more.
According to the USGBC, LEED-certified buildings have 34 percent lower CO2 emissions, consume 25 percent less energy and 11 percent less water, and have diverted more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills.
If you’d like to see the resort’s green initiatives in action for yourself, ask about a behind-the-scenes tour with one of the resort’s Green Team members.
