Clifden Campsite Wows With Sustainability Efforts, Earns Gold Certification With The Sustainable Tourism Network

Clifden Eco Beach Camping & Caravanning Park was awarded our prestigious gold level sustainable tourism certification once again in May 2024. The family-owned business is perched on the Wild Atlantic Way on the Aughrus peninsula and overlooking Omey Island in Co Galway. It is the only campsite in Ireland to be fully certified with the Sustainable Tourism Network. Owned and run by Kris and Tatjana Acton, along with their two children Lara and Steafan, the campsite is a shining light when it comes to implementing ground-breaking initiatives to make their camping experience better for the planet and their guests. We caught up with the pair to find out more about the work they have done.

Sustainability At Its Core

Clifden Eco Beach has had sustainability at its core for very many years. It has a plethora of achievements to its name.

Highlights include:

• Banning toxic formaldehyde-based camper toilet solution and insisting on an eco-friendly product instead since 2014.
• Banning plastic water bottles and single use plastics since 2014.
• Becoming Europe’s first certified climate neutral campsite in 2015.
• Sourcing spring water from beneath its sand-bearing soils which is free from chemicals.
• Limiting the amp of power to each camping pitch to conserve energy.
• Use of 100% green energy through their provider.
• Forgoing the use of hard stands (concrete) for pitches so that the site can be returned to a green-field site easily and quickly.
• Providing a pick-up service for customers that travel by public transport.
• Providing bikes for customers.

Biggest Impact: A More Environmentally Friendly Product For Chemical Toilets

Clifden Eco Beach Camping and Caravan Park became the first campsite in Ireland to ban formaldehyde-based camper toilet solution on their site back in 2014.

Speaking to the pair about these initiatives, one of the most impactful acts that they believe they have taken was becoming the first campsite in Ireland to ban formaldehyde-based camper toilet solution on their site back in 2014. They are passionate about this initiative and it’s one they believe could be easily implemented at every campsite in Ireland.

Tatjana explains, “Blue formaldehyde is used extensively throughout Ireland and Europe in chemical toilets in campervans and caravans. This sludge is then collected at campsites for processing.”

Because the Actons were concerned about where this sludge went, they contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and were shocked to discover how it is dealt with.

“I was shocked to discover that blue formaldehyde is not classified as hazardous under the EU’s hazardous waste regulations.”

“Blue formaldehyde ultimately goes back into the ground. It’s spread on land as compost. I was shocked to discover that blue formaldehyde is not classified as hazardous under the EU’s hazardous waste regulations. So we sought a better, more environmentally friendly product and have been selling Elsan Organic Toilet Fluid for the last 10 years. Because we have been converting people to this product too, the impacts of our work here stretch far beyond our own campsite.”

The cost for the greener product is almost the same as the blue formaldehyde alternative to boot.

Tatjana adds, “A lot of people don’t even know that a better alternative exists but they learn about it because we insist that they use it in their caravan and campervan loos when they stay with us. So we actually convert people to it. I find that really rewarding.”

And the pair would love to go one step further again as Tatjana explains.

“There is an even better product called Solbio. It’s a lot more expensive so we were concerned people would refuse to buy it if it’s our only offering. So we will stock the two for now as a compromise. It will be interesting to see how people react to the new and better product.”

Since offering the Solbio, “there has been a significant positive uptake. As a result we will now move forward in using this product solely and end the use of the synthetic Elsan product”, says Tatjana.

Banning Single-Use Plastics And Providing Free Pure Water

Clifden Eco Beach Camping and Caravan Park banned single-use plastic in 2014.

Clifden Eco Beach has also led the charge when it comes to single-use plastics. They were one of the first businesses in Europe to ban them in 2014. Since then they have reduced the use of single-use plastics by 80%, saving huge numbers of plastic bottles from going into energy-intensive recycling or even landfill.

Instead of plastic bottles, the Actons sell quality reusable bottles so, again, their message echoes out from the site. They have sold more than 4,000 of these since they implemented their ban.

Customers can refill their bottles and containers free of charge with pure spring water that is sourced beneath their sand-bearing soils.

Kris states, “We invested substantially to secure a private and sustainable source of drinking water. Our spring water is free from harmful chemicals such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and chlorine. This forward-thinking initiative reflects our commitment to environmental sustainability and providing high-quality amenities for our guests. The investment included employing an environmental hydrologist, who played a crucial role in meticulously reporting and designating both inner and outer source protection zones. These measures are essential in safeguarding the integrity of this natural source, ensuring that the water maintains exceptional quality for drinking for both current and future generations.”

They also installed low-flow water valves on the property to save this precious resource.

“We reduced our recycling costs by 90% when we banned plastic water bottles.”

And what is good for the planet is often good for the bottom line of a business. Kris recalls, “We reduced our recycling costs by 90% when we banned plastic water bottles.”

Another initiative in the area of waste was introducing a brown food waste bin. This has reduced landfill waste by 25% since its introduction in 2023.

Lowering Energy Use

When it comes to energy use, one of the solutions that Clifden Eco implemented and which would also work at other campsites around the country was to limit the amp of power to each camping pitch using amp switches. This has helped to reduce energy consumption by 20% since the introduction in 2019. The initiative cost just €100 and visitors are advised before they arrive that they are required to operate their appliances at a max of 1.4 kw/h. They are also advised on booking in how to best use the low ampere rating negating any significant issues.

Clifden Eco Camping also uses 100% green energy through their provider – again another simple and impactful initiative for practically any business.

Protecting Biodiversity

Clifden Eco Beach Camping & Caravan Park is located on a delicate machair habitat site.

The pair are keen to emphasise that sustainable tourism is not solely about a business’s energy, waste and water. It also focuses on biodiversity, building resilient, thriving local communities, and conserving culture and heritage, both for locals and visitors alike.

The campsite sits in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for bottlenose dolphins and is a designated machair habitat site. (Machair sites are beach/sand dune habitats backed by peatland/wetlands and support pollinators and wading birds amongst other species. They are only found in parts of the West of Ireland and Scotland.)

They also have a specific area within the machair habitat site designated a saltmarsh. This saltmarsh helps protect the shorelines from erosion by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. It absorbs rainwater and contributes to wildlife that nest or frequent the machair habitat.

Hence Clifden Eco Beach Camping & Caravanning Park educates visitors about the local biodiversity and landscape and how to protect it. For example, campers can also only enjoy a campfire in designated fire pits that don’t damage the landscape as per the guidelines and principles of Leave No Trace.

They are also involved in maintaining the Machair Dune system and replant Marram grass which stabilise the sand dune system as part of their annual maintenance schedule. And they are engaged with the Life on Machair project which aims to improve the conservation status of Ireland’s Machair grassland and fixed dune habitats, and the ecological conditions for breeding waders and pollinators within the project sites.

Indeed, a group of students from Leipzig University who were surveying the mid-west coast Machair habitat sites in search of specific bumble bee species found all of the species at Clifden Eco Beach while they struggled to find them elsewhere. This was put down to the fact that Acton’s farm, which predated the campsite was registered organic for decades and therefore no pesticides were in use.

They are also members of An Taisce, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and Seal Rescue Ireland, and they make annual donations to native tree planting organisations because they can’t plant trees on the machair habitat.

Supporting The Local Community

When it comes to supporting the local community, the campsite gives customers a file with information about the local produce, farmer and fish markets, as well as neighbourhood restaurants, pubs and shops prior to arrival. They also offer a pick-up service for ‘Neighbourfood’ a local food initiative, where local products can be ordered online and picked up on a Thursday.

And they provide their visitors with bikes so they can visit these local businesses to spend their money but still have a low impact.

Continuous Improvement And What’s Next?

The business also demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement – another essential element of sustainability.

Planned future initiatives include:

• Upgrading the facilities to increase accessibility for people with disabilities, highlighting a dedication not just to environmental sustainability but also to social responsibility.
• The introduction of smart meters and solar panels to further their use of renewable energy sources.
• The introduction of QR codes at each pitch point, which both enhances visitor experience but also reduces paper use.

Some of the media coverage for Clifden Eco Beach Camping and Caravan Park after receiving gold certification from the Sustainable Tourism Network.

The Benefits Of Certification

Speaking about the certification, Kris Acton states, “This independent certification is important for us because it allows us to talk to an Irish and international audience about our sustainability. It says we are a sustainable business at the highest level. The audit is very evidence based.”

Kris states, “Certification is also very beneficial to us as a business. Customers want it.” He laughs as he adds, “And it’s like getting free advertising too as journalists are very interested in sustainability now because they know people want it.”

In fact, since Clifden Eco Beach retained its gold certification, the campsite has featured in The Examiner, The Irish Independent and the Irish Times. And Tourism Ireland also posted about their gold award on their Instagram page.

Tatjana says there are more benefits to the certification process too. “The learning we got as we worked with STN as we worked towards recertification was priceless. The environmental education we are getting is second to none and it’s ongoing as we engage with STN.

“Certification is also empowering for a business. If a customer questions you and says, ‘Why can’t I have plastic or use the blue formaldehyde?’, you can defer to your certification and say, ‘We’re a certified sustainable business and the discharging of formaldehyde-based toilet fluid is contrary to environmental best practice,’ and they accept that.”

Want to learn more about membership of the Sustainable Tourism Network or Certification, arrange a chat at a time that suits you with Aoibheann.