Award-winning Essex meetings and business travel agency, Inntel, has made innovative eco-friendly updates to its head office base in Feering, drastically cutting its plastic waste and carbon footprint. In line with the company’s sustainability goals, Inntel partnered with local supplier, Ecolnes Refillery, to create its own office-based mini refillery for eco cleaning prodtcs and hand soaps. This will save the business around a whopping 500 plastic bottles each year.
The company is encouraging more Essex business to do the same. Ecolnes Refillery, an independent shop in Earls Colne’s high street, offers plastic-free shopping for businesses and homes alike. Refilleries are zero-waste stores where people can buy their household liquids, dried goods and more in sustainable containers to cut plastic pollution. Shopping in this environmentally friendly way has been dubbed the refill revolution.
The partnership between the two local businesses came about through three mums who live in Earls Colne. Co-owners of Ecolnes Refillery, Rachel Sprunt and Cherry McKean, got to know Anna Snoep, who works at Inntel, through their shared passion for sustainability. Anna, who lives in Earls Colne, is a regular shopper at the refillery for her household goods. The mums got chatting and came up with the idea to supply the eco soaps and cleaning products to Inntel’s head office in Feering.
Rachel Sprunt, Co-Founder of Ecolnes Refillery, said:
“We are delighted to be part of Inntel’s sustainability journey. By creating their refill station, we have helped them eliminate single-use plastic waste, and switch them to alternative, more environmentally friendly cleaning products, both of which will have a positive impact on their carbon footprint. We hope they can inspire other local businesses to think as consciously as they do.”
Anna Snoep, Director of Operations at Inntel, and Earls Colne resident, said:
“As part of our Zero Waste to Landfill project, we identified our office cleaning materials as a key impact area. We are pleased to be collaborating with a small, local supplier to reduce our plastic waste and will be encouraging other local businesses to do the same.”
Inntel is a local business committed to achieving carbon net zero by 2030. The company already has a full waste recycling provision in place at its head office, including Terracycle boxes for soft plastics. But, in line with Inntel’s green goals saw refillery as another opportunity to be more environmentally friendly.
Other new eco-friendly updates for Inntel’s head office include installing solar panels on the building and EV charging points in the car park.
