Cocoon Resort and Villas Focuses on Going Green

In a day and age where “going green” is limited to a marketing tactic and everyone wants to get on the eco-friendly bandwagon, few establishments actually stay true to their word and quite literally get their hands dirty in trying to save our planet. For a tropical island like Sri Lanka, heavily dependent on industries such as tourism to keep us afloat, taking care of the very environment we depend on is of utmost importance.

Eco-friendly hotels and resorts across the island constantly strive to come up with new and innovative ways to conserve energy and reduce their carbon footprint. In the last 5 years of operation Cocoon Resort & Villas in Induruwa have followed suit with several ongoing projects and more in the pipeline.

Cocoon currently boasts 168 solar panels which generate 50KVA to the national grid per day. The resort also takes it a step further with only using energy efficient lighting and promoting simple energy-conscious deeds like switching off lights and air conditioning in unused areas.

Not limiting to energy conservation, Cocoon also has its very own waste water management and rain water harvesting project that saves up to 400,000L of water. It is then used via an underground sprinkler system to keep the resort’s lush lawns green and healthy even during the dry season. The reverse osmosis system installed at the property also purifies the drinking water used at the resort making it safe for all guests.

Recently Cocoon Resort also partnered with “Think Green”, a company specialized in recycling electronic waste to ensure the safe and clean disposal of electronic waste from the resort.

Speaking on these projects the General Manager of Cocoon Resort & Villas noted, “Tourism is what sustains this nation and in turn we as those who are involved in the industry need to do everything possible to sustain the nature we operate in. There is no point in converting our beautiful island home in to a concrete jungle when that’s not what people come here for. So it is imperative for hotels and resorts specifically to make sure that the environment we place ourselves in is preserved in the best possible way. This is what we strive for at Cocoon and want others in the industry and even our guests to follow suit.”

The management at Cocoon Resort & Villas also has plans to convert a section of the garden in to an organic plantation, where vegetables and fruits will be grown and the harvest used to prepare the scrumptious meals served at the resort. This will also open up more job opportunities to farmer communities in the Southern Coast.

Furthermore, the resort is blessed with an abundance of bird life and an in-house naturalist is also being brought in to introduce nesting and breeding of endemic birds. Ensuring that the balance of nature is not disrupted, this will also provide a great opportunity for nature enthusiastic travellers to witness flora and fauna in its natural habitat. The gardens at Cocoon are also home to two varieties of endemic monkeys making it a budding nature reserve.

For more information please visit www.cocoonresorts.com