OUR PRIORITY: TAKING CARE OF THE PACHA
Our Country Inn is committed to adopting and supporting measures that aim at the reduction of environmental impact, by helping to preserve this wonderful natural place, and assuring the welfare of the existing population without compromising the quality of life of future generations.
WATER: We prevent soil contamination and take care of the earth as well as the water and sewer systems. We are constantly participating in trainings and looking for eco-friendly products, innovative ideas and new technologies. We regularly perform the adequate maintenance to the whole sanitary system and facilities in order to guarantee the best functioning. We have also created a Water Conservation and Energy Saving Guide which adheres to international guidelines. In addition, we encourage our guests to adopt simple and responsible consumption habits, such as the optional change of towels every two days, or free bottle re-fills with filtered drinking water, which avoids the generation of plastic waste. We have installed air pressure regulators Fluxer as water saving devices on taps and showers in internal use areas. Our garden follows the principles of xeriscaping, favoring the typical flora for this climate: cacti, succulent plants and native trees which require less water and few phytosanitary products to survive. In the last few months, in our property, we have undertaken the transfer of the biggest cacti and those growing-in-largest sizes cactus specimens into a new small botanical park. This space has immediately become a very attractive and much-photographed site that promotes biodiversity. Here, you are invited to see all the typical species of arid regions.The installation of a swimming pool is still under consideration in order for this amenity to provide a sustainable service in terms of economic and environmental factors. A complete cost-benefit analysis must be performed for a design that respects the socio-cultural characteristics of the place.
In 2019, a treatment system was built to purify graywater from washing machines for subsequent use as irrigation. The benefits of these systems are multiple and include less use of fresh water, highly effective purification, less flow to septic tanks or treatment plants, less use of energy and chemicals for pumping and treatment, and the possibility of growing crops where there is no other type of water. The phytosanitary plant installed in our Ecohotel is the first of its kind in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. In addition, as part of this expansion work, a living green roof of plants was installed over the breakfast room, covering a total area of 42 m2 (450 sq feet). The expected benefits of this proposal are aimed at absorbing rainfall, cooling the building and increasing the environmental and aesthetic quality of the place. This is the first green roof in the Quebrada and Puna Jujeña area.
ENERGY: We promote specific power-saving measures based on the acquisition of products that help reduce consumption and favor renewable energy. We place great emphasis on awareness through the use of signs encouraging rational use of resources, without sacrificing comfort.
We have a solar cooker and a customized solar food-dehydrator, which are often used to prepare some food for breakfast and for other events carried out at our Ecohotel. The last expansion work of 2020, we installed a solar water heater from the company Juysolar, which has been working on the subject for more than 30 years in Jujuy together with the EcoAndina Foundation. This solar water heater has been entirely developed in the province and adapted to the intense radiation of the region, with the result of a higher performance and durability at a lower cost than other national or imported equipment. In addition, an innovative solar heating system was designed and built for the hotel’s breakfast and reception areas – which is the first one in both the Quebrada de Humahuaca and private sector in the whole province.
Whenever possible, we buy energy-efficient appliances (class A) and we train our staff on the right use and periodic maintenance of these appliances following a standardized guide.
Posta de Purmamarca Ecohotel’s Solar Photovoltaic System is an electric power generation installation with 26 solar panels located on the roof of the hotel’s parking lots and a three-phase inverter for conversion to alternating current. It produces 14.3 KW of solar power that generate the electricity consumed throughout the hotel and inject the surplus into the network of Jujuy’s energy distribution company (EJESA).
A solar smart meter records and quantifies generation, consumption and surpluses, producing an energy credit that is used during nighttime hours, when there is no solar generation.
This project, managed by JuySolar, an SME from Jujuy, has become the first one in Purmamarca, incorporating the only installation of distributed generation in a hotel in the township. In addition, it will be possible to measure the environmental impact of energy savings, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and their correlation in carbon credits to which the hotel could have access. It will also serve as a precedent and model for future distributed generation projects, and it will help strengthen the reputation of Ecohotel Posta de Purmamarca as a triple-impact venture in the promotion of rational use of energy and circular economy.
AFFORESTATION: Since 2010, we have been working with the Jujuy Model Forest Association (Asociación Bosque Modelo Jujuy), an international referent in ecosystem management, biodiversity protection, and promotion and afforestation of native species. We take advantage of every occasion to encourage the protection of the flora by giving awareness talks to different sectors of the community, planting emblematic specimens in our premises and giving some other specimens to our neighbors and aboriginal communities nearby. For over 10 years, we have been fostering a beautiful project in the Chalala neighborhood, where 500 trees have been planted and in 2020 we initiated a forestation action in Angosto del Saladillo (a few kilometers from Salinas Grandes). This is how we channeled donations of more than 40 trees. These were planted in the place by Fidel Hoyos, a local guardian and lover of his town.
WASTE MANAGEMENT: In recent years, the exponential growth of tourism has brought about significant consequences and negative impacts on the communities of the Quebrada de Humahuaca – an environmentally fragile place but of immeasurable scenic, cultural and historical richness. Our Ecohotel promotes and adheres to measures aimed at reducing these impacts, while focusing on the care of increasingly demanded resources, and responsibly managing the excessively rising waste in landfills. We developed our own treatment system to process 80% of the waste. We are constantly trying to improve it and to come up with environmental solutions for the whole community. This system is based on the 3 “Rs” in Ecology: Reducing, Recycling and Reusing. It was created after an initial diagnosis and it follows the principle of source separation of different kinds of waste. We rely on guidelines and procedures to guarantee the highest efficiency in this task. We thoroughly keep track of the waste as well as what we do with it, or who we give it to so that it receives responsible treatment.
*Organic waste: Every month we process around 40 kg (1/2 ton a year) which is later transformed into compost and used in our garden and future orchard as fertilizer. We also stockpile branches and firewood, which is given to the Township for later distribution among schools and families in need.
*Plastic and glass: As we are aware of the serious pollution problems that these materials represent worldwide, several years ago we started implementing a source separation process. Through different campaigns and community involvement, we were able to implement this process throughout our township, and we started encouraging our guests to participate as well, by sorting their waste into different bins in our premises. We collect all kinds of plastic bottle caps and send them to different non-profit organizations.
*Cans: We transform empty cans into colorful pots. Remaining containers are donated to recycling cooperatives together with the caps, soda cans and other aluminum products that are collected separately.
*Paper: We minimize the use of paper and maximize its reuse. We buy recycled-paper blocks or with renewable source certification. In addition, we stock clean used paper as well as Tetra Brick packs that we donate to different NGOs or we deposit them in suitable containers in the city of San Salvador.
*Amenities: We offer our guests Premium shampoo and conditioner dispensers in the showers. This way we can provide an excellent product, and minimize the generation of waste, avoiding unnecessary use of products and containers.
*Electronic waste: The small amount of electronic waste we produce in our ecohotel is donated to individuals and institutions for educational purposes upon request.
*Battery waste management: We have safety containers provided by the Ecovolta NGO, which allows for responsible disposal of these materials. We also distribute such containers among our collaborators and rural schools and communities, where we help spread the message on this topic.
*Other waste meticulously classified by our collaborators: plastic bags, caps, corks, polystyrene, emergency light bulbs and batteries, glass jars and glass bottles, tetra-pack containers, milk and yoghurt sachets, coffee, soap bags, toilet paper tubes, fabric, big plastic bags, plastic cans, bronze keys, paint cans, wood leftovers, building materials, etc.
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE: in our remodeling and extension works, we favor sustainable architecture, which promotes the use of local materials linked to our native culture and tradition with the aim of merging into the landscape and living in harmony with the environment.
In recent years, we have also committed ourselves to bioclimatic design, which implies a specific building style capable of self-regulating in terms of temperature, without resorting to additional technology. Furthermore, we apply bioconstruction techniques with recycled or reused materials, thus transforming potential waste into actual resources. This is how we built our Eco-greenhouse, a space where we grow and cultivate cactus, succulent plants and native trees.
In 2020, a long-awaited expansion of the facilities was completed with a strong investment, in which ancestral construction techniques, cutting-edge technology and processes based on the circular economy were incorporated. These included the use of local and traditional environmentally friendly materials; minimization, reuse and recycling of waste; expansion of efficient green spaces on terraces, gardens and living roofs; installation of a water heater and solar heating system to take advantage of renewable energies; and construction of a phytosanitary plant to reuse gray water from the laundry – with the resulting water to be used for irrigation. We also sought to optimize working conditions and comfort for all users, both employees and customers. These are just a few examples of the environmental, social and economic impact of the project.
The expansion of the service area (laundry, storage and kitchen) and customer service area (breakfast room and reception) has meant the greatest construction challenge since the hotel was built. Nowadays, this building work is the emblem and tangible result of the company’s long-standing management, with a clear sense of sustainable development of the business and the destination. In November 2020, this work was awarded in the category “Responsible Production and Consumption” by the US Chamber of Commerce in Argentina (AMCHAM).
A report with thorough details and processes of all the systems and techniques used here is available to all interested parties.
For more information: Please request the descriptive memory of the construction site at the reception, or via email at consultas@postadepurmamarca.com.ar