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Browse through our blog posts to find out what life is like at Hoe Grange Holidays along with some great ideas for days out in the Peak District.

Zero Waste Week – what will you do?

September 4, 2022
September 4, 2022 - Zero Waste Week – what will you do?
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It’s Zero Waste Week but don’t be daunted, taking lots of little actions can make a big difference!

Zero Waste WeekAiming for Zero Waste is a long-term target. Total zero waste is impractical for most of us and here at Hoe Grange we are far from perfect, but we try our best!

It certainly can’t be achieved overnight, so try to look at it as more of a journey taken over time.

It’s about taking small steps, giving new ideas a go and sharing what works. It’s about replacing convenience disposable items with better reusable alternatives.

Aiming for complete zero waste is almost impossible for the average household, but doing what you can, when you can and being more conscious of the waste you produce will have a big impact.

What is zero waste week?

#zerowasteweek is an annual campaign which takes place in September. It was founded by Rachelle Strauss back in 2008 when she took on a challenge to send zero waste to landfill for a week and shared her experience with her readers on a blog.

Now with climate change on the agenda, Zero Waste Week is more important than ever with hundreds of people stepping up to the challenge.

Zero waste week raises awareness and encourages everyone to look at what we throw away and think about ways to reduce waste. By becoming aware of the waste problem we can work at finding solutions.

How can you join in zero waste week?

Here's some easy zero waste swaps from Stem Response Team

Stem Response Team

Fighting food waste

This year’s theme is all about food waste, which is a MASSIVE issue and a BIG driver of climate change.

Did you know that 50% of food waste occurs in the home? Collectively we throw away 1/3 of all food we buy - that's enough food to feed over 3 billion people!

The good news is that reducing food waste is something we can all easily achieve given a little extra thought and planning.

An easy place to start is to plan your meals and stick to your shopping list and don't be tempted with supermarket BOGOFs. Better still shop local rather than a national supermarket. During lockdown the fruit and veg shop started local deliveries and we have continued with these as they source local produce, and use cardboard boxes and paper bags not plastic. Also think about buying seasonal produce.

Next try organising the food in your fridge by use by date to avoid wasting food and having to throw it away. Don't forget you can pop things in your freezer if plans change and you aren't going to use them up.

Here at Hoe Grange vegetables slightly past their best are made into soup or sometimes enjoyed by our Pygmy goats! If you haven't got a handy goat and things have gone too far you can always compost them.

Zero Waste Shops

People are beginning to change their shopping habits seeking out products that come with less waste and avoiding single use plastics. New zero waste shops are springing up around the UK, stocking all kinds of locally and ethically made zero waste products!

Skopa zero waste place Wirksworth


We are so lucky to have Skopa the zero waste place in Wirksworth which is just 6 miles down the road from Hoe Grange. Opened in January 2020 by Belinda and Sarah who are passionate about #LoveLocal products just like us. You can take along your own containers to refill with dried goods, oils and cleaning products – no plastic packaging, no waste. They also do a click and collect service.

Or why not pop along to one of our local Farmers Markets, such as Bakewell on the last Saturday in the month, for a real taste of local Peak District produce without the plastic.

The 5 R’s of zero waste

Is Zero Waste really possible at home? It all starts with your purchasing decisions, proper planning and setting up a system for what and how materials enter your home in the first place.

Every item we use has an environmental cost, some greater than others. We can all make a difference by being mindful of the waste we generate and managing our waste in accordance with the 5 Rs

  1. Refuse – start refusing things you don’t need, such as plastic carrier bags, food wrapped in plastic, plastic straws, water bottles, and junk mail. David get cross with the number of bags for life in our car boot, but it means I never have to buy a plastic bag when I go shopping!
  2. Reduce your consumption and save resources – reduce plastics by having milk delivered in glass bottles from your local dairy. Take leftovers to work for lunch instead of buying prepacked sandwiches, and taking your own water bottle with you.  Use beeswax wrap instead of cling film. Make your own cosmetics or cleaning products. Reduce the amount of clothes you buy, (lockdown has been great for this!) and buy quality or second hand.
  3. Reuse (and repair) Instead of buying brand new, try to reuse and repair. Swap single use items with reusables and save money and waste by mending broken items or get creative and repurpose things - we made a flower trough from old pieces of decking. Choose rechargeable batteries over single use batteries.
  4. Recycle as much as you can.  Hard to recycle items that cannot be recycled by your curbside collection, such as light bulbs, batteries, electronics and soft plastics can be recycled through TerraCycle.
  5. Rot or in other words compost your food scraps as fertiliser for your garden, which also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by landfill.

What small steps will you take? Me I'm off to check the fridge out and use up the odd leftovers for tonight's supper!

Felicity 

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Hoe Grange Holidays Tripadvisor Comments...

  • star rating  On arriving at Hoe Grange in a downpour, we doubted if we’d made the right decision to go glamping, but after the warm welcome from David and a quick tour,... read more

    karenmD4738KD
    June 25, 2019

    star rating  We wanted a complete break and some peace and quiet and this was perfect. The caravan was secluded with beautiful views over the countryside. Everything was spotlessly clean and well... read more

    joanne B
    June 4, 2019

    star rating  We stayed for a night in one of the cabins . The cabin was spotless and very well equipped , lots of extra touches were added like fresh eggs and... read more

    Ajtravels14
    February 3, 2020
  • star rating  What can I say?
    Absolutely superb!
    We have just returned from a family weekend staying in Daisybank cabin and the Skylark pod.
    It was our first trip away with my... read more

    Wheelieuser
    June 13, 2019

    star rating  Lovely place to holiday near to interesting locations and easy access to the High Peak trail and Carsington Water. Part of a working farm with fresh produce to enjoy during... read more

    Angie B
    August 3, 2019

    star rating  We stayed in the Skylark pod last October (2018) and had a lovely time. There was homemade, rustic goods (bread, biscuits etc) when we arrived. Felicity and David who run... read more

    KBarry
    September 15, 2019
  • star rating  It's been three years since we last visited but once we arrived it certainly didn't feel like it!
    We stayed in Hipley again which had had a refurbished wet... read more

    ElizabethA717
    September 21, 2019

    star rating  We stayed in Skylark, one of the two glamping pods available at Hoe Grange in February 2020.

    Felicity & David welcomed us when we arrived to show us around... read more

    HelenLCarter
    February 6, 2020

    star rating  We love this place. Very wheelchair friendly, really well equipped and comfortable, with easy access by car to lots of places of interest particularly Crich Tramway Village, Chatsworth, Bakewell and... read more

    dghiggs61
    October 25, 2019
  • star rating  Myself and my sister travelled to Costa Rica and Panama via Viva Holidays Ltd. The holiday was exceptional and one to be treasured forever. Andrew at Viva Holidays... read more

    Paula C
    July 4, 2019

    star rating  For the second year running, we have had a great family holiday at Hoe Grange. We had one cabin for the week, for two sisters and our elderly wheelchair-using... read more

    EJYork2013
    June 25, 2019

    star rating  We have just returned from a short stay in one of the pods on site at Hoe Grange Holidays. We couldn’t recommend them enough. The pod has everything you could... read more

    Catboy86
    August 17, 2019
  • star rating  We've just returned from our second visit to Hoe Grange. The suggested riding routes with stunning scenery were enjoyed by my daughter and I while the menfolk were delighted with... read more

    Jdrichie12
    July 11, 2019

    star rating  Felicity and David made us feel very welcome right from our booking. The pods are well equipped and spotlessly clean. The area is very peaceful with great views and we... read more

    Adventurer_12121
    January 30, 2020

    star rating  We spent four nights at Hoe Grange and had a lovely time. The location is fantastic and right next to the High Peak Trail. The cabin was very clean and... read more

    Big_Al_0000
    July 16, 2019
  • star rating  Another great holiday at Hoe Grange - such a great place for us all to holiday as a family - this time with a baby, a 3 yr old, a... read more

    Thesamps
    October 4, 2019

    star rating  lovely surroundings real farm country with chickens paying you a visit nice decking area to chill at the end of the day accommodation very good plenty to do nearby... read more

    vincent s
    July 28, 2019

    star rating  We stayed in Rainster cabin for a long weekend 6 th to 9 th September. This was my 5 th visit to the amazing Hoe Grange. I had visited before... read more

    Jan Horsman J
    September 17, 2019
  • star rating  A beautiful place to stay! Amazingly run family business! Everyone were very welcoming, friendly and cozy! The skylark pod we stayed in was very clean, cozy and well equipped! The... read more

    sophiee249
    January 2, 2020

    star rating  Arrived and was shown to our pod, fantastic location and the pod was very good indeed plus we had home made bread and milk and tea and coffee. A... read more

    mickvfr
    July 28, 2019

    star rating  What a wonderful find. As our first experience of needing accessible accommodation we could not have wished for better. Beautiful well equipped lodges in lovely surroundings. We stayed in both... read more

    L9943KBlesleym
    April 3, 2020
  • star rating  What a lovely weekend away! We stayed in the lovely gypsy caravan, which was a wonderful and really unique experience. We took along our two horses, who also had a... read more

    rachelthomas2015
    June 18, 2019

    star rating  We had a lovely time staying in one of the incredibly well equipped pods. I bought my pony along and we had some great rides on the high peak trail.... read more

    plopster1
    June 7, 2019

    star rating  Stayed last week, from 6th to 13th September in the log cabin called Hipley. This was amazing, it was our first visit but certainly not our last. Gold standard disability... read more

    548julie
    September 14, 2019
  • star rating  We stayed in Pinder cabin and had a lovely stay, the cabin was spacious and comfortable, nice and warm after cold days out. The children loved meeting the animals and... read more

    Tiggywinkle15
    November 5, 2019

    star rating  Loved every minute of our stay, and so did the family and friends that came to stay. Excellent facilities in our cosy Hipley log cabin. By far the best... read more

    krimpenijssel
    October 25, 2019

    star rating  We love this place. Very wheelchair friendly, really well equipped and comfortable, with easy access by car to lots of places of interest particularly Crich Tramway Village, Chatsworth, Bakewell and... read more

    David H
    October 25, 2019
  • star rating  Recently spent a week in "Pinder" and had a lovely time. The location is stunning - the site is nestled in a beautiful valley on the edge of the Peaks... read more

    Peachey167
    July 16, 2019

    star rating  Second visit to the accessible holiday cabins at Hoe Grange. David and Felicity were as helpful and friendly as ever. We had a welcome pack of freshly baked bread, butter,... read more

    Charlotte M
    August 7, 2019

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