Our Green Story

RWWC was set up to save the biodiversity of the site from soil to plants including trees and all wildlife that relies on them.

A tents-only campsite was the chosen route as it had the least impact on the site whilst offering the greatest connection to healthy, active and eco lifestyle. Pitches were placed into the Edwardian Walled garden and various woodlands including ancient woodland.

All campers have to walk to their chosen site and have water delivered to them. There are composting toilets, recycle bins for a variety of products. There are firebowls and local sustainable wood provided for the fires. There are no utilities in the Woodlands. In the garden there is a Hub, which is an old agricultural shed, with facitilities, showers, kitchen, and shop with local produce.

All our cleaning products are sourced locally and are non toxic as we have a 3 tier willow bed for our waste - it can’t take toxic products. All lights are LED and movement sensitive. The garden itself works on the best gardening practices with no mow areas, planting for pollinators, no dig gardening, 3 bay composting system and fruit and vegetables grown on site to purchase.

From the moment the campers arrive they are immersed in the countryside and all that we do to support them through our green actions. In-depth information can be found on our website about Green awareness, action plan and policy.

As we are strongly connected to everything "trees" we don’t print off information wherever possible and all info packs are now digital to avoid wasting paper and therefore trees.



We are a growing company creating jobs for local people of all ages. We utilise local products and connect with local shops, traders, charities and other businesses.

Responsible Tourism

At Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping all staff are encouraged to take a pro-environmental attitude. We believe this behaviour is at the root of all we do and the job itself tends to draw people who evidence this lifestyle. We hope that we enable campers to consider how they can protect and preserve their natural resources, which we can do via how they use water, use of plastics and various forms of recycling. We also regularly plant trees.

The staff do not having specific green awareness training or meetings because the whole ethos of the site is sustainability and our green advocacy is embedded in the site. The staff keep connected about everything green via Whastapp and share items they find through their favourite sites with each other, which is often then shared with the wider public through our social media platforms.

We promote energy saving:

• Campers use little energy in their tents and their vehicles are not allowed further than the car park. 

• Any lights in the communal hub area are on movement sensors.

• Outdoor lights in the Walled Garden are solar powered and emit low levels of light.

Recycling:

• All forms of recycling are supported for camper waste. This includes plastics, glass, gas bottles amongst some.

• We have a 3 tier willow bed for effluent waste

• We have various forms of composting include kitchen composter

• Any sealed packaged foods left behind are taken to the Salvation Army for recycling

• Where possible we use only recycled, organic and pesticide free paper and plastics in the toilet and wash areas.

Use less water:

• Campers in the woods have access to containers of water - which encourages reduced usage.

• Thunder boxes for toilet facilities have no flush mechanism but rely on sawdust

Go Paperless:

• We encourage paperless check - in

• Information updates, policies etc are all online

• We encourage electronic payment 

We sell sustainable shopping bags, stainless steel water bottles and various items of clothing made from recycled materials.

Educate staff and campers about environmental issues

At RWWC we believe that we reduce energy consumption, conserve water, minimise waste, use renewable sources and encourage our campers to be aware of these issues as well through living part of their lives with us.

Green Action Plan

Our Green Action Plan promotes healthy, active, environmentally-conscious lifestyles that help the environment in one way or another.

• We have movement sensor LED lights in all spaces where it is safe to do so
• We are paperless wherever possible
• We recycle, recycle, recycle
• We reduce physical waste
• We ask customers and employees for their green ideas
• We attempt to have a 4 day working week and hours to suit all staff members
• We empower and engage our team
• We support green vendors and support local suppliers
• We gather feedback from team members and adjust actions accordingly
• We offer green spaces for all campers whether in the walled garden or wild woods
• We regularly plant trees
• We collect rain water
• We donate to local Salvation Army any sealed tinned or packaged foods left behind by campers
• We plant fruit and veg for campers to use and encourage foraging
• We produce apple juice from our own apples for sale
• We supply green products such as reusable water bottles and bags
• Provide information on local eateries and producers 
• We use green cleaning products
• We encourage people to enjoy earth by walking in the woods, tree bathing in the woods and enjoying food grown in the walled garden and sold by local producers.

Thunderbox Composting Toilets

This technology has made it possible to offer the Really Wild pitches and the Woodland Pitches in our Woods and on the Hill. We really did not want to be using the sorts of toxic chemicals that normally go into portable and mobile loos, with their disposal issues and “un-green” manufacture.

Thunderboxes are moveable composting toilets that naturally break down our daily waste (provided no non-biodegradable items like nappies, pads etc are put into them) into a dry earthy material. After 18-24 months this is ready to be mixed into our existing 3-bay composting system that prepares our grass cuttings, stable straw etc for use in gardens.

The Thunderbox system requires that a minimum of liquids are put into the composting chamber, so they are designed to separate the urine from the rest. RULES have to be followed to make the system work. These are posted in each cubicle. They are few and simple.

• Sit Down – EVERYONE – properly (so liquids separate out) - ALWAYS
• Put a small handful of sawdust down on completion - ALWAYS
• Shut the Lid afterwards – BOYS and MEN too - ALWAYS
• Put NO NON-BIODEGRADABLES into the composting chamber - NEVER

Composting toilets are made by the Thunderbox Collective, Tiverton, Devon, 07949 106332 thunderboxes2go@hotmail.co.uk

Willow Bed Treatment & Bio Digestion

At the main campsite, sewage is treated in a bio-digestion plant housed underground to produce a clear and safe treated overflow. This is further processed through 1700 square metres of willow bed where the overflow liquids are disposed of through absorption by the willow trees, evaporation and ground percolation. This ensures that no treated or untreated waste reaches any local water course.

The willows will be harvested for wood fuel when appropriate and coppiced or replanted.

Green Purchasing Policy

Wherever possible Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping procures products and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to competing products or services that serve the same purpose. We look for environmentally friendly products or sustainable products which are recyclable and beneficial to the environment.

We buy certified eco-friendly cleaners to use in the workspace which avoids the caustic and often toxic chemicals in many conventional store-bought products. We have a 3 tier willow bed which would not be able to function if we kept sending toxic products its way.

Wherever possible we procure locally all products used or sold within our site to reduce environmental impact, including venison from the hill, larder products made locally from local food sources and local eggs.

Fire Safety

A Camp Fire is a defining feature of most camping trips, and camp cooking provides its own excitement (and challenges). In order for us to allow campfires and provide gas appliances and candle lanterns we require all campers to be responsible in managing flames and fires.

Please read the following carefully.

In the Tent

A fire will take hold very very quickly in a tent so great care should be taken at all times. The canvas Safari Tents are treated with flame retardant, but other tents made of polyester or nylon based fabrics may not be.

Please be safe – follow the rules:

• Keep gas and kerosene appliances well away from any tent material
• Use candles only in a candle lantern placed on a stable surface, well away from any tent material.
• Never leave lit candle lanterns, gas or kerosene appliances unattended.

Leaving Camp or going to bed

Always turn off the gas and kerosene appliances, and extinguish any candle lanterns, when going to bed or leaving the tent

• Put the fire out, & extinguish all glowing embers
• Check again after 5-10 minutes that nothing has re-ignited

Open Fires

• Open fires may only be lit in Firebowls

Please be safe – follow the rules:

• Site the fire well away from any tent
• Site the fire down-wind of any tent
• Do Not light a fire if it is windy
• Damp down if flames grow high – use a cup or 2 of water
• Damp down if sparks begin to fly – use a cup or 2 of water
• Put out all sparks reaching the ground – stamp on them immediately wearing shoes or douse with water
• Put the fire out if the wind gets up – take the spare water canister from under the sink in the Thunderbox and pour over any burning wood.

Please remember: The firebowl stays hot long after the fire is out

We rely on you to be responsible so we may continue allowing camp fires.

Emergency

If an emergency occurs:

• Ensure that all members of your party make themselves safe. Never put yourself in danger.
• Phone immediately 07837 721803 / 01450 870092 (Campsite manager) or 07751 757487 / 01450 870213 (Campsite proprietor).

We provide equipment for immediate response to an emergency, if you judge it possible and safe to take action without endangering yourself or members of your party.

HILL PITCHES:

• Each hill pitch has a paddle fire beater – if by some chance stamping out a spark on the ground doesn’t work and a flame takes hold, take the paddle beater and beat out the flame with rapid and continuous strokes
• Water in the 2 containers below the Thunderbox sinks on the hill pitches should be used simultaneously by pouring it onto the flames.
• Fire blankets postioned near the cooker and hobs should be used to smother any pan fires

WALLED GARDEN:

In the Walled Garden we provide extinguishers, sand buckets and an alarm bell for immediate response and to alert nearby campers.