Cornish park guests freecycle back to the beach!

It's the beach, and not the bin, where unwanted buckets and spades end up at Newquay's Hendra Holiday Park
It’s the beach, and not the bin, where unwanted buckets and spades end up at Newquay’s Hendra Holiday Park

Bankrupt buckets and spare spades are being freecycled by a Cornwall holiday park which has drawn a line in the sand on wastage.

Newquay’s Hendra Holiday Park has this year been inviting guests not to other families.

Hendra’s freecycle points were introduced at the start of the 2017 season on the park which plays host to more than 3,500 people each night in summer.

Encouraged by posters around the grounds, the scheme has been eagerly seized upon by guests.

As a result, hundreds of buckets, spades, windbreaks, bodyboards and other seaside essentials are enjoying countless extra outings instead of being sent to landfill.

And it’s not just the environment which has benefitted because many families re-using the items have taken up the suggestion that they make donation to the park’s charity appeal.

It’s very much a win-win situation says Hendra’s general manager Matt Way:

Hendra's many attractions include a pool and water slide complex
Hendra’s many attractions include a pool and water slide complex

“Our aim was to try and reduce the number of reusable items which people bought for their holidays, but then threw away because they had no use for them back home,” he said.

“Now they can leave their unwanted but undamaged goods at one of our freecycle stations, and new guests can come along and help themselves at no cost.

“Often these families will then return the items after their stay has finished, meaning that a single item can be freecycled many times in one season.

“The take-up has been fantastic, and has also given us the opportunity tors on Hendra’s philosophy of sustainable management,” added Matt.

The scheme’s success, he said, has attracted attention from other accommodation providers in the region, and it’s likely that many will be following the park’s lead in 2018.

Hendra’s investment into environment-friendly initiatives has gained it many green awards, including the Sustainable Tourism Business gold at the Visit Cornwall Tourism Awards for 2017.

Also this year, the business was named as Holiday Park of the Year for Cornwall and for South West England – and was honoured with top gold awards from VisitEngland and the AA.

More information about the park, and details about its successful efforts to protect the natural world, are published on Hendra’s website at www.hendra-holidays.com