PIG-POWERED Eco Lodge in Costa
Rica
Inhabitat.com
While you may not naturally
associate pig feces with ‘clean’
energy, the Lapa Rios Ecolodge
in Costa Rica manages to makes
pig poo power seem smart, sexy
and super sustainable with their
environmentally friendly resort.
Started by John and Karen Lewis
as nature reserve, the Lapa Rios
Ecolodge utlizes green
construction, helps protect
local wildlife, supports a local
elementary school, uses solar
power for electricity, recycles
all of its own waste, and powers
its kitchen entirely through pig
power.
But less you think this sounds
like some tie-dyed hippie
commune - take a look at the
photos. The lodge is as
beautiful and relaxing as any
five star hotel, and probably a
lot more enjoyable to anyone
with a sense of adventure or
imagination.
The hotel recycles more than 80%
of the waste generated in the
kitchens, separating the organic
waste into two: vegetables,
fruit trimmings and egg shells
get turned into compost, while
the rest get sent to the hotel’s
pig farm. The food is consumed
by pigs which then… uh… excuse
themselves. Their feces is
turned into bio-gas, which in
turn is used for heating and
cooking.
The Costa Rican resort is
nestled in the privately owned
Lapa Rios reserve, a
conservation easement managed by
the Nature Conservancy and
Cederena.
The resort was established with
the intent of protecting and
promoting environmental and
social sustainability. When
building the resort, great care
was taken to preserve the local
vegetation and wildlife, build
with fully renewable
construction materials, install
solar panels, hire only local
workers, and fund the
community’s local school. They
even raise money to fund the
park rangers who look after the
already established national
park next door to them.
Ecotourism is a growing industry
these days. And often times it
is just a buzz word used by
marketers to help ease their
guests state of mind, rather
than a true vision guiding the
industry. So it is fantastic to
see a resort properly embracing
the true meaning of
sustainability. |
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Guests of the resort have the option of enjoying a full
sustainability tour of the facilities, including the pig
poop feces bio-gas-powered kitchen. |
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