SOFS Boutique hotel has chosen to work with sustainability since we opened the hotel in 2021.
So – Why? And what do we actually do?
For us, it is a completely natural part of running a business, with a large consumption of linen, food and many suppliers, to set green requirements for how the goods are manufactured and transported.
We don’t have to make ourselves holy or better than others – we just want to help taking care of our environment and each other. This applies to both the local and remote environment. We have therefore chosen to be apply for a certification, which moves us up into a league where being a green company really means something.
Our sustainable measures
Here at SOFS, we are proud to be the first and, at present, the only hotel with the Organic food label in gold – with a percentage of 98% out of 100%. Read more about our certifications below.
We primarily have one large supplier of food, which reduces the number and frequency of deliveries and ultimately saves CO2.
Our small suppliers Føtex, Hans & Grete and Grand Fromage, all located here on Guldsmedgade, deliver the goods on foot.
At SOFS, we work with circular thinking – all around the hotel, we try to recycle as much as possible. Below, you can read a little about this.
We ask our local suppliers to reuse as many of the carrier bags as possible – thus some of our carrier bags are used for several months before the completely worn ones are thrown away (and sorted of course) The plastic buckets that have contained food are thoroughly cleaned and used for storing other food in our fridges or soapy water in the morning for dirty cutlery.
Food waste
Our staff are of course allowed to eat surplus food. That way, they don’t go to bed hungry, and we throw out as little as possible. In the summer, we make iced coffee from excess coffee, which employees can use to cool themselves down during busy shifts. And what about in the winter, you think – here we drink the coffee hot and warm ourselves with it.
Too good to go beautifully combines business and consideration for the earth. Here we have the opportunity to sell surplus food to happy customers – it is often people who work around the corner who need a packed lunch. They collect themselves, most often on foot or by bicycle – i.e. No Co2 emissions. We think that is a good idea.
The excess water from the tea and watering can, both hot and cold, is used for cleaning the floor and watering plants.
In terms of drinking water, we have some of the best and cleanest groundwater in the world here in Denmark. As much as 99.9 percent of Danish drinking water comes from groundwater.
Sustainable cleaning
Our cleaning staff receive important training in effective cleaning with sustainable actions. This means that they save on the cleaning products, but not on the effort. The bathrooms will therefore be 100% clean – because it is not the amount of soap that makes the room clean. In addition, we teach them to sort through the rubbish and only remove the plastic bag if necessary. The rubbish in the bin can often be fished out, so we don’t have to throw out a good rubbish bag. The rubbish that is picked up is also sorted together with our other waste sorting.
Our cleaning products are carefully selected in collaboration with Ditlev Jørgensen. Among other things, the brand has the first Cradle to CradleTM Goldcerti?cered* series in the cleaning industry (made from 100% recycled plastic), is biodegradable and has the ECO flower.
In this way, we look after both the environment, but also, really important, our dear cleaning staff, who go about it every day.
The detergent for our internal machine that washes cloths, bathrobes and towels
Our bathroom products (soap, shampoo, etc.) are manufactured by Danish Yrolì, which manufactures Blue Beauty products. Yrolì ensures that only sustainable and sea-safe ingredients are used, and all packaging is either recycled, reusable or refillable packaging. Blue Beauty also means that the products have more uses, so that each of us has to use fewer products and leaves behind less cosmetic waste.
Textile
Our linen is cleaned and supplied by Elis, a Nordic eco-labelled laundry. Elis works with a circular business model, which is why we know that the linen we use at SOFS is used as best as possible.
Linen and towels are environmentally certified with Oeko-tek and Ecolabel and made from 100% organic cotton. Bed linen is mixed with recycled polyester to make it more durable.
DanishDown has supplied duvets and pillows. They use the RE:DOWN concept, which ensures the recycling of resources and largely eliminates raw material waste. No chemicals and only natural detergents are used when washing the recycled down. And the water used during the process is from natural thermal heat sources in the ground. Recycling in this way ensures a “zero-waste” solution. The down that is too damaged to be used in new duvets is given a new life in fertilizer products, while the pillow and duvet garments are recycled into insulation materials.
We have donated SOFS’ old duvets and pillows to DanishDown, so that they can be reused and recirculated into new hypoallergenic and sustainable products.
Interior design
SOFS took over another hotel concept in 2021, and what do you do when you want to switch to a new concept? You recycle as much as possible – of course. Beds, tables, TV, lamps and chairs are in the rooms used in the new concept. The remaining furniture, which cannot be included, has been delivered to the local recycling shop Kirkens Kors Hær, which has sold the furniture or used it in their shop as part of their interior design. The broken furniture and miscellaneous, and the extra furniture that the second-hand shop does not want, are taken to the recycling station for sorting or the recycling container.
SOFS is designed without regard to trends, which was initially a personal wish from the owner, but seen from a sustainable perspective, it makes enormous sense. We do not become untrendy, and our furniture can therefore be used for a very long time.
Green Globe certification
Coming very soon… hopefully.
The Organic Food Label for SOFS
This is a free government-controlled labeling scheme for eateries. The Organic Food Label shows how much of the food and drinks purchased at the restaurant are organic. The food brand is available in three versions; gold (90-100%), silver (60-90%) and bronze (30-60%).
At SOFS we are certified with the gold mark (90-100%) – the requirement for ourselves is no less than 95%.
We make high demands on the quality of our products, but luckily find that it is easy to find delicious products that are organic and that fit the concept.
