Biocity history
In 2000, when the word ‘organic’ was not yet fashionable, I happened by chance to be in a New York organic supermarket: stalls full of foodstuffs grown with the idea of making us and the planet well. They were cheerful, colourful, fragrant, it was like being in a dream. I wanted to take that dream home with me. I would have liked to have made the word organic fashionable in Milan.
Biocity history
In 2000, when the word ‘organic’ was not yet fashionable, I happened by chance to be in a New York organic supermarket: stalls full of foodstuffs grown with the idea of making us and the planet well. They were cheerful, colourful, fragrant, it was like being in a dream. I wanted to take that dream home with me. I would have liked to have made the word organic fashionable in Milan.
On the plane, dozing off on the way back, I was reminded of the doodles I did as a child: ships with wings, motor skates, portable glasses. My mother had given me a tin box to keep them in order. On it she had written ‘a dream remains a dream until you decide to make it come true’.
On the plane, dozing off on the way back, I was reminded of the doodles I did as a child: ships with wings, motor skates, portable glasses. My mother had given me a tin box to keep them in order. On it she had written ‘a dream remains a dream until you decide to make it come true’.
Biocity came out of that box-I started building it in 2011-I chose environmentally sustainable materials, insulated it, installed heat pumps, painted the rooms with colors that absorb carbon dioxide. The electricity comes entirely from wind and hydroelectric power, the gas used is competitively offset with eco-sustainable projects. There is no plastic, water and energy are not wasted. Detergents and cleaners are environmentally friendly. Only organic products are served at breakfast.
Biocity came out of that box-I started building it in 2011-I chose environmentally sustainable materials, insulated it, installed heat pumps, painted the rooms with colors that absorb carbon dioxide. The electricity comes entirely from wind and hydroelectric power, the gas used is competitively offset with eco-sustainable projects. There is no plastic, water and energy are not wasted. Detergents and cleaners are environmentally friendly. Only organic products are served at breakfast.
Today Biocity is all eco & bio, just as I dreamed it would be! What’s more, it has earned the EU Ecolabel, the highest green award certifying its ecological quality. It is the first in Milan. Hopefully not the only one!
Today Biocity is all eco & bio, just as I dreamed it would be! What’s more, it has earned the EU Ecolabel, the highest green award certifying its ecological quality. It is the first in Milan. Hopefully not the only one!
What the EU Ecolabel is?
IT/051/081
The EU Ecolabel is the eco-label issued by the European Union. Many ‘green’ labels certify the eco-actions a hotel performs, but almost always not the impact its activity has on the environment. The EU Ecolabel prescribes the actions to be taken to reduce environmental impact, monitors the result and, if all parameters are met, issues its certificate.
These are the main eco-actions required to obtain the EU Ecolabel certificate:
Adopt procedures that encourage the re-use of bed and bath linen
Regularly monitor energy consumption
Adopt recycling and waste separation practices
Use energy-saving light bulbs and appliances
Use energy from renewable sources
Install high-efficiency heat pump heating and cooling systems
Use organic or km0 products
Use only recycled paper
No plastic
What is Fivecostars
Fivecostars is a group of friends who share a passion and desire to improve our health and that of our planet. Each of us has a small, truly green accommodation, with little or no environmental impact, certified with rigorous and authoritative eco-labels. Together we help, advise and stimulate each other to do better and more.
Environmental policy
Respect for the environment has always been a guiding philosophy in our daily work, because our greatest desire is to make a contribution to improving the world. With this passion, we are committed to adopting behaviors and actions aimed at reducing the environmental impact of our business.
In keeping with this philosophy, the Biocity Hotel has chosen to adhere to the Ecolabel EU (the European Union’s ecological quality label), committing itself to meeting the requirements and submitting to the envisaged checks. Thanks to the measures taken, we are able to make a contribution to protecting the environment and offer our guests a stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
Specifically, here are the most important actions taken:
Environmental communication and invitation to the active participation of guests
- Suggestions of itineraries to discover environmental, artistic, historical and gastronomic excellences;
- Information on the use of public transport, on bicycle rental, on-site parking for bicycles;
- Installation of information panels in the rooms on our environmental policy and on what guests can do to help reduce the negative impact on the environment, inviting guests to fill out a questionnaire and make suggestions.
Environmental communication and invitation to the active participation of guests
- Suggestions of itineraries to discover environmental, artistic, historical and gastronomic excellences;
- Information on the use of public transport, on bicycle rental, on-site parking for bicycles;
- Installation of information panels in the rooms on our environmental policy and on what guests can do to help reduce the negative impact on the environment, inviting guests to fill out a questionnaire and make suggestions.
Healthy and natural food
- The products offered to customers are oriented towards seasonality, organic and Km 0.
Healthy and natural food
- The products offered to customers are oriented towards seasonality, organic and Km 0.
Saving water and energy
- Presence of a solar thermal system for the self-production of about 10% of the thermal energy requirement;
- The electricity purchased is certified and comes 100% from renewable sources;
- All spaces in the hotel are lit only with low energy light bulbs;
- Automatic light shut-off system when exiting the room;
- Heating and cooling is produced by efficient heat pump systems, optimized in use to obtain a result without waste;
- The customer can waive the daily change of linen, a small action that makes the difference.
Waste management
- Presence in the corridors of containers for separate waste collection by guests;
- To reduce plastic we offer customers water in reusable glass bottles and we have installed dispensers with ecological soaps instead of single-dose products.
Waste management
- Presence in the corridors of containers for separate waste collection by guests;
- To reduce plastic we offer customers water in reusable glass bottles and we have installed dispensers with ecological soaps instead of single-dose products.
Use of eco-sustainable products
- Almost all chemical products are eco-sustainable, the quantities used are reduced; paper products (toilet paper, office paper, napkins, rolls) are also eco-labelled
Environmental performance monitoring
- The company has a collection system of the main environmental indicators relating to energy and water consumption, waste production, use of chemical products and use of linen in order to evaluate the environmental performance of the Biocity Hotel over time.
Environmental performance monitoring
- The company has a collection system of the main environmental indicators relating to energy and water consumption, waste production, use of chemical products and use of linen in order to evaluate the environmental performance of the Biocity Hotel over time.
