Case study: Montville Yurts – ecoBiz

Built environment Tourism South East Queensland (North)

Montville Yurts provides beautiful and unique solutions for alternative wedding venues. Situated high in the hills of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, these yurts are unique and handmade with skill and high attention to detail.

Montville Yurts has been a participant of the ecoBiz program for five years and recognised as a Star Partner for their best-practice reduction of energy, water use and waste. The yurt frames are constructed from bamboo sourced from local sustainable bamboo farms and built in Northern NSW.

Key initiatives to reduce energy use

  • Montville Yurts has installed 75m of 12v LED lamps at the venue, and LED lights in their office.
  • They use solar hot water to wash yurts between hires, using only one bucket per yurt. Montville Yurts use bamboo racks for air-drying the yurts.
  • On-site solar hot water panels are cleaned regularly to maintain efficiency, and natural ventilation is predominantly used for cooling.

Key initiatives to reduce waste

  • Montville Yurts have minimal office equipment and all documents, including invoicing, are stored electronically.
  • All plastics, glass, metal, and paper are recycled.
  • Office-generated food waste is composted on site.
  • They offer biodegradable compostable crockery made from shed palm sheaths to their clients. The table decorations include reusable succulent plants in pots, and dried flowers and reusable artisan tablecloths are used for event décor.
  • They cover hay bales in locally sourced coffee bags for seating, and use plastic floor matting made from recycled polypropylene. They also have recently replaced plastic zip ties with reusable Velcro straps.
  • Yurt skins and poles are repaired rather than replaced. They use previously owned furniture sourced from online trading sites.

Key initiatives to reduce water use

  • Yurts are cleaned using rainwater stored in two large concrete tanks.
  • Sewerage is treated on site.

Other initiatives taken to decrease resource intensity and achieve carbon neutrality

  • They use environmentally friendly citrus-based cleaning chemicals for yurt cleaning and use eucalyptus oil for hard stains.
  • They have planted trees to offset carbon emissions and have set up beehives on site to support the plants.

"We continue to look for and adopt new ways in which we can positively address sustainable challenges. Our goal is to help our customers turn any celebration into a stylish and sustainable event with a little forward planning and creativity."

Naomi Ellis, Business Owner – Montville Yurts