At Canouan we believe that building a sustainable future is a shared responsibility, and for meaningful change to take root, the entire community must be involved – including our young people. By instilling sustainable values early on, we can create a generation that sees sustainability not as an obligation but as an integral part of their lives.
To lead this initiative on island, we’ve assembled a compassionate team who are dedicated to fostering awareness and action through experiential learning. Our approach includes collaborative sessions with local stakeholders and school, where we’ll share essential knowledge and practical skills. By engaging children and youth directly, we’re not only passing on information but igniting a long-term commitment to preserving our environment.
Together, we are cultivating a future where sustainable practices are second nature—where the community thrives in harmony with the world around us.
As a ultra luxury destination we are dedicated to fully integrating sustainable practices into the daily lives of our team and broader community. Our commitment goes beyond standard operations, as we continuously find ways to minimize waste and reduce environmental impact through conscious, sustainable design.
Our initiatives span across the resort, from composting and recycling to transforming waste into reusable materials. We use only biodegradable packaging, paper straws, and eco-friendly cleaning products to reduce our environmental footprint. Our recently installed on-site wastewater treatment facilities allow us to use treated water to irrigate our landscape gardens, reducing runoff into the ocean and supporting a healthier ecosystem.
A key part of our mission is to phase out single-use plastics in entirety. With our on-site water bottling plant, we refill reusable glass bottles with high-quality drinking water, preventing approximately 48,000 plastic bottles from entering the waste stream each year. This effort not only reduces waste but also reflects our deep commitment to preserving the island’s natural beauty for generations to come.
At Canouan Estate Resort & Villas, sustainability is more than a practice; it is a core part of our identity and responsibility, shaping a future where luxury and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
At Canouan Estate, we take pride in preserving the island’s natural beauty and diverse wildlife, ensuring that the land and sea remain vibrant sanctuaries for future generations. Much of northern Canouan Estate is left undeveloped, providing expansive, untouched habitats for native wildlife and a serene environment for our residents and guests to explore and enjoy.
The island’s name, “Canouan,” derived from the Carib word meaning “Island of Turtles,” reflects its heritage as home to the native red-footed land tortoises. We prioritize conservation efforts, carefully designating protected areas for these tortoises so they can thrive undisturbed by the activity of daily life.
Canouan Island is also home to a remarkable one-mile-long natural barrier reef along its Atlantic coast. This area is protected to safeguard its delicate marine life, which is critical to the island’s biodiversity. In recent years, we have faced an influx of sargassum seaweed—a natural occurrence that we have turned into an asset. After collecting and drying the seaweed, we compost it and return it to the beaches, where it helps to prevent soil erosion and preserve the coastline.
Our environmental efforts extend beyond the shoreline. Equipped with a glass bottle crushing machine, we transform glass waste into sand, which we use to combat beach erosion and support beach restoration. In addition to these efforts, our team organizes daily beach clean-ups to keep our shores pristine, removing marine debris and maintaining the natural beauty of our coastlines.
Each year, our north-eastern beaches host nesting sea turtles, including the endangered Hawksbill and Leatherback species, a privilege and responsibility we cherish. At Shell Beach, visitors are often treated to the sight of sea turtles grazing on seagrass, an experience that highlights the island’s rich marine life.
At Canouan Estate, our commitment to the environment is woven into every aspect of our operations, blending sustainable practices with the preservation of the island’s precious ecosystems.
