WYMARA

Sustainability

A Luxury Resort with a Conscience

“We’re committed to conducting business in a manner that respects the immense beauty of the natural environment that Turks & Caicos is renowned for.”


owner

Shelley Rincon

CEO; Wymara Resort + Villas

Our Sustainability Program

The Turks and Caicos Islands are renowned worldwide for their natural beauty. In fact, we are proud to have received multiple awards for having the world's most beautiful beach, Grace Bay Beach. This is no small feat, and we are honored to be recognized.


At Wymara, we understand that our stunning environment, pristine ocean, and picturesque beaches are what continually attract new visitors to our gorgeous islands and keep our guests returning year after year to our resort and villas. We recognize our interdependence with nature and are committed to protecting our home, including our reef, which is the third-largest in the world, and our diverse marine life. Our mission is to do our part in preserving our planet, and we take this responsibility seriously.

Wymara also provides guests with information about illegal products and souvenirs, including guidelines on conchs, shells, and corals. Our guests are informed that:

  • Visitors may export a limit of three mature conch shells from the Turks and Caicos.
  • Arts and crafts made from conch shells purchased locally, as well as conch pearls, can be exported.
  • Other types of shells may require permits depending on the species and quantity.
  • Corals of any sort cannot be legally exported.

This initiative helps promote responsible tourism and protects the natural heritage of the islands.


At Wymara, we believe in giving back to the communities that support us. Through our charitable contributions, we aim to make a positive impact by supporting causes that align with our values and help create meaningful change. Whether through financial donations, volunteer efforts, or partnerships with local organizations, we are committed to making a difference and inspiring others to join us in the journey of giving. Read More about Wymara Giving

View Wymara's Sustainability Plan View Wymara's Sustainable Environmental Policy
A woman is swimming next to a sea turtle in the ocean
A blue icon of a plastic bottle with two arrows pointing in opposite directions.

Based on current trends, by 2050, the plastic in our oceans could weigh more than all the fish. This has many negative repercussions on our ecosystems, wildlife, and our own health. The strength and durability of plastic are the qualities that make it practical for everyday use, while at the same time being the qualities that make it devastatingly harmful once it finds its way into our oceans, where it can remain for centuries at a time. Most types of plastic are not biodegradable.


As of 2023, less than 9% of recyclable plastics are actually recycled in the USA. In an attempt to tackle the largest cause of ocean plastic pollution, we launched our sustainability program in 2021 and have committed to eliminating single-use plastic throughout our business, with the hope to inspire other businesses to do the same.


How do we define a single-use plastic? Plastic items that are intended to be used only once or for a short period of time (less than one week) before they are thrown away. This includes those that can be recycled (e.g., petroleum-based, food and beverage packaging, disposable items, and materials used for marketing use), unless we identify a legal and/or health and safety issue where single-use plastics are required.



A set of four blue icons including a bottle a trash can a solar panel and a fork
  • We have eliminated the use of all single-use plastic, including water bottles, across the entire property and have installed many complimentary water dispenser stations throughout.
  • We are retailing Wymara branded water bottles in our boutique to encourage our guests to refill and reuse at our water stations.
  • We have removed all plastic straws, plastic utensils, plastic take out containers, and plastic bags from our food and beverage outlets.
  • In order to reduce our energy and water consumption, we have reduced the frequency of replacing linens in our rooms unless requested to do so by our guests. We are also in the early stages of increasing our use of solar power across the properties.
  • We have redesigned our water system to allow us to repurpose, recover, and reuse water for resort landscaping.
  • We have implemented a keyless entry system for our guests to check-in to our rooms and villas. This allows our guests to use their mobile devices as an alternative to the key card to access their rooms and villas. We have replaced our previous plastic key card with a wooden option to further reduce the use of plastics on the property. The plastic key cards were manufactured in Europe; this change has the added benefit of reducing our carbon footprint with reduced logistics and shipping.
  • We have reduced our menu printing by launching a new browser-based food and beverage ordering system for in-room, pool, and beach dining, allowing guests to order from the comfort of their rooms and beach loungers directly from their mobile device.
  • We have introduced our new luxury, vegan, certified cruelty-free in-room amenity line–Aesop providing sustainable packaging and large, refillable bottles instead of the smaller single-use containers prevalent throughout the hospitality industry. Our spa features Wildflower Skincare Lab products and Fitglow plant-based sustainable skin care.
  • We have curated a Wellness menu at our restaurant which offers vegan, vegetarian, and gluten- free delights and we continue to work hard in using sustainable ingredients throughout our food and beverage operation. We have also committed to donating 10% of proceeds of select sustainable dishes to the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund, which was established to help preserve and protect the environment of the “beautiful by nature” Turks and Caicos Islands; an environment that draws so many visitors to these islands and is critical to our economic and physical survival.

What changes have we made to our business to align with our mission?

A pair of hands holding a blue globe on a white background

As we evolve our understanding of sustainability and our environmental impact, we will continue to implement changes to our practices and procedures to keep striving towards our mission. We are committed to integrity and holding ourselves accountable. We ask you to please collaborate with us if you identify an area where we could make a further change to help accomplish our goals, reach out to us at: green@wymara.com


We are passionate about being part of the change, we hope that you are too. 

#notoplastics #sustainablebusiness

Wymara Resort + Villas is proud to announce partnerships with sustainable programs and initiatives.

TCI Reef Fund

The Turks and Caicos Reef Fund preserves, protects, and restores the marine environment of the islands, vital for tourism, threatened by rising sea temperatures, development, pollution, and overfishing. Maintaining this environment is crucial for economic and physical survival. Visit Website


Protecting and restoring our sand dunes, a natural eco system and coastal barrier

The National Alexandra Park dunes serve as a protective barrier for inland areas from coastal erosion, flooding, and storm surges. Sea oats and oxeye daisies, through their respective roles in sand stabilization, erosion control, and biodiversity enhancement, are instrumental in:

  • Preventing dune degradation and preserving the natural buffer zones between the ocean and the land.
  • Supporting the recovery of degraded dune ecosystems, which might have been impacted by human activity or extreme weather events.
  • Increasing the resilience of the area to future environmental changes, ensuring that these vital ecosystems can continue to function and protect Grace Bay Beach.

 

How we are helping protect and preserve? By using native and resilient species like sea oats and oxeye daisies in restoration projects, the ecological integrity of protected areas such as the National Alexandra Park can be maintained, benefiting both the environment and the local community.

 

Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) and oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) play crucial roles in the restoration and rehabilitation of coastal protected areas, such as the National Alexandra Park dunes on Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales. Both plants contribute to the stabilization of sand dunes and the enhancement of biodiversity, which are essential in preserving these fragile ecosystems.


Continue reading about sea oats and oxeye daises

The Turks and Caicos National Trust 

Protecting and restoring the island's natural resourses

The Turks and Caicos National Trust is a science-driven institution committed to proficiently managing national parks, safeguarding and preserving the natural resources of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Trust oversees and maintains some of our nation’s most significant historical sites, ensuring they are cherished by both present and future generations. Join us as a member today and become an integral part of our history. Together, let’s fulfill our mission to offer a window into our past for those who will shape our future.” We rely on many funding sources to fulfill our mission. Your gift can make a huge difference in advancing conservation in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 


These ‘Beautiful by Nature’ islands are filled with exciting history, rich culture and breath-taking environments. It is our calling and our honor to preserve all of what makes us who we are for the benefit of future generations. 

Read more Make a donation

Wildflower Skincare Lab

The Spa at Wymara Resort + Villas in Turks and Caicos has launched a first-of-its-kind collaboration with on-island skincare brand The Wildflower Skincare Lab to dramatically shift its carbon footprint and cement its practical sustainability efforts.


Since December 2023, all treatments at the resort’s Spa are being delivered using vegan, sustainable and organic products developed exclusively by The Wildflower Skincare Lab for Wymara. The collaboration also extends to include reef-safe sunscreen (SPF50 and SPF30), available at the Resort’s boutique.


Each of the hair, body and beauty products within the collaboration includes extracts from flowers and plants grown in the grounds of Wymara, rich in antioxidants and botanical nutrients. In fact, some of the innovative botanicals have been registered for the first time in commercial use by Wildflower Skincare Lab.


For more information please email: spa@wymara.com


Island Organic

Wymara Resort + Villas has collaborated with Island Organics to craft our exclusive fragrance collection, showcasing locally sourced, completely natural elements indigenous to the sun-drenched beaches of the Caribbean. Our products are meticulously crafted on the island, including candles made from coconut wax and bath salts sourced locally.

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