The idea of ‘going green’ sounds good but implementing it is not easy. Dependence on plastic and plastic products has become so high that even genuine efforts to shun their use face obstacles. In most cases, plastic products come back in different shapes and sizes even after a general call of not using them in the interest of the environment, which is facing the biggest challenge of the time.
The world is facing the results of the abuse of environment in the form of climate change, the sub-forms of which are seen in global warming, uncertain weather conditions, cool climates becoming hot and hot are becoming unprecedented cool. Melting of glaciers is causing rise in sea level, while there is disruption in water supply to major water channels, including rivers and canals.
Amid all these challenges and alarming results, some good news is coming from the hospitality sector, which is working seriously to reduce the use of plastic and recycling things in day-to-day use.
A hotel chain in the region entered its second year of innovative collaboration with D’Grade, converting its PET (polyethylene terephthalate) waste into high-quality yarn for textiles.
Launched in 2021, the ‘Be Green, Go Green’ initiative of Hospitality Management Holding (HMH) empowered its teams to take positive action in their local communities to fight climate change and protect the environment.
A senior official of the hospitality sector found the reason for the ‘Be Green, Go Green’ initiative. “Consumers worldwide buy billions of plastic drinks bottles a year. Although most of these are made from highly recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate), only a small proportion are ever actually recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or our rivers and seas, creating a serious environmental problem,” said Mohamed Fouad, General Manager.
A praiseworthy move to protect the environment has been taken by the IHG Group in the Sultanate of Oman. To reduce the use of plastic in the system, one hospitality set-up under the IHG cited the implementation of a ‘bulk-size amenities’ policy in line with the Sultanate of Oman’s 2040 vision of environmental sustainability.
Sounds good when it comes to protecting the environment. “This small step may have a huge impact if implemented across the hospitality sector. We at Crowne Plaza Resort, Salalah consume around 15,000 bottles of shampoo, 8,000 bottles of conditioner, 15,000 bottles of bath gel, and 10,000 bottles of body lotion annually,” said Manuel Levonian, General Manager.
This is one example of the consumption of plastic for packaging purposes of small things like shampoo, conditioner, gel, body lotions etc. The amount of plastic debris created out of these cosmetic products only from the hotel industry can only be imagined. After their use, the plastic in which they are packed ends up in the landfills and finally in the water bodies. They pollute the environment and pose a great risk to living bodies like fish and cattle wealth.
All IHG hotels and resorts, according to Levonian, are using the ‘Green Engage’ system, an innovative online environmental sustainability system that gives hotels the means to measure and manage their environmental impact. Hotels can choose from over 200 ‘Green Solutions’ designed to help them reduce their energy, water and waste and improve their environmental impact.
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