How the hospitality industry can help save the planet

Customers of businesses in the hospitality industry are paying for the privilege of staying in a hotel or spa, often as a treat. With this is mind, guests want to make the most of all the facilities provided.

The hospitality industry therefore has a dilemma - how is it possible to save resources (and therefore save the planet) when the provision of those very resources is the main reason guests are there in the first place?

Guests are eager to go green

Ecotourism is big business. In 2021, global ecotourism was worth over $225 billion, with a predicted value of nearly $357 billion by 2027.

The public perception of sustainability has finally reached a point where sustainability is actually seen as a positive. Nowadays, luxury hotels are leading the way in the creation of extravagance and opulence that is not at the expense of the planet.

Deloitte’s 2022 Sustainable Consumer report has seen an increase in consumer interest in sustainability. In the past 12 months, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people adopting a sustainable lifestyle. The report also found an increase in interest in sustainable hotels and restaurants. In the past 12 months, 15% of UK diners patronised restaurants based on their environmentally sustainable values and practices, and 8% chose hotels and holidays based on the same ethics. It’s also important to point out that some consumers actively avoided buying from brands they had ethical or sustainability concerns about - 13% when it comes to restaurants, and 7% for hotels and holidays.

Green hospitality businesses

As the hospitality sector around the world embraces sustainability, there are more examples of ways in which individual hotels, spas and restaurants are making a difference. The luxury Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall is a luxury eco spa hotel built with reclaimed and recyclable materials. It has a chemical-free pool, planted roofs to help benefit the local insects, sustainable heating sources, and grey water recycling. The hotel doesn’t even use air conditioning, relying on the breeze created by the sea to provide the cooling air.

You don’t have to be 100% eco to help save the planet

Some of the Scarlet’s ways of being more sustainable can be adopted by any hotel:

• Buying energy from a supplier that draws on 100% sustainable sources
• Using low-energy LED lighting that switches off when there are no people nearby
• Providing bars of soap sourced from local makers and providing guests with cotton bags they can take the leftover soap home in
• Getting rid of the in-room tea tray and bringing fresh tea and coffee to the room whenever guests want. It’s more sustainable because it saves a lot of single-use plastic waste

Saving water

Making your hotel, spa or restaurant more water efficient is a great step on the way to helping you save the planet. In the long run, using less water will also result in saving money, so there’s no reason not to do it! Our top tips include:

• Install water-saving devices
• Install greywater recycling technology
• Harvest rainwater
• Identify and repair leaks as early as possible
• Book a water efficiency audit

Have any questions about our services? We provide water efficiency audits, trade effluent expertise, business water services, wastewater management & more. Get in touch today.