Top tips: How to make your hotel eco-friendly

Sustainability consultants and facilities management specialists Farnek give their top tips and easy and cheap ways you can make your property more sustainable.

There are a lot of issues that affect a hotel’s carbon footprint and over-all sustainability, including social sustainability, the strand many businesses tend to overlook.

Operating in the region since 1980, Farnek is the sustainability and FM solutions arm of Swiss property management company Priora Group.

They help hotels develop sustainability plans, achieve Green Globe certification and generally streamline their operations for better performance.

Sandrine Le Biavant, one of the workshop leaders at Hotelier Middle East’s Great GM Debate 2015, gave hoteliers some quick and easy tips for improving performance:

-“For F&B outlets, why not serve half-portion or light bites menus, every time? Food waste is one of the biggest offenders in this region, where big portions are preferred. But most of us don’t eat everything on our plate – so why not introduce a ‘just enough’ menu?

-“LED lights are the fastest (and cheapest) way for hotels to reduce consumption – they can save up to 80% on electricity output with these.

-“Make sure your chemicals are managed sustainably – from ordering earth-friendly products to disposing of them responsibly.

-“Water aerators can save hotels up to 40-60% on water, and can be added in public areas, guest rooms, kitchens, back of house, and low-flow faucets are generally easy to add.

-“The most important thing is – if you use any of these measures, you must monitor, to see what you’re saving in costs and how you’re helping the planet.

But, says Le Biavant, sustainability isn’t just for do-gooders: “Sustainability is about giving consumers the choice to act responsibly, consume less and allow a hotel or outlet to produce less on their behalf.”