Hotels – Food  management and water management initiatives, Environmental and sustainability issues

Accor has a commitment to join the UN Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and to remove all single-use plastic items in guest experience areas from its hotels by the end of 2022. Our commitment to sustainability ensures reduction of environmental impacts and strengthening efforts to combat plastic pollution. In addition to our previous commitment to eliminate all plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds our aim is to eliminate all remaining single-use plastic items in guestrooms, meeting areas, restaurants, and all leisure activities areas (spas, fitness centres, etc.) by the end of 2022.

As part of the Accor Hotels, we follow sustainable initiatives such as ‘Planet 21-Acting Here Program’ which endeavours to act for “positive hospitality”. The program is structured around six pillars: engaging our guests in a sustainable experience, co-innovating with our partners to open new horizons, working hand-in-hand with local communities for a positive impact, acting as an inclusive company for our people, moving towards carbon neutral buildings, and striving for zero waste and healthy, sustainable food.

We continue to implement sustainable practices that reduce water and, in many cases, chemicals that are used to treat water systems and cleaning facilities within guest rooms, laundries, kitchens, pools, and spas. Efforts range from the linen and towel reuse programs as a part of our Planet 21 initiatives. We have also installed aerators to reduce the water flow in faucets and taps to reduce water wastages. Whether in central operations such as boilers, or with lighting systems, kitchen equipment, and automated energy management systems, we are working to reduce energy use while sustaining, and enhancing the guest experience.

Our Chefs use local products, fresh and seasonal produce, which is sustainably grown, offering a healthier cuisine to travellers along with a unique opportunity to experience the local flavours.

Restaurants – Waste Management and non – plastic products usage

In addition to finding alternatives to plastic, we set an example to change common mindsets by adopting 3R Logic: Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle. We have a waste management system and an action plan in place through which we record, review and minimize food wastage at the hotel. For example, buffets can be organised only if there are a certain number of guests, portion sizes are reviewed as per consumption and live counters are preferred over buffet counters. These initiatives have helped us reduce our food wastage by around 30%. Unconsumed breakfast pastries are re-used to make puddings, and peel from oranges are used for marmalade. As part of our effort to eliminate single use plastic across the hotel by the end of 2022, we have stopped using single use plastics includes stirrers, cups, water bottles in all our restaurants.