Viable Waste Management Strategies For Hotels And Resorts

Shrikant Dash is the Deputy Managing Director of Corporate at Atmosphere Core, an international hospitality company.

Despite economic uncertainties, geopolitical tensions and pandemics, tourism continues to thrive. The World Travel & Tourism Council projects the sector’s global economic contribution will hit a high of $11.1 trillion in 2024. As a key driver of the global economy, the hospitality industry is also a major contributor to waste generation. Therefore, as hoteliers, we must take a leading role in minimizing the environmental impact of waste.

Make Landfill The Last Option

By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to rise to 2.38 billion tons of CO2 equivalent due to inadequate treatment and disposal of solid waste. As more people travel, destinations and hospitality businesses must be prepared to manage the inevitable increase in solid waste generation, which would otherwise end up in landfills. Here are some recycling, reusing and reducing initiatives to get you started:

Find Alternatives To Single-Use Plastics

Consider alternatives like on-site glass bottling systems to significantly reduce waste generation. For over 10 years, we have used glass bottles for water. By installing glass bottling plants at each of our resorts, we have prevented approximately 2.4 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfills annually.

Switch To Refillable And Biodegradable Options

All our resorts use refillable bottles for bathroom amenities instead of miniature plastic bottles and have replaced plastic straws with biodegradable ones. Guests are welcomed with fresh coconut water and garlands woven from palm leaves, eliminating the need for plastic-wrapped gifts.

Streamline Your Supply Chain

Centralized sourcing options have proven beneficial for us by significantly reducing our non-biodegradable packaging waste and transportation footprint while being cost-effective. Negotiate with vendors to replace individual plastic packaging with bulk paper packaging and use reusable pallets and containers for distribution.

Recycle And Upcycle Non-Biodegradable Waste

Adopt creative ways to transform plastic waste into valuable products. For example, at our properties, we repurpose ocean-collected fishing nets into bracelets to be sold to guests, with the proceeds going toward coral restoration projects. Additionally, we have partnered with organizations to source eco-friendly beachwear made from 100% recycled polyester, primarily from plastic bottles collected from the ocean.

Involve The Local Community

Crucial to any sustainability program, apart from waste management, is involving the local community. This can be achieved in several ways.

Adopting a hyper-local approach can reduce transportation and packaging costs while facilitating a farm-to-table model that minimizes the use of preservatives. Design your menu to celebrate produce sourced directly from local farmers and fishermen. Developers and hotel operators can join hands to set up local farming collectives, thereby encouraging entrepreneurship, enabling employment opportunities and reducing waste generation along the supply chain.

Minimize Energy Waste

Energy is a precious resource; hotels and resorts must take a minute look at their energy consumption to eliminate wastage. Here are some real-world examples to get you inspired.

Scale Up Renewable Energy

To the extent possible, try to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. For example, at our resorts, we have implemented a substantial solar infrastructure. Another viable, clean energy source on our agenda is converting organic waste into biogas.

Use Energy Efficiently

Hotels typically need a lot of energy to operate. However, I believe that with thoughtful planning, businesses can optimize energy efficiency. For instance, we ensure that the generators powering our resorts are highly energy-efficient, delivering optimal performance. We have taken it a step further by utilizing an eco-feature that captures and reuses the waste heat from these generators to heat water. With this approach, not only have we reduced the heat released into the environment, but we have also cut down on diesel fuel consumption.

Use Water Innovatively

For island and coastal destinations, a thriving marine life, vibrant coral reefs and clean ocean water are crucial for business. By managing water usage and reusing wastewater, we can protect our water resources.

Adopt Smart Drinking Water Solutions

Islands in the Maldives have minimal or zero access to fresh water, making it essential to install desalination plants in all our properties. Desalination plants reduce infrastructure and transport costs, lower energy consumption and avoid waste generated by packaged water. Since the source is the seawater, there is no depletion of the water table, making it as renewable as water can be.

Manage Wastewater Efficiently

Wastewater disposal should be handled responsibly in line with the host country’s regulatory guidelines. In the Maldives, this is more complicated as we operate island resorts. All our resorts have an on-site sewage treatment plant, with the facility to discard treated wastewater beyond the reefs into the deep sea, as recommended by the Ministry of Tourism in the Maldives. Some of the wastewater is further treated and transformed into highly fertile irrigation water, which is used for landscaping purposes. The leftover odorless sludge is used as compost or in biogas plants.

Adopt A Zero Food-Waste Approach

In the hospitality industry, food waste is a major concern. Here are some sustainable practices for hotels to minimize food waste.

“Nose-To-Tail” Or “Root-To-Stem” Cooking

With a bit of creativity, culinary teams can use ingredients traditionally considered “waste.” For example, at our resorts, we serve fresh orange juice and repurpose the leftover orange peel into candies or at in-house bars as cocktail garnishes. This approach is both eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Recycle Organic Waste

Use composters to break down food and horticulture waste into fertilizer. You can then install on-site pilot biogas plants to convert food waste into biogas, a clean energy source.

Create Sustainable Waste Recycling Hubs

Transform spas, restaurants, bars and lounge areas into sustainable waste recycling hubs by appointing sustainability ambassadors who explore ways to reuse waste every month. For example, one waste recycling practice in our spas is the spa team’s use of coconut fruit. The smoothened coconut shell is used for their signature massage, and leftover material from making coconut oil is converted into an exfoliating body scrub.

By incorporating strategies like these, you’ll showcase your hospitality business as a leader in sustainability.

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