Waste minimization and recycling for sustainability

In May 2011, the Travel Foundation (TF) partnered with The Future Centre Trust (FCT), Barbados, to extend their "Switch Off Save Big" programme to include a twelve month waste minimisation and recycling component to the project.

The partnership aims to ensure hoteliers receive the relevant tools required to implement a waste minimisation and recycling programme in their hotel.

It is estimated that by implementing the reduction measures, hoteliers can divert at least 50% of the hotel waste from the landfill. This data was extracted from a pilot project implemented by the FCT with assistance from the Bellairs Research Institute Field Studies Semester students called Streamlining Hotel Waste. This information has since been confirmed through recent waste audits under this expanded phase where at least 50% of hotel waste was found to be either recyclable or compostable.

This can also have a positive impact in terms of reduction on the hotel’s overall expenditure through reduced expense on waste collections.

The programme is designed to maximise waste reduction and recycling within the hotels. The programme will be run in three phases with ten hotels in each phase. The initial process of each phase includes the following:

• Initially each hotel has an introductory meeting with Travel Foundation’s Charmaine Sealey and Future Centre Trust’s waste reduction and recycling specialist, Lani Edghill;
• Hotels are then asked to identify key people within each department to help implement the suggested measures;
• A meeting is then held with identified staff members to gather their input and insights on the project.
• All hotels involved will receive a waste audit conducted by FCT along with University of the West Indies student interns. Recommendations are made based on information gathered, with workshop and training sessions then conducted with each hotel in order to train all staff on how to use the new system.

The first phase is currently being completed and has been very successful. Some hotels already have recycling and waste reduction systems that need a little improvement and expansion such as Dover Beach Hotel, Divi Southwinds Hotel, Southern Palms Hotel, Plum Tree, Coconut Court, Accra and Bougainvillea Hotel. Others like Crystal Cove, Worthing Court and Butterfly Beach started recycling for the first time under this programme. Some of the highlights include:

• Working with housekeeping to reduce the amount of plastic bags used in the laundry and switching to either cloth bags or bags made from waterproof materials;
• Working with green team and key staff in each department in the Staff Input meetings;
• Encouraging hotel management to switch to bulk dispensers for everything from shampoo, conditioner and soaps to ketchup, cereal and other condiments in the restaurants;
• Working with bar staff to reduce the amount of disposable cups used within the hotel;
• Working with management to set up recycling systems either on each floor or in each room for the guest use and in each department as well as in common areas for staff and guests;
• Measuring the waste that is produced at each hotel.

Hoteliers interested in reducing their water, waste and energy consumption should visit http://www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk/greener-accommodations for free online tools.

This project is part of a range of water, energy and waste reduction initiatives run by the Travel Foundation. The Travel Foundation is a UK charity that cares for the places we love to visit. You can find out more at http://www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk

For a cornucopia of Caribbean sustainable success stories see: https://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=1151128