Six Senses Hotels moves towards plastic-free holidays

Focus on ‘18 most unwanted’ items
2022-12-21
/
/ New Delhi
/ Hotels
Six Senses Hotels moves towards plastic-free holidays

Six Senses says it would also have eliminated more than 1.5 million plastic bottles each year by bottling its own drinking water in reusable glass bottles

Luxury hospitality group Six Senses, that was a founding signatory of Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in 2019, has taken steps towards making all its properties free of single-use plastics.
5/5 - (1 vote)

Six Senses, a luxury hospitality group with extensive footprint across the world, says it has set an audacious goal towards plastic freedom and is committed to weaving long-term positive change into the fabric of every property.

The group, which operates 20 hotels and resorts in 17 countries and has signed a further 34 properties into the development pipeline, is part of IHG Hotels & Resorts. In a press statement, it says that it has always believed in taking guests beyond destinations into new experiences and cultures, so they feel the purpose behind their travels. But the past few years have provoked a renewed appreciation that exploration and escape go hand in hand with thinking about the impact this has on the environment and local communities.

The statement adds that following its pledge as a founding signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in 2019, efforts to eliminate single-use plastic are on track. This includes eliminating the brand’s “18 Most Unwanted” items, everything from guest amenities to behind-the-scenes material such as coffee pods and fruit packaging. It also means sourcing plastic-free products, arranging packaging take-back, bottling drinking water on property, and sharing best practices.

In 2021, Six Senses was also the first hospitality brand to collaborate with the United States Coalition on Sustainability and SustainChain as part of an ambitious Plastic Free 2022 strategy to remove and avoid all virgin plastic materials from its hotel and spa operations.

The hotel group says that by the end of this year, Six Senses will have eliminated all unnecessary plastic packaging of bathroom amenities, room amenities, and retail spaces, as well as introduced more reusable solutions in the kitchens to replace cling film and plastic packaging of fresh products.

Six Senses says that by the end of this year, Six Senses will have eliminated all unnecessary plastic packaging

The hotel says it would also source naturally compostable packing and other materials where appropriate by engaging with suppliers and work with other hotels and industry partners to share best practices, supplier recommendations, and other information to help all stakeholders move away from plastic.

Six Senses says it would also have eliminated more than 1.5 million plastic bottles each year by bottling its own drinking water in reusable glass bottles and used natural materials to substitute everything from plastic straws to toothbrushes, and also crates, cloth bags, bottles, and containers that can be reused and refilled.

“When the world woke up to plastic straws, we realised we need to go much further to continue to lead on sustainability in the hospitality industry, so back in 2017, we set the audacious goal of eliminating all unnecessary plastics,” says Jeff Smith, VP of Sustainability at Six Senses.

“This journey began with an inventory of all remaining plastics, once straws and bottles had been eliminated, and now continues with supplier engagement, seeking natural materials, and adopting circular solutions. Our solution to plastic waste is to avoid it before it happens,” Smith adds.

The group-wide journey to banish the “18 Most Unwanted” plastic items will be showcased and celebrated over the coming months via the local resorts’ Instagram reels, from guest amenities to packaging. The brand will also issue a summary of elimination numbers early next year.

Every time plastic isn’t used in a Six Senses resort on the journey to plastic freedom is yet another good news story. A day in the life of a sustainable glass bottle at a Six Senses property highlights one such journey in the cause. It was just one of many bottles that made its way out of the refinery that day. Tomorrow it will be re-filled, ready for another story with another guest.

You may also like
Six Senses Kyoto
Six Senses Kyoto sets tone for the brand’s debut in Japan
Six Senses Wadi Safar
Six Senses to launch Six Senses Wadi Safar in Diriyah
Spectacular sustainable experiences at Destination Red Sea
European hotel market stays resilient despite inflation, war

Leave a Reply

Get Magazine