COP26 is now just a faint memory in the distant past, will COP27 prove to be more productive or will it be another failure and squandered opportunity by world governments to commit to slashing emissions and creating a greener planet. We are experiencing record heat, fires, storms, floods, draughts and rising sea levels, it’s time the hospitality industry to be more radical in its approach to tackling climate change.

Our natural environment is often the destination the hospitality industry offers its guests, and it is where much of the produce in our restaurants comes from. It's ironic that the hospitality industry is playing a huge part in destroying the very thing it relies upon the most, our natural environment.

The way in which we produce and consume food and overnight stays in paid accommodation and restaurants and take aways is contributing to the environmental disaster our planet is facing.

From local neighbourhood take aways to multinational fast-food brands, budget hotels to high end boutique hotels, they are all large consumers of food, plastic, water and energy, as a result are directly or indirectly responsible for polluting the environment. As an industry it’s time we addressed the part we play in the climate crisis that the U.N and 97 percent of climate scientists say is man-made.

Hospitality has fallen behind other industries when it comes to sustainability and environmental issues. As an industry that relies heavily on our natural world, we must be more radical in our approach to sustainability and the health of our planet.

In this article we are looking at some of the areas of our industry that impact on our natural environment, and the steps we can take as managers and business owners to tackle the environmental impact our industry has on our fragile earth.

Food waste: It has been estimated that if food waste was a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases after the U.S.A and China. Food waste isn’t only a humanitarian concern, it is also an environmental one. When we waste food, we also waste the energy and water it takes to grow or rear, harvest, transport and package our food. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation, 30 percent of food is wasted globally across the supply chain. According to WRAP, U.K. hospitality is responsible for 451,100 tonnes of food waste annually.

We have outlined a number of actions your hospitality business can take to prevent or at least limit food waste.

Monitor the areas the food waste is generated, e.g., preparation, spoiled food, customers plates
Keep storage areas (dry store, fridges and freezers) clean, tidy and in meticulous order. This allows staff to clearly identify what is in stock and stock levels, which makes stock ordering easier and more efficient
Rotate produce by placing the newest products at the back of the shelf so that the oldest stock is automatically used first

Organise stock items of the same type in the same area. For example, group and place tinned apples together in one area. This way staff can easily identify what does and doesn’t need to be ordered
Arrange for food waste to be collected for anaerobic digestion which is used to produce biogas and biofertiliser

Single use plastic: A disposable plastic fork from a takeaway, a mini shampoo bottle from a hotel room, a plastic water bottle from the corner shop; individually, each item seems harmless but, these items are ubiquitous and quickly and easily thrown away without much thought. Our obsession with single use plastic is having a devastating impact on our natural environment.

In the U.K we generate around 5 million tonnes of plastic each year, but despite the war on plastic, we recycle just 45% of plastic in the U.K. More than half of our plastic waste the government claims is being recycled ends up in U.K and foreign landfill or burned, which in itself creates greenhouse gases. According to Green Peace, the U.K produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other country in the world. It’s time we prioritised reduction and reuse over recycling.

Here are some tips and suggestions on ways of hospitality businesses reducing the use of single use plastics.

Review each area of operation (housekeeping and guest rooms, back of house and office). Make a list of single use plastic items and consider if they are vital to your operation, and how you can eliminate their use or replace them.

Hotel rooms and house keeping
Consider using refillable bottles or dispensers for bathroom amenities. Today there are plenty of free alternatives to plastic bathroom amenities, such as: Bamboo combs and toothbrushes, bamboo cotton buds
Review the use of disposable room items such as milk and hot drinks portions
Use refillable bottles for cleaning products. Alternatively, try to reduce the use of cleaning chemicals

Food and beverage operations
Replace single-serving condiment packs with small reusable ramekins or dishes
Use biodegradable cutlery and food boxes for take away foods
Buy ingredients and cleaning products in bulk, this reduces the amount of packaging and reduces costs
Demand that your suppliers don’t pack and deliver produce and stock using single use plastic
Invest in hard wearing reusable food storage containers
Decrease the amount of clingfilm your establishment uses
Avoid vacuum packing food for storage or cooking sous vide

Recycle where plastic waste is unavoidable. Educate staff of the benefits of recycling.

Water consumption: Water shortages are a global problem, as managers and business owners we must do more to address water wastage for moral and commercial reasons. Although it may seem that here in the U.K we have a lot of water, it shouldn't be taken for granted. We are now using almost double the amount of water we were sixty years ago.

It's easy to dismiss simple initiatives to save or reduce water in hospitality establishments, but simple can be very effective. Simple measures such as prepping food in a bowl of water rather than under a running tap or ensuring washing up sinks aren't filled with more water than necessary.

Here are some easy ways to reduce water consumption.

Fix leaking pipes and taps as soon as possible
When fitting or replacing a dishwasher, upgrade your dishwasher to energy and water efficient model. Energy and water efficient dishwashers can save up to 10% reduction in energy and water usage.
When fitting replacing ice machines, upgrade or instal air-cooled ice machines
Make employees aware of your organisation’s commitment to water reduction and encourage staff to get involved with their own suggestions for water reduction
When replacing or fitting toilets, instal low-flow toilets
Instal aerators in shower heads and taps
Properties with swimming pools should consider if their pool management systems are efficient. Cover pools when not in use to avoid evaporation

Gas and electricity consumption: The hospitality industry consumes huge amounts of energy each year- around 20,910GWh - enough to power 1.2 million homes. Reports suggest 4,300 GWh a year can be saved across the hospitality industry by investing in energy efficiency measures and improving operational practices. Energy costs are rising at an alarming rate for commercial properties as well as domestic. Here are a few simple steps to reduce energy consumption.

Heating and hot water

According to data from the Department of Environment, nearly 70 per cent of a hotel’s energy consumption goes towards heating and hot water.

Keep boilers serviced and pipes insulated (A regularly serviced boiler could cost 5 percent less per year to run and will be less likely to breakdown). Insulating boilers and hot water tanks, pipes and valves will pay back the costs in just a few months and will continue to save money year after year.
Poor heating control is the most common cause of energy inefficiency

Lighting

According to literature published by the European Commission, lighting accounts for 15 to 45 percent of electricity consumption in small hotels and restaurants. When reviewing or upgrading your needs, consider the following.

Optimise the use of natural light
Optimising colour schemes for walls and furnishings can make a significant difference to the amount of lighting required
Installing light management control systems can be a large energy saver where lighting use is intermittent. Consider installing timers and sensors for corridors, toilets and other areas with intermittent traffic.
When replacing older lamps, consider replacing them with newer technology

Most of our suggestions are easy to implement and implementing some is better than none. Although a costly investment, technologies such as solar panels, ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting systems and CHP can also help reduce the carbon footprint of a hospitality business. We will be discussing the environmental and financial benefits of these in a future article.

A few things that were missed from the article above, but are of equal importance are as follows:

When replacing electrics and electrical appliances, avoid disposing the item or items in the general waste. Larger electrical appliances can be removed and taken away by the company supplying you with the new appliance. Smaller electrical item such as light fittings and sockets can be disposed of at a local recycling centre.
Responsible procurement - Source hotel products, kitchen produce, building materials and other goods from businesses that share the same values a your business and that have limited environmental impact. Start with areas of high spend to make ensure you tackle big impact areas first.