The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers has received the Green Key award based on excellent work on environmental protection, sustainability awareness raising and corporate social responsibility.
Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, says: “At Green Key International, we are impressed with the sustainability work of The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers demonstrated through the very well prepared application material and the onsite audit performed by SGS Hong Kong. We would like to extend a warm welcome to the first Green Key hotel in China (Hong Kong).”
In order to gain the Green Key certification, The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers has fulfilled a list of environmental requirements that cover a wide range of criteria from environmental demands to action plans, sustainability education and communications. The hotel has an outstanding performance in the following areas:
- Strategic environmental management: Aligned with the Sino Hotels’ Group Sustainability Policy, the hotel established its own Sustainability Team, which aims to review the green hospitality practices and to strategically improve its environmental performance on a continuous basis.
- Excellent performance in energy conservation and efficiency: The hotel installed high-efficiency energy lighting and appliances (e.g LED lighting, induction cookers, heat pump system), water control systems and key card system throughout the hotel.
- Leadership in waste management: The hotel is the pioneer in Hong Kong to initiate the Food Wise Programme and Hotel Amenities Recycling Programme, donating its surplus food and unused amenities (e.g. soap bars) to local charities and food banks on a weekly basis.
- Strong commitment to sustainability: The hotel has banned shark’s fin on all menus since 2012, and adheres to the local Sustainable Seafood Guide issued by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Hong Kong to protect marine biodiversity.
- Proactive community involvement: For five consecutive years, volunteers from the hotel have joined hands with a local student group to design themed ‘Green Christmas decorations’ made of up-cycled materials, conveying the message of sustainable resources to the public.
- Working hand-in-hand with guests to build a better world: Guests staying more than one night are encouraged to participate in the hotel’s linen reuse programme, reducing the water consumption while minimising impacts of chemicals to Mother Earth.
- Continual green education: The hotel cultivates a sustainable and collaborative green culture in the working environment, facilitating staff to put green practice in their daily lives via regular trainings, green reminders and staff activities.
The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers will continue to embrace environmental protection and corporate social responsibility within operations and will dedicate in promoting sustainability development with stakeholders.
The hotel has established an employee-led taskforce to regularly review the food waste management since 2012. The team makes on-going recommendations to minimize food waste in the areas of food production, processing and final disposal.
With the guests’ support, the hotel has successfully implemented a “Towel & Linen Green Programme” – encouraging guests to change the bed linens every 2 days and towels are changed upon request, since 2014. The programme reduces water consumption and chemicals.
To promote recycling to next generation, the volunteers from the hotel joined local students to develop some creative Christmas decorations made of up-cycled materials.