The Grupo Posadas Hotel Chain in Mexico with more than 150 Green Key awarded hotels has launched a very efficient initiative with the aim of reducing the use of plastic.
A traditional tourism model is now considered unsustainable because of the irrational use of natural resources without improving the tourist offer. Hotels following the traditional model significantly contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases, and the management results in the creation of big amounts of waste. When the waste is created in places without sufficient plans for handling the waste, it causes a considerable risk to the environment because of the average degradation of plastic (PET or PETE) being around 500 years. The current pandemic has, in addition, led to an increased use of single-use plastic with increased plastic pollution as a result.
It is, therefore, important that the hospitality industry changes its focus to demonstrate a high commitment to sustainable development. A great example of this commitment is the campaign that the Grupo Posadas Hotel Chain made during 2020 exchanging single amenities to dispensers in the guest rooms of all their hotels.
Before, each room used three bottles of 50 ml in Grand Fiesta Americana hotels and three bottles of 30 ml in Fiesta Inn hotels. These small single-use plastic bottles are now replaced by three dispensers of 300 ml. This initiative significantly reduces plastic waste as each refill replaces 18 single-use bottles in Grand Fiesta Americana hotels and 30 single-use bottles in Fiesta Inn hotels. With the occupancy rate of rooms in 2020 at the hotels of the Grupo Posadas Hotel Chain, this initiative has led to a decrease of 8.8 tons of PET plastic!
The change at these hotels to a more sustainable management practice has not only reduced the plastic pollution and ensured a lower environmental footprint, but it has also led to the supply chain having embraced a circular model approach by ensuring that the products and packaging are being redesigned, and it has resulted in more sustainable destinations receiving less plastic waste. On top of that, it has led to a decrease in operating costs for Grupo Posadas.
The excellent initiative in all the 150+ hotels in the Grupo Posadas Hotel Chain is a great support to the sustainable tourism model promoted in the Green Key programme. The initiative reduces the environmental footprint showing a pathway to a more sustainable management. Green Key and Grupo Posadas would encourage all travellers to choose an eco-friendly accommodation!