Green Key's 2018 achievements featured in FEE's Annual Report

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has recently published their most recent Annual Report for 2018. As always, the developments, achievements and impacts on both national and international level of all FEE programmes, including Green Key, are displayed in this document.

Click on the picture to access the full annual report

In particular, in 2018, Green Key has entered key collaboration agreements with the hotel chains NH Hotel Group (globally) and Grupo Posadas (Mexico). In addition, Green Key has started to cooperate with the leisure tourism operator, Apollo/DER Touristik Nordic.

Besides, the report shows the many Green Key establishments awarded with prestigious sustainability awards around the world. NH Noordwijk Conference Centre Leeuwenhorst, in the Netherlands, won the Green Hotelier Award in the category of carbon; Castelli Hotel, in Greece, was the winner of the TUI Sustainability Award; finally, Cozinha por Antonia Loreiro, a restaurant in Portugal, winner of the Green Key’s practice competition 2018, received the esteemed Michelin award.

In 2018 Green Key also saw a large number of countries joining its network. Green Key was launched in Northern Ireland and India, and the first establishments in South Africa, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Macau (China) and Ethiopia received the Green Key award.

Likewise, all four FEE’s programmes, namely Blue Flag, YRE, Leaf and Eco-Schools were also presented throughout the Annual Report. Check it out!

Camp Špik has the amazing view on the Alps

Green Key awarded Camp Špik in Slovenia is located in beautiful sceneries and with possibilities for different outdoor activities

In the midst of the Julian Alps, on the edge of the Triglav National Park and right next to the point where the borders of Slovenia, Austria and Italy meet lies the fairytale village of Kranjska Gora. Not far away, in the settlement of Gozd Martuljek, under one of the most beautiful sceneries of the Alps, the Špik Mountain Chain, is Camping Špik. The unspoiled nature offers numerous opportunities for free time activities, sports and trips to the surrounding areas - an escape from everyday worries.

It is the second Slovenian campsite awarded with the Green Key and all visitors are amazed by the view on the high Julian Alps on the south of the camp. Across the area of 7.5 acres there are 200 pitches, most of them are located in natural shade. All pitches have electric hook-ups and are situated near drinking water supply. All sanitary blocks have been recently built and equipped.

Mr. Ernest Poženel, the HIT Larix Executive Director, said: “Already when we talked about strategy for our campsite, we were oriented towards nature, environment and well-being for our guests. Therefore we also built the site it in a manner that is respectful towards nature and will enable us to preserve the natural beauties of our environment for the future generations. Being awarded with Green Key certificate is an acknowledgment that we started our path correctly and at the same time gives us guidance for our future development.”

With the unique location, Camp Špik is a perfect location for skiing, cycling, hiking, rafting and paragliding.

Hotel Zazie – a Green Key hotel taking an extraordinary social responsibility

Hotel Zazie, a two-star hotel located in central Paris (France), has decided to engage more than half of its staff through a social inclusion programme

Photo: Hotel Zazie

The 20-room hotel has had the Green Key award since December 2017. This means that the hotel is complying with the Green Key requirements such as energy efficient lighting, reducing plastic at breakfast to a minimum, eco-labelled toilet paper, etc. The breakfast at the hotel is made of quality products that are mainly organic avoiding already processed and packaged products. The hotel focuses on waste sorting with individual bins of the rooms and in the common areas, and all waste that is recyclable is stored separately.

The hotel has however gone much further in its work with sustainability. Through a collaboration with the local authorities, the hotel is hiring staff from a social inclusion programme. Currently, five of nine staff members derive from the inclusion programme. The persons eligible for this programme have various challenges and have been out of the labour market for a long time. The recruited staff is especially working in housekeeping and at the front desk. The persons are employed a maximum of 24 months, and most employees stay a year or less and every few staff members stay longer if they have very challenging situation. The hotel has an ongoing training programme for the new staff in order to train them to be able to work in a hotel.

Photo: Nathalie Foulon

Anne-Sophie De Boulois, the General Manager of Zazie Hotel explains: “After the employees have worked in our hotel, around 1/3 find a job in another hotel and 1/3 find another solution such as another job, study, etc., and only the last third are not successful. We are very proud of helping challenged persons to get a new start.”

Nasser is refugee from Sudan. He is currently working in Hotel Zazie in the reception at night time.

Nasser explains: “In 2018, I had an internship with Zazie Hotel for a month, preparing breakfast and sometimes assisting in the reception. At Zazie Hotel, I felt at home, and I feel the spirit of respect and humanity, and it made me want to work there. After finishing my training and spending two months without work, I received a call from the hotel offering me a second period of professional internship.  I accepted it without hesitation. For this internship I have been working at the reception. It has not been easy, but I am learning a lot of things that I did not know before, especially about environmental initiatives.”

Photo: Olivier Simon

Anglesey Sea Zoo has won the "Ethical Green Business of the Year award"

The Green Key awarded attraction, Anglesey Sea Zoo from Wales has won the Ethical Green Business of the Year award at the Federation of Small Business Awards in Cardiff and will participate in the UK final in London in May 2019

The Anglesey Sea Zoo supports environmental concerns through marine research and conservation as well as education and visitor engagement within the aquarium. They are committed to providing visitors a fun yet educational experience so as well as sharing the diversity of British marine wildlife, they teach their visitors about the various challenges, threats and the impact of human behaviour on the seas. The Anglesey Sea Zoo has proudly held the Green Key accreditation since May 2016 and were the first business on Anglesey to be recognised with the award.

The Anglesey Sea Zoo minimises waste and recycles across all departments of the business – even recycling their waste electrical items through a scheme that benefits Keep Wales Tidy. They undertake a regular series of beach cleans with a network of volunteers and record and relay details of their findings for use by the Marine Conservation Society.

The water for the aquarium is pumped directly from the Menai Strait, thus creating as natural environment as possible within the tanks, with the rest of the water used around the site as well as their electricity use being carefully monitored.

The café strives to use as much locally sourced ingredients as possible and has switched to paper straws and reusable take-out cups. Outside areas are planted with native species to encourage pollinators and wildlife and they endeavour to use fun signage to educate their visitors on all aspects of the site – not just the marine life!

 To improve their carbon footprint further 2017 saw the Anglesey Sea Zoo undertake a large project to install a solar array. They invested in a 50kW PV system of 166 high-efficiency solar panels. These contribute significantly to the overall energy consumption requirements of the business making the Anglesey Sea Zoo the first solar powered aquarium.

Frankie Hobro, Owner & Director, Anglesey Sea Zoo said: “Environmental sustainability and conservation sit at the heart of everything we do here at the Anglesey Sea Zoo as we strive to protect our surroundings and minimise our impact. The Green Key was therefore a natural choice for us and ensured that we reviewed every aspect of our business. Whatever your starting point, there are always more ways for businesses to lessen their environmental impact and the Green Key award gently guides us to consider different areas and ways in which we can progress.”

For more information, visit the website of Anglesey Sea Zoo: https://www.angleseyseazoo.co.uk/.

'Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Resort' is the first Green Key hotel in Rome

‘Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Resort’ is the most renowned 5-star luxury hotel in the Italian capital, and it has now got the absolute primacy of being the first establishment in Rome of its category to be environmentally certified.

The establishment is distinguished by its particular attention to the sustainable management, thanks to the best practices adopted and promoted by the Green Key eco-label. The hotel has reduced its impact on the environment significantly compared to the last 10 years, and this has also led to a significant reduction in the management costs.

The 370-room hotel has a high level of energy efficiency, excellent waste management, constant monitoring of the carbon emission, activities and collaborations with numerous local associations in favor of disadvantaged communities, ambitious work in progress projects aimed at the continuous improvement of the establishment, etc. Thus, ‘Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Resort’ has really deserved to part of the network of Green Key awarded establishments.

The Green Key certificate and plaque were handed over by Claudio Mazza, President of FEE Italia, on the occasion of the event organized at the hotel to celebrate the award.

"We are really proud of Green Key award" says Alessandro Cabella, Managing Director of Rome Cavalieri, "and we will continue to direct our efforts towards an increasingly sustainable and supportive management, with the hope of being able to be ambassadors of the values expressed by the Green Key Programme in the world”.

Giovanna Garofano, Chief Engineer of Rome Cavalieri, has coordinated the hotel departments in the joint and shared effort of the staff to be compliant with the Green Key standards and thereby the protection of the environment. On behalf of her colleagues, Giovanna Garofano declares: “Each of us, with small acts, can do a lot for the planet, but an important award like the Green Key can be achieved only with team work and hotel guest involvement. It’s been an honour for me working on this environmental programme and I thank my colleagues for the enthusiasm and devotion with they have adhered to the many initiatives focused at the common goal: safeguarding the planet. "

The Westin Dragonara Resort and its sustainable meetings concept

In order to receive the Green Key, The Westin Dragonara Resort in Malta has embarked on a number of sustainable projects throughout the years.  The most recent one and that which the Hotel is particularly proud of is called ‘Westin Meetings’. 

© Westin Dragonara Resort - delegates preparing packed meals for people in need ‘Giving Back’

Meetings and conferences are an important segment of the hotel’s offering.  The Westin Dragonara Resort hosts numerous meetings both local and international every year.  For this reason it was vital for the hotel to ensure that our meeting offerings are thoughtful from a sustainability point of view. The best ideas aren’t hatched in the boardroom. Westin is committed to fuelling breakthroughs and creating opportunities for active ideation before, during and after meetings. Bright ideas happen after a refreshing night’s sleep, on an exhilarating run, or over a nourishing meal. From energizing activities to dynamic environments to responsible practices, every aspect of the Westin Meetings experience is designed to help attendees perform at their best and maximize their impact.  The commitment to well-being ensures that planners and attendees leave feeling accomplished, invigorated and ready to effect change.

© Westin Dragonara Resort - Running map provided in each of the guest rooms

 The hotel’s first step in this journey was made a few years ago when Westin introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable Meeting Packages’. This included ‘Clutter Free Meetings’ whereby the hotel invested in special conference and meeting furniture which allowed doing away with table cloths and other draping that were used in the past.  In doing so, the hotel reduced laundry and therefore water usage. Clutter Free also involves the meeting room set up – rather than each delegate having a paper pad pack, cluttering the meeting table, all stationery for the meeting is smartly stacked on the side of the meeting room – delegates can help themselves as required. This simple solution reduced paper wastage as it avoids delegates scribbling unnecessary notes on paper during the meeting.

 Fast forward to 2019 and the Westin Dragonara shall be taking more actions in this space. One new initiative is that related with Community Service. The Westin Dragonara is partnering with a Non-Profit Organization in order to offer delegates both on-property & off-property Community Service activities that attendees can participate in at some point during the schedule of their meeting.

 Another new introduction is that related to wellness-inspired meeting breaks – these breaks move away from the standard coffee breaks; offering instead opportunities for meeting attendees to relax and recharge either through an energising snack or activity.

 The use of alternative spaces within the hotel grounds is yet another new introduction. The Westin’s team has identified various non-traditional spaces within the hotel that could be suggested to meeting planners to support creative thinking, provide an energizing, or collaborative environment for breaks or activities.

 In February this year Isabel Lissner, International Green Key Coordinator, presented Michael Camilleri Kamsky, General Manager of the Hotel, with the Green Key award. Also present for the occasion were Dr. Gavin Gulia, Executive Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority and Vincent Attard, Executive President Nature Trust Malta. Upon receiving the official award, Michael Camilleri Kamsky, General Manager of The Westin Dragonara Resort said: ‘The Green Key stands for our team’s promise to our guests that by opting to stay at The Westin Dragonara Resort, guests are helping to make a difference on an environmental and sustainability level – which is ever so important’.

© Westin Dragonara Resort

First Green Key in Northern Ireland awarded to Lackan Cottage Farm

Lackan Cottage Farm is the first establishment in Northern Ireland to achieve Green Key due to its focus on sustainable operation  

The self-catering accommodation is located in rural Northern Ireland around one hour from Belfast. It is a self-catering cottage and the owners, Steve and Claire, live on the farm as well. Birch Cottage has been beautifully renovated using chemical-free, natural materials, sourced as locally as possible. Steve and Claire love to recycle and many of the materials have been reclaimed and given a new life. All the bedding, towels and curtains are organic and fair trade.

Steve and Claire were delighted to be awarded the first Green Key in Northern Ireland, and the only one on the island of Ireland: “Green Key appealed to us because the commitment to rigorous standards really is the highest and reflects our own commitment to environmental responsibility. It is becoming increasingly apparent that we all have to work together to make changes to our way of life if we do not want to significantly compromise ours and our children's future. This is no longer a radical viewpoint, and as a family we are committed to demonstrating how those changes might look.” 

Steve and Clair continues: “At Lackan Cottage Farm we show people that off-grid living does not mean compromising the living standards. Our guests often comment that they are inspired to take ideas that they have seen here back home with them. Because the Green Key standards are embedded in our every-day day lives here, people can see how they work in the real world, and are reassured by that."

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Chairman Sue Christie commented:  “We are delighted to bring Green Key to Northern Ireland and to recognise the achievements in sustainability that local tourism businesses are attaining.  Lackan Cottage Farm is a flagship of what can be achieved when businesses truly embrace sustainability.  We hope to award more establishments, in all of the Green Key categories – Hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, etc. If your establishment would like to be rewarded for your sustainability performance, get in touch and we’ll help you on the path towards an award.” 

Guests are very impressed with their stay at Lackan Cottage:  "Birch Cottage took our breath away. Such a wonderful, functioning cottage. It was great to see that this way of life can be so eco-friendly. I'm sure this place has a positive impact on everyone who stays here. Thanks for teaching us how to be better towards planet earth!". "The cottage and your off grid small holding is a credit to you both!  It just goes to show there is no reason why people can't live off grid and be self-sustainable".

The farm is powered entirely by renewable electricity, generated on site using solar and wind power. Hot water for washing and heating is powered by the sun, and by woodstoves, fuelled by timber cut in the farm’s woodlands. Water from baths and sinks is cleaned on-site, and for the adventurous, the farm provides a composting toilet as well as a rainwater flush toilet.

The kitchen and garden wastes are mixed with chicken and horse bedding and then used on the vegetable and fruit areas. The hosts have planted thousands of native trees on site, as well as an orchard. The carbon footprint of their visitors’ travel is offset by planting additional native trees every year.

You can find more information about Lackan Cottage Farm on their website. Green Key is now present with more than 3,000 establishments in 57 countries.

Green Key present at international conference for hospitality schools

During various events of AMFORHT (World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training) on 15-16 March 2019, Green Key was present and promoted the programme for hospitality school representatives

AMFORHT has a range of hospitality schools, academic institutions and various professionals in the hospitality industry as members. AMFORHT is granted a special consultative status by the United Nations. Since 2018, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE, the organisation administering the Green Key programme) has been a member of AMFORHT.

AMFORHT celebrated its 50th anniversary at World Forum event and General Assembly on 15-16 March 2019 in Paris, France. The celebration was honoured through participation of ministers from France and other countries, senior and honorary World Tourism Organization representatives, international and national hotel associations, international hotel chains as well as a number of hospitality schools and academic institutions.

The Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, attended the meetings representing FEE. During both the World Forum event and at the General Assembly of AMFORHT he gave presentations about FEE and the Green Key programme.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, says: “We are interested in supporting an increased learning about sustainability in hospitality schools, so that the students are aware of the environmental, socio-cultural and financial sustainability issues when subsequently getting employed in hotels and other areas of the hospitality industry.”

Finn Bolding Thomsen also presented a planned cooperation with a hospitality school in Switzerland, where FEE’s Eco-Campus programme for universities will be adapted to include hospitality schools, so that the students at hospitality schools not only can learn about sustainability as part of the curriculum but also work with it in practice by upgrading the sustainability standards at the hospitality schools in cooperation with the teachers and administrative staff.   

Finn Bolding Thomsen continues: “At the AMFORHT events, we received good support for our plans of working with hospitality schools on supporting their sustainability curriculum and try the learning in practice at the schools”.

Hostel in Belgium uses social media to reduce food waste

The Green Key awarded Hostel De Draecke in the city of Gent uses a local group on Facebook to reduce food waste

Hostel De Draecke is working with sustainability in many aspects such as recycling of furniture and waste material, and the hostel is also actively fighting to reduce food waste. The kitchen at the hostel is in charge of breakfast, lunch packages and dinners for its guests, and it carefully tries to prepare food according to the orders in order to reduce food waste, but it still happens from time to time that some bread or other food items are left unused.

As the surplus food varies from day to day, the hostel has taken an innovative solution in use: Through a local Facebook group, the hostel announces when it has surplus food, and local organisations or student groups are coming to pick up the food so that it is not wasted. If the hostel has other types of waste, such as empty and cleaned food plastic containers or glass jars, this is also advertised on the Facebook group and picked up by locals needing the material.  

One of the receivers of the surplus food waste from Hostel De Draecke is the organisation ‘Let’s save food Gent’. Filip François from the initiative explains: “Our first goal is to fight food waste and climate change because human people are destroying the earth. The fight against climate change and poverty is one fight.”

”We believe in recycling and reuse of material and left-over food to the largest extent possible, and we are happy that we found a way to ensure that surplus food is eaten by local people in need of it,” says Sara Geysels, Manager at Hostel De Draecke.