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Dubai: Check in to a green hotel and take part in the country's eco-drive

The emirate's hospitality sector is getting more sustainable

In January 2012, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Green Economy initiative under the slogan, 'A green economy for sustainable development'.

Under this initiative, the UAE seeks to become a global hub and a successful model of the new green economy, to enhance the country's competitiveness and sustainability and preserve its environment for future generations. As per information on the portal, u.ae, through this initiative, the UAE aims to become one of the world leaders in this area as well as a centre for the export and re-export of green products and technologies and maintain a sustainable environment to support long-term economic growth while protecting the environment.

Enter green hotels

In the same light, it comes as no surprise that hotels across Dubai are constantly striving to become green and demonstrate respect for the planet, in line with careful guidance from Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) and the continual sustainable strides of the city’s government.

Remaining in line with current tourism trends, many resorts and hotels in the city have an enduring commitment to sustainability and are making positive strides across the hospitality industry.

Waldorf Astoria, DIFC marked World Environment Day 2022 by organising a mangrove planting activity at Al Zorah Nature Reserve, Ajman to contribute to the thriving ecosystem in the UAE.

In February, this year, the inaugural edition of the Dubai Green Star Awards was held to recognise chefs, restaurants, hotels and F&B organisations for their commitment to sustainability, with an aim to reward those using best practices in daily operations to reduce the impact of food creation on nature, to cut waste in the kitchen and to re-design what luxury at the table is known for while being mindful of the planet.

Say no to plastic

LEVA Hotels fulfilled its responsibility during the early months of the year by collecting more than 300kg of plastics. From January 2022 to May 2022, they partnered up with Emirates Environmental Group to work on one of their biggest initiatives, One Root, One Communi-tree (OROC).

“Our latest initiative of the plastic collection has reinforced our commitment to this cause and we look forward to planting the LEVA trees towards the end of the year," said Thomas Kurian, hotel manager, LEVA.

“From before Paramount Hotel Midtown welcomed its first stars, we were exploring every opportunity to promote sustainability in the hotel. A filtered water system and luxury bathroom amenity dispensers were initiatives which meant we opened with zero single-use plastic water bottles or bathroom amenities, the two largest contributors to plastic waste in hotels,” said Nicholas Chalmers, Director & General Manager, Paramount Midtown. In addition, the property has been 930 plastic straw-free from day one.

Save electricity

Radisson Blu Dubai Creek was awarded the Green Globe certification following its undertaking of several initiatives pertaining to its green agenda, including recycling, conserving water & electricity as well as attention paid to food waste.

Canal Central Hotel, Business Bay, a recipient of the Green Key certification, have moved towards greener directives through energy-saving projects that include ensuring air conditions are turned off when not in use and replacing old appliances that lead to an increased carbon footprint. This initiative resulted in a 26 per cent reduction in electricity usage.

“We believe in the continuous learning and development of our employees, our training, quality, and development departments drive the organisation towards one goal, and that is to preserve the earth’s natural resources and help the entire community,” said Abdulla Alabdulla, Group General Manager, Central Hotels.

Save water

Canal Central Hotel’s staff proactively conserves water by utilising water usage for certain activities such as washing hands. At Paramount Midtown, the hotel installed filtered water dispensers to provide fresh still and sparkling filtered water, in glass bottles, to hotel guests across the property; restaurants, bars, hotel rooms and suites. Water in plastic bottles is not sold or served anywhere within the hotel.

Paperless check-in and check-out

LEVA uses eco-friendly practices, such as giving guests a paperless digital check-in and check-out alongside the eco-friendly amenities placed in each room. At Canal Central Hotel too, the guests’ check-in and check-out processes are paperless, saving costs on the property’s supplies and conserving more trees.

Cut waste in the kitchen

Interestingly, the Paramount Hotel Midtown team is also creating a kitchen garden to grow herbs, vegetables, and fruits to use in the restaurants and to introduce young guests to the joys of growing their products and eating them.

The Ritz Carlton, Dubai (JBR) has launched a vertical farm to create hyper-local dishes and inspire food security and regenerative farming practices across their F&B outlets, while also offering freshly made ingredients to their guests.

Sustainable initiatives

City hotels are implementing a series of sustainability requirements set by DST to position the city as a leading sustainable destination. A few initiatives include:

1. Andaz Hotel, The Palm is harvesting its very own hydroponic produce on-site to be utilised throughout the hotel's multiple dining establishments.

2. Al Maha, a luxury collection hotel takes a unique approach to sustainability with its on-site desert conservation, which has reintroduced indigenous fauna into the area and protected native plants from the grazing of camels, goats and donkeys.

3. JA Resort is one of the city’s leading allies in the ‘Dubai Can’ initiative, with refillable water bottles and accessible water stations throughout the hotel. The plastic saved has then been implemented in the on-property water stations.

4. Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah’s eco-friendly initiatives place them as pioneers in the industry, especially with their green procurement practices and ensuring that social and environmental impacts are factored into all of their purchasing decisions.

5. Sofitel, The Obelisk are additional allies of the Dubai Can initiative, aiming to inspire others to make positive changes in hospitality and make for a better future for the planet.

6. Waldorf Astoria, The Palm has been focused on its sustainability promises by inviting guests to attend a beach clean-up activity, to both achieve their commitments to environmental action and to raise awareness for guests to adopt good practices and avoid littering. It also highlights the importance of maintaining a clear beach by avoiding single-use plastics.

7. Bulgari Hotel & Resorts offers a sustainable interpretation of luxury developed according to the best practices in the sustainable design set by BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method), the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings.

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