WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural resources of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people and future generations. Achieving sustainable solutions requires environmental stewardship with individuals, communities, businesses, and governments taking responsibility for solving the problems of today and tomorrow. For a process to be considered sustainable it must have the ability to be carried out on a repetitive basis without creating negative environmental effects or without imposing a high cost.

WHAT WE DO
Utilizing our passion, expertise and commitment we provide a seamless and synergistic turnkey service that assists in creating significant and long-term strategic sustainability programs. Through our process we:

  • Identify trends, risks and opportunities
  • Co-design strategies and processes to meet and exceed sustainability and environmental goals based on your organization’s unique products, culture, business model and objectives
  • Assist and facilitate in integrating sustainability into existing strategic and operating processes and systems
  • Assist in establishing operational teams
  • Identify measurable parameters of business results from sustainability and environmental initiatives, and set benchmarks
  • Develop effective measurement systems and communication strategies, including the creation of corporate sustainability reports

OPPORTUNITY IS KNOCKING
With the fast growth of the environmental movement there is a limited window of opportunity for rapidly generating new business and marketing opportunities that result from sustainability programs. Within the decade it will be more the norm than the exception.
By appropriately integrating social, environmental, and economic considerations into your core business you can reduce costs, increase revenues, access new markets, empower your employees, and enhance your hotel’s reputation. Getting ahead of the curve and initiating a program that can take advantage of current and future market opportunities is smart business.

MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE
Embracing sustainability does not mean compromising the bottom line. In fact, sustainability can be viewed as the “triple bottom line” of profit, people, and planet, where all three elements benefit during the process.

Here are some of the real world benefits that can be realized:

  • Reduced operating and maintenance costs through increased efficiency of your facilities (water conservation, energy management and enhanced solid waste management & recycling)
  • Enhanced environmental stewardship by creating processes and procedures for taking of the environment while conducting day to day business
  • Competitive advantage / differentiator, creating an awareness with guests and investors of environmentally responsible and sustainable practices
  • New revenue opportunities by catering to environmentally-minded consumers including increasing convention and conferences revenue from companies with sustainability/environmental values and positions
  • Greater contribution to local community, strengthening of community connections and support e.g. through use of more local suppliers, local community associations
  • Enhanced brand image and awareness by being viewed as an environmentally responsible business
  • Healthier work environment resulting in decreased employee sick days and increased employee retention

 

REAL WORLD EXAMPLES

  • Back of house recycling (paper and cardboard) saves the 483 room Hotel Allegro Chicago $450 per week, or $21,000 per year.
  • The 50 room Best Western Island Inn saved over $11,000 implementing an effective towel and linen reuse program
  • In less than a year Kimpton Hotels has achieved the following measurable results:
    • Recycled 48,000 coat hangers
    • Replaced 81,000 ounces of toxic cleaning supplies with natural cleaners
    • Served over 10,000 pounds of organic, pesticide-free coffee
    • Saved over $100,000 in costs from improved recycling and lower product costs
    • Generated over $500,000 in new revenue
  • The Monaco Hotel earned $3,000 in recycling awards and saved over $18,000 in waste management costs through its comprehensive recycling program.
  • Serrano Hotel in San Francisco saved $800/year by installing motion sensors in low occupancy storage areas.

Only about one-tenth of all solid garbage in the United States gets recycled.