HONG KONG, 30 October 2019: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic, across its entire portfolio of hotels, by the end of March 2021.
Claiming the travel industry has already made great strides towards the removal of plastic straws and single-use drinking bottles, the hotel group is committing itself to an even more challenging target to abolish all single-use plastic currently in use across all operational departments, including rooms, spa, transport, restaurants and bars. The aim is to cover plastics used in all areas of the hotel, and not just in the public areas that the customer sees.
Based on a thorough stock inventory, the group has identified 23 of the most common items of single-use plastic currently in use across the portfolio.
To date, 86% of these initial items have been eliminated or are being phased out in all hotels. Given the considerable progress which has already been made, the group says it is ready to make a firm commitment towards total elimination.
“Plastic waste is one of the gravest environmental concerns affecting our planet today. While our relatively small footprint limits our contribution to the world’s plastic reduction we are in a strong position to drive important changes in the industry,” said group chief executive James Riley.
“To drive change, we must set ambitious goals. The elimination of single-use plastic is only one part of the group’s wider initiative to operate in a responsible and sustainable way across our portfolio,” he added.
Mandarin Oriental is also collaborating with its suppliers to drive responsible procurement and provide alternative products that are both viable and suitable for the luxury hotel environment.
All hotels have clearly-defined annual goals to address these issues, and in order to remain accountable to guests, colleagues and the wider community, progress reports will be issued every six months. The first report will be published at the end of March 2020.
