The Portsmouth Marriott Hotel is leading the way in the UK and across Europe with the launch of its new recycling and energy consumption scheme.
The Portsmouth Marriott now recycles 98% of its waste with the implementation of a new recycling scheme launched in March 2010.
The scheme includes recycling and energy saving initiatives for all areas of the hotel from the bedrooms to the food and beverage outlets and has achieved complete support and recognition from the hotel guests and staff.
The Portsmouth Marriott team has been working in partnership with local recycling experts ACM Waste Management plc and PDM Group, providing a ‘one stop shop’ collection for all the hotel’s waste food products, to ensure the recycling scheme is a success.
The programme has been trialed for eight weeks and Portsmouth is the first Marriott hotel in Europe to initiate this total hotel recycling program.
The Portsmouth Marriott has the highest recycling score of 98% within Marriott UK and is being used as a benchmark for the Marriott group in Europe.
The hotel has introduced a variety of processes such as recycling bins within the guest bedrooms and meeting suites. All hotel staff are fully trained to separate waste matter and guests have also been heavily involved in the success of the scheme, recycling within the bedrooms and public areas.
With the separation of waste and the idea that people are now more conscious about the environment means that the hotel has dramatically reduced the levels of waste sent to landfill by a massive 98%, which means the hotel only sends 2% to landfill.
But the recycling doesn’t stop there, staff are continually planning new and innovative ways to help the environment and cut energy costs for the hotel. They are looking at maintaining their focus and are presently reviewing their meeting offerings and analysing their carbon footprint.
The efforts in the hotel have been rewarded by receiving the prestigious GOLD award from the Gold committee of the GTBS (Green Tourism Business Scheme in the UK) on May 14.
“This is the first Marriott hotel to gain the GOLD award in the UK and this reinforces the message that good high quality and green issues can go hand in hand,” said Jon Proctor, chairman of the committee. “It also demonstrates that a leading hotel chain with strong brand values and many central procurement decisions can lead the way in sustainable tourism.”
BJ Schreuder, general manager of the Portsmouth Marriott, said: “Marriott International worldwide is committed to protecting the environment and has undertakes initiatives within each of our hotels to reduce energy consumption and recycle as much as we can. Marriott’s worldwide scheme is called Marriott Spirit to Preserve. Marriott purchase from green companies and we are building our new hotels with energy saving ideas. The Portsmouth Marriott Hotel is fully on board in supporting these initiatives.”