Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts celebrates its 25th Anniversary and Earth Day 2019 with over 25% group wide reduction of single-use plastic in a year. The Group announced a pledge against single-use plastic in support of Earth Day 2018 theme End Plastic Pollution. Within a year, this declaration has inspired the change across its 48 hotels worldwide and successfully eliminated 4.2 million single-use plastic items, equating to a significant 26% reduction in total usage.
Championing 25 years of sustainable development since its inception in 1994, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has pioneered the journey of stewardship in its commitment towards the environment and communities through its philosophy of “Embracing the Environment, Empowering People”.
Up to 80% of ocean plastic pollution originates from land. Recognising the detrimental effect of plastic on the environment and marine life, the premium hotel operator and developer implemented a plan for all its properties to phase out the use of disposable plastics.
The first year saw the strategic reduction of 31 commonly used plastic products, particularly 1 million plastic bags (-28%), 1.3 million plastic straws (-51%) replaced with paper, steel and bamboo straws, 1.28 million plastic bottles (-28% water bottles & -63% soft drink bottles), cocktail stirrers (-58%) and plastic-wrapped minibar items (-72%).
Aimed to be launched this year towards overall plastic reduction, the Group’s lifestyle retail arm – Banyan Tree Gallery is developing sustainable alternatives for its range of guests’ amenities such as cotton buds, combs and toothbrushes. Banyan Tree‘s reformulated body and aromatherapy products are made of 95% natural botanical ingredients which are sustainably sourced. The 18-month research and development extended across the value chain of both its packaging and ingredients so as to create the best possible products for people and the environment.
