Adelaide’s Big I achieves remarkable waste benchmark
The Intercontinental Adelaide hotel in Australia has achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status a year ahead of schedule.
The hotel has targeted sending no waste to landfills by the end of 2012 but figures reveal that over the last three months it recycled 100% of its waste meaning it has surpassed targets set by InterContinental Hotels Group as part of the chain’s corporate responsibility initiative. And that is while the hotel was experiencing excellent occupancy rates during those months.
Waste management company SITA supplied the hotel with the system that enables the hotel to separate its organic waste and recyclable materials from the general waste stream.
James Allen, general manager of the InterContinental Adelaide, said the establishment had set a new benchmark in waste management. “IHG has instructed all 4400 hotels around the globe to [analyse] their green strategies and respective carbon footprints. InterContinental Adelaide has taken this direction extremely seriously.
“We set our targets to have 100% recycling of waste and zero landfill by the end of 2012 and we have achieved it a year earlier than expected,” Mr Allen said.
IHG launched its Green Engage program worldwide following a study in 2006 that found that the carbon footprint of a single guest room equates to that of an average sized home. The system, which is the first of its kind to be endorsed by the United States’ Green Building Council, enables all of the group’s hotels to monitor and manage their environmental impact.
SITA major accounts manager, Christopher Plummer said, “Through the partnership between InterContinental Adelaide and SITA we have ensured all the remaining dry materials are manufactured into a processed engineered fuel at the SITA Resource Co Alternative Fuels facility in Wingfield.
“This fuel is then used as an alternative to fossil fuels for firing cement kilns at Adelaide Brighton Cement. I am so impressed with InterContinental Adelaide’s commitment to zero waste and the way in which they are doing it. It truly is a complete zero waste solution.”
Mr Allen said purchasing decisions, supply chain and procurement priorities were all integral to the achievement of sending no waste to landfill.
InterContinental Adelaide marketing director Rupert Diss said occupancy rates at the 367-room hotel were at more than 75% for March and 85% for February – 5% higher than last year.
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