THE VALUE OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY (CE) BUILDING IN HOSPITALITY

ALL EYES ARE ON HOW HOTELS ARE TRANSITIONING FROM A LINEAR ECONOMY—TAKING, MAKING AND WASTING…

—TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY OF REDUCING, REUSING AND RECYCLING.

 WHAT is CIRCULAR ECONOMY and what does it have to do with your hotel?

Circle construction consists of a range of building systems that can be assembled, disassembled and reassembled into other buildings while keeping their economic and aesthetic values intact.

The circular economy is a concept in which everything is engineered to be constantly reused or recycled. It requires rethinking of design, manufacturing, selling, re-using, recycling and consumer ownership to keep resources in use for as long as possible and to extract maximum value.

Today’s hotel guest is more ecologically conscious than ever before, and the demand for eco-friendly hotels, products and services is reaching epic heights.

Hospitality companies are racing to meet demands by adapting Green Practices (GP) and Circular Economy (CE) principles. Research shows that CE principles are primarily applied in construction and hotel services. The application of CE principles into services, particularly in the hospitality industry, need to ramp up efforts to embrace the CE concept from the perspectives of both hotels and guests as all focus upon adoption of green practices.   That said, indicators show that once guests are educated about your hotels’ GP and CE programs, guest approvals and support positively impact hotels’ adoption of CE and GP practices.

Green practices are gaining increased attention in the hospitality industry, and while a wide variety of green practices are already being adopted, we have a long way to go. However, the role of Circular Economy in the hospitality industry had been obscured in green practices.

Energy Efficiency - The intensity of energy use of buildings.

Climate / Temperature - How much higher a location’s temperatures are compared to surrounding areas

Building Certification - How many of your region’s buildings are certified as green.

Renewable Energy Consumption - How much energy is sourced from renewables.

Solid Waste Recycling - How much solid waste is diverted from landfills and incineration.

Water Recycling - How much wastewater is safely treated.

URBAN CIRCULAR LIVING

‘The amenities of urban life will attract 6.5 billion people - or 68% of the world's population - by 2050, up from the 4 billion who live in cities today’, according to the United Nations. And ‘more than 1,000 cities worldwide have committed to reaching net zero by 2050’. 

The Paris Agreement - Whether a city committed to measures to limit warming to 1.5℃.

Policies and Roadmaps - How many commitments and achievements a city has made in the transition to a circular economy.

Investment - A city's financial incentives to adopt renewable energy for transport and buildings.

CONSIDERATIONS

Green Space - How much of a city is covered by trees and greenery.

Transport - How much of a city is within walking distance of public transit.

Sharing Economy - How many bike-, e-bike- and scooter-sharing programs exist in a city.

 THINKING ABOUT RE-USE & RECYCLING

The U.S. recycling industry alone processes more than 130 million tons of recyclables each year, according to the Bureau of International Recycling.

LET’S GET STARTED 

A Switch on air conditioning or heating system only when clients enter the room

B Guest can choose remotely the room temperature (via smartphone), heat and air conditioning are generated by own produced renewable energy (e.g. solar panels, natural resources, geothermic or lake)

C Offer less room complimentary accessories (e.g. shoe polish, comb, toiletries)

D All room accessories are made of natural ingredients and toiletries are dispensed in bulk

E Reduce frequency of bedlinen and towels cleaning

F Bedlinen and towels are cleaned with natural home-made cleaning products

G Reduce frequency of room cleaning

H Cleaning staff follow a training to reduce the use of energy and resources to clean a room

I Recycle food waste (compost)

J Use food leftovers to produce biogas

K Reduce food waste (e.g. produce on demand, share excess food)

L Cook mainly with own produced food

M Implement energy efficient practices in SPA (e.g. no overheating of pool or jacuzzi, reduction of working hours, etc.)

N Use of own produced renewable energy for SPA (e.g. solar panels)

O Store rainwater (e.g., for irrigation, toilets, washing machine)

P Reduce water consumption (e.g., water flow control)

Q Recycle grey water from guests' rooms (e.g., for toilets, irrigation)

R Use energy efficient electronic/electrical appliances (e.g., LED, A+++)

S Transform or build a carbon neutral building

T Implement tools to monitor and display guests’ water and energy consumption

U Recycle grey water (e.g., for toilets, irrigation) and use own produced renewable energy (e.g., solar panels)

V Reduce the number of furniture in the hotel (e.g. in lobby, restaurant, rooms)

W Use of re-manufactured or second-hand furniture in the hotel (e.g., in lobby, restaurant, rooms)

X Encourage hotel guests to travel by public transports (e.g., offer public transport day pass)

Y Offer non-polluting travel options while at the hotel (e.g., e-bikes, e-cars)

Responsible travel minimizes negative impact on the environment and society. One of the primary actions hotel guests can do is to book at a sustainable hotel.  Most associate sustainability with protecting the environment, but sustainability is much more. It is based on three key pillars of ecological, social and economic factors. Many hotels have implemented a green policy, by using sustainable construction materials, recycling waste materials, conserving water, or preserving fragile ecosystems. Remember, The circular economy is a production and consumption system based on sharing, reusing, repairing, recycling and refurbishing with the aim of extending product life cycles, reducing waste to a minimum and closing the loop of supply chains.

GO CIRCULAR, GO GREEN.