In an effort to address waste management concerns in the hospitality industry, the Australian Hotels Association of South Australia (AHA|SA) has launched a new sustainability guide, providing an overview of environmentally sustainable practices that can be adopted in the industry.
Created in collaboration with the State Government’s Green Industries SA (GISA) and local sustainability consultants 2XE, the Sustainability Guide for the South Australian Hospitality Industry hopes to empower local hotels to set the standard for sustainability nationwide.
AHA|SA CEO Anna Moeller sees the guide as an opportunity for the hotel industry to become an industry leader in this space and encourage the extension of green practices.
“We are thrilled to unveil this guide with the State Government and 2XE on behalf of the hotels industry,” she says.
“Environmental sustainability has played a pivotal role in South Australia’s history, driven by a commitment to protecting our pristine natural environment. Our state has been a trailblazer, being the first to ban plastic bags in 2009 and setting Adelaide on course to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city.”
The new sustainability guide has been underpinned by numerous case studies demonstrating the level of waste in the industry, citing issues relating to discarded food, high energy consumption linked to lighting, refrigeration and poorly maintained HVAC systems, and more.
Already, several AHA|SA members have implemented some of the sustainable practices outlined in the guide, such as the Watervale Hotel which is repurposing unused animal parts as dog treats for its ‘Doggie Degustation’ menu and putting discarded food through a three-stage compost system.
The Maylands Hotel has also implemented a new, organic waste management system. Identifying that approximately 38 per cent of its general waste was actually organic food waste, the hotel is now diverting significant amounts of waste from landfill, resulting in net weekly savings of $50 and an annual saving of $2600.
Nick Palousis, managing director of 2XE, says this is the type of leadership that sets South Australia apart from the rest of the nation.
“In this guide, we have outlined the many opportunities for venues and hotels to reduce their impact on the environment and benefit the business by doing so. 2XE is so happy to be on the ride with he leaders at the AHA|SA, Green Industries SA and our hospitality industry,” he stated.
Moeller added: “We have developed this guide so that our hotel members are well supported in their endeavours towards more sustainable options and can realise the money-saving opportunities that come along with a more effective use of resources.
“This sustainability guide aims to tackle taste management by aligning industry thinking to avoid waste in the first place, followed by initiatives that focus on better practices, reusing and recycling, and finally, disposing of waste in more responsible ways.
“Across our great state, we not only provide excellent venues and service with premium food and wine, but we have shown that we can do it with care for our people and our planet,” she stated.
You can find the Sustainability Guide for the South Australian Hospitality Industry here.