HOTEL giants Hilton have announced it will remove plastic straws from its 650 strong portfolio of properties by the end of this year.
It claims it will also cuts its global impact on the environment in half by 2030 by setting a range of new goals.
The move will cover all its managed hotels, including those in Scotland.
Officials at the chain say the development in Europe, Middle East & Africa alone will remove more than five million plastic straws and 20 million plastic water bottles every year
Laid end to end, the straws saved each year in the region would exceed the length of the River Seine.
Simon Vincent, Executive Vice President and President, EMEA, Hilton said: “As a leading global hospitality company, we have a huge responsibility to act as stewards of our natural resources, and support the communities in which we operate.
“Through our corporate responsibility strategy, Travel with Purpose, we are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact.
“Extending a ban on plastic straws across our managed portfolio is an important move in the right direction, and one which we are committed to building on in the coming years.”
Hilton will remove plastic straws and offer a paper or biodegradable alternatives if asked.
Plastic water bottles will also be taken from from meetings and events in hotels across the EMEA region, as part of its global Meet with Purpose program to offer socially and environmentally responsible meetings.
The company says it will also double the amount it spends with local and minority-owned suppliers, and double its investment in programs to help women and youth around the world.
Hilton’s new 2030 goals include:
-
Reduce carbon emissions intensity by 61%, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
-
Reduce water consumption and produced waste by 50%
-
Sustainably source meat, poultry, produce, seafood and cotton
-
Expand existing soap recycling program to all hotels and send zero soap to landfill
These goals are part of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose corporate responsibility strategy to further the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
“For nearly 100 years, Hilton has been driven by our mission to have a positive impact on the communities surrounding our hotels,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton, and Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council.
“In this Golden Age of Travel, we are taking a leadership role to ensure that the destinations where travellers work, relax, learn and explore are vibrant and resilient for generations of adventurers yet to come.”
WANT TO LEAR MORE? Read: Heb Celt bans plastic
IMAGE CREDITS: cc Hans