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| Initiatives to progress sustainability across the hospitality industry (Source: TTG Asia, 2022) |
Introduction
Since the early 2000s, we have seen green infrastructures being built through investments made in them compared to conventional buildings. We see the environmental impact vastly reduced by these green buildings, and we see Green Human Resources play a vital role in the sustainability of these establishments. Usually, a traditional Human Resource Team is not utilized effectively or efficiently in organizations to support infrastructure, but Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) does this. GHRM, being one of the newest concepts in human resources, is reinstating a green response from its employees.
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| Park Royal Hotel, Pickering, Singapore (Source: Conde Nast Traveler, 2024) |
Green Buildings
"Green building is defined as the practice of creating structures using environmentally responsible and resource-efficient processes throughout a building's life cycle from inception and design to construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction." (WGECO citing USEPA, 2014)
Does going green cost more? Many people have the misconception that green infrastructure and equipment would cost a lot. While this is true initially, the savings generated by reduced energy costs increase more than tenfold to cover the money spent initially. Not only will the investment save you money, but it will also support the well-being of the environment and be a win-win for everyone involved.
Hotels of the future are taking a step forward and heading towards net zero (zero energy buildings). Let's take a small-scale hotel example. One of the best initiatives "is the Boutique Hotel Stadthalle in Vienna, which uses solar panels, photovoltaic technology, and groundwater heat pumps to generate 100% of the energy it needs to operate." (Bergstrom, 2021)
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| Front Office of the Park Royal Hotel, Pickering, Singapore (Source: Conde Nast Traveler, 2024) |
How to manage water efficiently?
- Build low water demand toilet (e.g. Thailand) these would use only one-fifth the water of older toilets (5 liters per flush as compared with up to 25 liters in older toilets)
- Low volume shower and water basin nozzles are designed to use about one-third the water of older designs.
- Recycling gray water for the use of garden watering.
Waste Management
Hotels generate a large amount of waste such as from single
use hotel amenities to single use plastics and a lot of food waste because
hotels are based on the concepts of indulgence. Now with use of PPE (Personal
protective Equipment), hotels are paying more attention to hygiene and waste
management.
Still food waste is worst in most hotels and is “the single
largest component of US landfills with roughly 80 billion pounds thrown away
each year in America.” (Romuno, 2021)
Locally in Sri Lanka, “in terms of solid waste management,
over 65 percent of the hotels’ waste is collected by the municipality council in
Sri Lanka. Good solid waste management practices include composting (22%),
recycling (22%), and solid waste segregation (18%).” In Sri Lanka today “there
are 42 percent of the hotels have sewage treatment plants.’’ (Wickramasinghe,
2015)
- Donate excess food
- Use traditional composting methods
(especially for the hotel’s organic gardens)
- Recycling
- Use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze
discarded food and to monitor waste streams.
- “Waste Management plans (E.g. “Grand Hyatt Singapore has built its own on-site waste management plant with a Biomax thermophilic digester that processes approximately 1000 kilograms of food waste generated per day into organic fertilizer used for landscaping.’’ (Bergstrom, 2021)
Universal need to “go green.”
Message to all industries around the world from global
experts carry the same message: “reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built
environment to net-zero by 2050.” (Van Houtte et al, 2023)
For hotels, moving towards sustainability is mandatory
because hotels have a huge impact on the environment and the location it operates
from. Let’s take an example with Spain. In Spain, due to a high volume of
tourists within Europe as well as its own local tourism within the country the
beaches have gotten eroded. “Satellite images have been analyzed to show that
three beaches in the port area of Valencia lost 70% of their sand over three
decades. The area has suffered from the some of
the worst coastal erosion over the years in the Valencian Community causing
some sections to completely disappear.” (Trelinski, 2024) This applies
to Sri Lanka too as the Sri Lankan coastal tourism accounts for eighty percent
of the total tourism infrastructure of the country and therefore makes a significant
portion of the national economy. (Moramudali, 2018)
Conclusion:
Due to negative impacts and the growing population, nature and
its habitants are struggling to survive. There is more news of natural
disasters, earthquakes, floods, extreme weather due to rising global
temperatures that are already affecting the world and most importantly the
hospitality industry. If a move towards sustainability isn’t made, the cost of
operations will rise higher and if a destination loses its impact, it is bound
to get reduced number of tourists.
In Sri Lanka we see “adopting green practices has become inevitable for the hotel industry in Sri Lanka since customers have become sensitive when making purchasing decisions thereby giving priority to green hotels. The Green Building Council of Sri Lanka (GBCSL) has introduced a Green SL rating system including eight categories to evaluate the green aspects that have to be followed by new buildings and existing buildings to go green.” (Moramudali, 2018) In his study of implementing green buildings in Sri Lanka and especially in the hotel sector, Moramudali, (2018) has found that “considering the financial liability, all the implemented green retrofits have a positive return on investment and less than ten years of payback period, except for LED televisions. Amongst the implemented retrofits, biomass boilers, energy-efficient chillers, and solar PV systems had the highest energy saving efficiency, followed by VFDs (Variable Frequency Drives) and LED lighting.”
With Green Buildings and green installations been provided,
we note that that this infrastructure change would need skilled people to monitor,
use and train these systems. Therefore, a Green Human Resource Management can
step in and take control of these aspects to play a more wholesome role in the
hotel industry as well as other industries.
References:
Bergstrom, S. (2021) How the Hotel Industry Is Going Green, Consulting - Specifying Engineer. Available at: https://www.csemag.com/articles/how-the-hotel-industry-is-going-green/ (Accessed: 04 April 2024).
CondéNastTraveler (2023) Reimagining the future of hotels: Grounded, inspired, rejuvenated, Condé Nast Traveler. Available at: https://www.cntraveler.com/sponsored/story/reimagining-the-future-of-hotels-grounded-inspired-rejuvenated (Accessed: 04 April 2024).
Moramudali, W.K. (2018) Adoption of Green Practices in Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka: An Evaluation Based on the Green SL Rating System, 15th International Conference on Business Management (ICBM 2018) . Available at: http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/bitstream/handle/123456789/8095/Adoption of Green Practices in Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka An Evaluation Based on the Green SL Rating System.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Hotels & Resorts (2023) Parkroyal Collection Pickering: A decade of eco-elegance, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0q_W9Csg3Y (Accessed: 05 April 2024).
Trelinski, A. (2022) ‘vanished’ Costa Blanca sandy beach to be restored in multi-million euro project in Spain, Olive Press News Spain. Available at: https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2022/11/17/vanished-costa-blanca-sandy-beach-to-be-restored-in-multi-million-euro-project-in-spain/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
Trelinski, A. (2024) Outrage as three beaches lose 70% of their sand on Spain’s east coast following the expansion of a nearby Port, Olive Press News Spain. Available at: https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2024/01/15/outrage-as-three-beaches-lose-70-of-their-sand-on-spains-east-coast-following-the-expansion-of-a-nearby-port/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
TTGAsia (2022) Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Greenview Partner to advance sustainability across the hotel industry, TTG Asia. Available at: https://www.ttgasia.com/2022/11/10/sustainable-hospitality-alliance-greenview-partner-to-advance-sustainability-across-the-hotel-industry/ (Accessed: 04 April 2024).
Van Houtte, D.N. and Mandziuk, G. (2024) Building Green and Resilient Hotels: Investing in our planet, EDGE Buildings. Available at: https://edgebuildings.com/building-green-and-resilient-hotels-investing-in-our-planet/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
Wickramasinghe, K. (2015) Good Environmental Management Practices in the hotel industry in Sri Lanka: Determinants and barriers, Talking Economics. Available at: https://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/2015/02/09/good-environmental-management-practices-in-the-hotel-industry-in-sri-lanka-determinants-and-barriers/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
Workman, B. (2020) 1 hotels leads by example with their Zero waste mission: RTS, Recycle Track Systems. Available at: https://www.rts.com/blog/1-hotels-leads-by-example-with-their-zero-waste-mission/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
World Green Economy Council (2017) Green building, World Green Economy Council. Available at: https://wgeco.org/green-building/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
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In many countries, traditional building methods used local materials, passive heating and cooling methods, and adaptations to the natural environment. These were the first examples of using resources efficiently and building in a way that doesn't harm the environment.
ReplyDeleteCan Suggest few for Hotel Industry ,
Use throwaway plastics like water bottles, cups, and toiletries as little as possible. Offer choices that can be refilled or that break down naturally.
Limit your portions, compost your food scraps, and give extra food to charities as ways to lose weight.
Very good suggestions you have here, Dilshad. Yes, in Sri Lanka ecological building methods using local materials has existed since prehistoric days where we used to make homes out of mud, cow dung and coconut leaf rooves.
DeleteHi Anji! Such a lovely Article! overall i understood that The growing population and negative impacts on nature and its inhabitants are causing natural disasters, earthquakes, floods, and extreme weather, impacting the hospitality industry and reducing tourism. In Sri Lanka, adopting green practices is essential due to customer sensitivity and the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka's rating system. Moramudali's study found that all implemented green retrofits have a positive return on investment and less than ten years of payback period, except for LED televisions. This sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for summarizing my article, Amesha, and hopefully everyone got a gist of what I was trying to talk about. :)
DeleteThis article highlights the strategic significance of adopting Green Human Resource Management practices in the hospitality industry, emphasizing the role of green infrastructure and waste management initiatives. By integrating sustainability principles into HRM practices, hotels can mitigate environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency and guest satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteCorrectly said, Ruwan. Thanks.
DeleteAbsolutely, investing in green infrastructure and implementing green practices in industries like hospitality is crucial for sustainability. It's great to see initiatives like low water demand toilets, waste management plans, and renewable energy sources being adopted. And you're right, having skilled individuals to manage and train others on these systems is essential. Green Human Resource Management can definitely play a significant role in ensuring the success of these initiatives.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, investing in green infrastructure and implementing green practices in industries like hospitality is crucial for sustainability. It's great to see initiatives like low water demand toilets, waste management plans, and renewable energy sources being adopted. And you're right, having skilled individuals to manage and train others on these systems is essential. Green Human Resource Management can definitely play a significant role in ensuring the success of these initiatives.
ReplyDeleteHopefully GHRM becomes relevant and predominant, Minoshi. I do believe hotels need this a lot, especially if they look to lead to the future.
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ReplyDeleteThis article effectively explores the link between sustainability and human resource management in hospitality. Its structured presentation and vibrant visuals enhance engagement. It adeptly debunks the misconception of higher costs in green practices, emphasizing long-term benefits aligning with sustainable development principles. Kudos to Anjalika for the insightful content.
Thank you, Thisari. I was looking to dispel the popular misconception that to go green one has to have a big budget. Sometimes small steps are enough, and even if one does invest heavily in green equipment and sustainability, it eventually reaps great rewards.
DeleteIntegrating green practices into the hospitality industry is essential for reducing environmental impact, improving operational efficiency, enhancing guest satisfaction, and maintaining long-term competitiveness in a rapidly changing market landscape. Implementing green practices in the hospitality industry can lead to a wide range of benefits, including cost savings, enhanced reputation, market differentiation, regulatory compliance, improved operational efficiency, employee engagement, and risk mitigation. By prioritizing sustainability, businesses can improve their business performance, attract customers, and ensure long-term success in a competitive market landscape. Highly valuable article for tomorrow’s world.
ReplyDeleteCorrect, Sudheera. Well summarized and noted.
DeleteNice article Anjalika. You have nicely highlighted the importance to going green in all industries. Food waste management has become one of the most critical topics in the hospitality industry. Food Waste Tracking, Employee Training, Menu Optimization, Consumer Awareness Campaigns strategies will also help effectively to manage food waste.
ReplyDeleteYes, Shedric, I'm constantly bothered about how much food we end up wasting. Mainly during buffets in hotels to be matter of fact where lots of food just gets thrown out
DeleteYour article provides a fascinating insight into the symbiotic relationship between green infrastructure and GHRM in hotels and other industries. It's inspiring to see how initiatives like sustainable building designs and green spaces not only benefit the environment but also enhance employee well-being and productivity. I'd be interested to learn more about the challenges faced in implementing GHRM practices related to green infrastructure and how these challenges can be overcome. Great post by the way. Very informative!
ReplyDeleteChallenges to implement green infrastructure would be upfront costs, Hasith. It is quite daunting to most when they hear of higher figures compared to lower upfront costs of building using traditional methods. Also there are technical complexities involved which requires specialized engineering, architectural, landscaping and environmental science skills. Not to forget that some countries would have major regulatory frameworks that may not support green technologies, and I've noted that the upkeep of green buildings have to be steadily monitored because it needs to be in pristine condition if it is to stay for a long time.
DeleteGreen infrastructure, such as sustainable energy systems and eco-friendly facilities, not only promotes environmental stewardship but also fosters a culture of sustainability in hotels and other industries. This approach aligns with HR practices by attracting environmentally-conscious talent and nurturing a workforce committed to green initiatives, ultimately enhancing organizational reputation and competitiveness.
ReplyDeleteYou've gotten a gist of it, Lakshitha. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteIt's a compelling look into how green infrastructure and human resource management are converging to drive sustainability in hotels and industries Anji. Great insight on efficient water management, waste reduction, and renewable energy solutions. It's clear that these initiatives not only benefit the environment but also contribute to a more responsible and resilient hospitality sector. Great insights into the importance of using green practices!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dinesh. The hospitality sector has to become more environmentally responsible if it wants to remain prominent. Sustainability is becoming more of a necessity than an option because we are using way too many resources without much consideration. It's good to note however that Gen Z seems to be more in tune of being pro environmentalist than any other generation.
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