Galway

Galway Convention Bureau, along with Fifty Shades Greener, has delivered a sustainable pilot project for Galway’s major accommodation providers. The project engaged with nine properties to reduce plastics and packaging from the Galway region hotels. By abolishing single use plastics items, if implemented, can have a large effect in the environment of the Galway region. 


About 1.6 million pieces of plastic are created in Ireland in just ONE DAY. These items include individually wrapped sauces, mini ketchups, mayonnaise, and sugar. The course outlined these figures and offered solutions to replace these polluting items. Mini toiletries are arguably the biggest plastic polluters of the industry. Many large hotel chains have already made the switch to refillable dispensers, and there is no coherent reason not to make this simple change. Hotels are asked to look at each department within their properties and generate an action plan to replace most single use items with re-usable or compostable solutions. 


Buying in bulk will reduce the amount of packaging generated by deliveries. The online platform has identified a list of items any hotel can purchase in bulk to help make the switch - as well as donating old items to external charities or organisations. This step fits in with what we know now as the circular economy. Hotels and large organisations often discard items that have run their course, including linen, towels, equipment and crockery. Instead of generating more waste, we can donate items to be re-used, repaired and continue their life cycle. 


The recommendation from Fifty Shades Greener is for each hotel to appoint a Green Manager, someone with authority in the property that could implement changes across all departments. Out of the nine properties in Galway this year, over 340,000 pieces of individual plastic wrappings are estimated to be abolished. 


“Plastic pollution is a high priority, especially as the hospitality industry is a big polluter of plastic; however, in today’s Climate Emergency, a big emphasis needs to be behind the reduction of resources by the industry: Energy, Water and Waste. It is a known fact that hotels waste thousands of euros and produce unnecessary Carbon Footprint every day, due to poor processes and systems implemented around their use of energy &amp; water and production of waste. The EPA has estimated that 70% of food waste in the industry can actually be avoided. The same goes for energy &amp; water use. It is our recommendation that destinations need to work together to reduce their carbon output,” explained Fifty Shades Greener.

 
Commenting on the scheme Rose Finn of Galway Convention Bureau - “A lot of work has been done but we need to do more to take centre stage with our global competitors. We’re seeing conference organisers expecting these actions to be implemented as they too have sustainable policies and targets to uphold. We need to build an innovative network in regeneration with a grounded perspective of the harsh impacts to our natural resources. GCB wants to encourage a competitive performance to achieve zero waste and unite everyone with a sense of place.”


Galway Convention Bureau is supported by Failte Ireland, Galway City Council, Galway County Council, Shannon Airport, The Western Development Commission and its memberships.

 
For more information, log onto <a href="http://www.galwayconventionbureau.com" target="_self">www.galwayconventionbureau.com </a>

Galway Convention Bureau Pilot project sees Galway Hotels going green

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