April may have marked the end of Earth month, but the drive towards greener lodging facilities is a mainstay.

As seen in our recent webinar, Make Responsible Sourcing Responsible To Your Hotel’s Bottom Line, the passion and hard work that fuels sustainable sourcing in the travel sector continues to grow.

According to Dina Belon, hotel chain Staypineapple’s President, sustainability “starts at the beginning of your supply chain and goes all the way through to your guests,” a vision she shared during the webinar alongside Entegra Energy Services expert Linda Tumlinson and Entegra lodging professional Martin Schellenberg.

In this blog, we share three easily attainable sustainable sourcing solutions that Entegra can help you bring to fruition as a GPO partner.

Your hotel guests and what sustainability means to them

According to an Expedia Travel Group Sustainable Travel Study, when answering “What do you see as part of sustainable travel,” participants look for lodging that:

• 69% lessens environmental impacts
• 66% supports local economies
• 65% supports local cultures and communities

#1 Hydration meets sustainability: A success story

Providing guests with free water bottles is a key value proposition for Staypineapple. Belon shared that the brand typically buys 575,000 plastic water bottles a year to cover their 1,055 rooms to meet this goal. Highlights of deciding to offer aluminum water bottles to their guest include:

• Sourcing aluminum bottles made in the U.S., not overseas
• Single shipping: Branded bottles ship only directly from the manufacturer to each StayPineapple location, lowering the carbon footprint
• Plastic water bottle purchases were cut in half after the aluminum bottle program was implemented.
• Lobby filling stations providing cold, sparkling, and hot water options also align with the brands sustainability goals while improving the guest experience.

Water-related Entegra sources for hotel operators include:

✔ Vivreau: Great tasting still, sparkling and hot water countertop dispensers and an entire suite of water filtration, on-site bottling, reusable bottles and more.
✔ Open Water: Ultra-purified, electrolyte-packed canned water in BPA-free aluminum packaging. And as a woman-owned business, Open Water can also contribute to your DE&I goals.

#2 Green your Grab ‘n Go!

In approximately 8 weeks, a GPO like Entegra can help you with recipes, equipment, merchandising, labels and packaging to bring a revenue-driving Grab ‘n Go program to life.

Eco-friendly Grab ‘n Go packaging can also be part of this program’s playbook. A GPO like Entegra can help you source eco-friendly containers that meet the hardy demands of Grab ‘n Go, from hot breakfasts to chilled desserts and everything in between.

Packaging-related Entegra sourcing for hotel operators

• DART: Recently launched Proplanet containers are made from recycled content and are commercially compostable
• Pactiv Evergreen EarthChoice, Ozzi & Hubert’s Biopak® Cartons: Learn more about all three here.

#3 Going local – easily

Entegra’s robust Local and Direct program helps clients simplify finding and connecting with regional suppliers that align with your hotel brands’ values and needs.

Build stronger community connections that your guests care about including easy access to:

• Fresh, locally sourced ingredients in your restaurants
• Unique, region-specific guest amenities in your rooms
• Reliability: Entegra vets every supplier
• Lower purchasing prices than you would get on your own

Check out the Local and Direct video to see the big picture.

Entegra can also help you find vetted suppliers care of the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement, an alliance of top hospitality companies collaborating with suppliers to set industry-wide goals and build transparency.

Remember to tell your sustainability story

Whether it's a video that is playing upon checking into their room or an anecdote about a sustainability success story in marketing emails or social media, make sure you are loud and proud about your sustainability efforts and accomplishments. Your team members are critical to guest communication. Share your sustainability wins with employees so they have talking points available when they are with guests and be on-the-ground advocates.

Belon shared that “Teaching people who come to our hotels about sustainability through what we do,” is important. We recommend following her sage advice!

Ready to learn more? Download your copy of Entegra’s latest sustainability report, and contact us to discuss wide range of corporate social responsibility solutions.

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¹ Packaging waste 101: the problem – Supply Chain Solutions Center (edf.org)

May 02, 2024