Sustainability is Good for Business

PRESENTATION TO GROUNDSKEEPING DEPARTMENT

Sustainable Hotel Gardens

Introduction

Our customers are looking for accommodation that is:

working to improve its sustainability

reduce negative environmental impact

The hotel is making efforts to reduce its water and energy consumption and to minimise the production of waste

Garden planning and maintenance has an important role to play in reducing water consumption

GROUNDS – Energy Reduction

DECORATIVE LIGHTING

external lighting should use energy efficient lamps

Install automatic timers to limit the hours that decorative lighting is on to when it is likely to be viewed by guests i.e. turn off by 1am

Install daylight sensors to ensure the lights can only be on when it is dark and not left on accidentally

Grounds – Water Reduction

Select indigenous plants appropriate for the local climate

Ensure all plants are located within their correct watering zones for water needs (low, medium and high)

Plants in the low zone should only need rain water

Water gardens in the early morning to avoid evaporation

Use a controlled irrigation system rather than hoses

Capture rainwater from roofs and gutters to be used on the gardens

Consider using grey water (from sinks, baths and showers) for irrigation

Grounds – Water Use Reduction

Ensure that watering activities match:

Water zonesClimatic conditions and humidityHours of sunshine

Mow the lawns correctly

Maintain mulching and plant cover

Grounds – Waste Minimisation

Garden waste can be composted on site and then used on the gardens for mulching and providing nutrients to the soil

This process can be extended to include kitchen waste

Avoid the use of pesticides wherever possible

Oils from equipment should be collected by a specialist contractor

Case Study - Morocco

Hotel Tikida Garden, Marrakesh

ActionThe hotel has 5 hectares of land so the

Gardening Staff set up a composting system

Impacts

– Cancelled weekly collection of garden waste by truck – saving €200 a week

– Produce their own fertiliser and don’t need chemicals anymore - saving €1000 each year and significantly reducing their environmental impact

– The scheme is a great way to communicate the hotel’s environmental work with guests and partners

Action Planning

Discuss what options there are for reducing energy, water and waste in your operations

create a list of potential actions

who needs to be involved to ensure that these actions can take place?

how quickly do you anticipate these actions being put into place?

will any further training be required?

MAKINGA WORLDOF DIFFERENCE…