Plastic Water Bottle Use: How One Hotel is Making a Difference

“Grab and Go” Water – the future for hotels?

Landmark Oriental Hotel makes strides towards solving the waste caused by plastic water drinking bottles.

This is a great start to solving a problem which has become a growing nightmare in the hotel tourism industry: plastic water bottle use for drinking water.

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, in Hong Kong, has installed a water filtration system for their guests. Instead of single-use plastic water bottles in the hotel’s 111 rooms, restaurants and bars, customers now have access to filtered water in glass bottles.

Nordaq FRESH water is bottled on-site using local tap water, which is purified as it passes through a patented filter system. The water is cooled and served “still or sparkling”in reusable glass bottles.

“The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is proud to be the first hotel in the city to invest in the Nordaq FRESH system that enables water to be filtered on the hotel’s premises, significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with delivering water.” says Archie Keswick, General Manager of the hotel.

“Current use of plastic is simply not sustainable,” Mr Keswick says. “5.2 million plastic bottles are disposed of in Hong Kong daily. Green Earth estimates that as more than enough to fill 2 Olympic-sized swimming pools. We were using over 500 bottles a day and knew the best way to stop that was by collaborating with Nordaq Fresh.”

” We were using over 500 bottles a day.”

“Sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing luxury,” says Archie Keswick.

“We believe we can protect the environment and maintain the highest level of guest experience and, as an industry leader, we are keen to play our part. Key to the overwhelming success of our different initiatives is explaining our commitment in an encouraging, engaging way.”

The in-house filtered, purified premium bottled water has already proved extremely popular with hotel guests well aware of the urgent need to reduce plastic waste and our carbon footprint.

The hotel has now also introduced a new compressive ‘Grab & Go’ BPA free impact-resistant bottle. Bespoke Swell stainless steel bottles in two sizes are available for sale in the guest rooms and suites. Guests are encouraged to fill their bottles at the new free water dispenser, called the Central Oasis” in the guest lobby.

A few small steps forward – but it would be great to see other hotels follow the lead set by The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. The problem of plastic waste being generated by large hotels is one which must be tackled, or we will continue to see local beaches contaminated as below in some of the world’s most beautiful destinations.

Photo Credits

Photo by Jonathan Chng 

Photo by Dustan Woodhouse 

Photos by Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong

Read more about the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s initiatives …