Thailand is known globally as one of the world’s worst polluters and is ranked in the top 10 countries which allow plastic waste to wind up in the ocean.
Statistics by the Plastics Institute of Thailand paint a grim picture. Their report says Thailand’s 66 million residents use two plastic bags a day on average, which in a year accumulates to 9,750 plastic cups, 8,000 plastic bottles and 5,000 plastic straws.
To tackle such an environmental crisis, early this year the Thai Hotels Association (THA) launched “Thai Hotels Plastic-Free Project”, encouraging and challenging local hotel operators to use less plastic.
One establishment that has taken up this challenge is Centara Hotels & Resorts which has become one of many five-star hotels today campaigning seriously to reduce plastic waste at both hotel properties and tourism destinations.
One of their many initiatives includes the sculpted sea creature-cum-trash-bins dubbed POP [Plastic Only, Please], which will soon be installed at 12 Centara properties around Thailand and the Maldives.
How it works is that each time the plastic-hungry sea life creatures resembling contraption fills up with collected plastic trash, Centara’s waste management teams remove the contents, weigh the trash and prepare it for sorting and delivery to local recycling facilities.
Rather than adding more plastic garbage to further exacerbate local land pollution and fill nearby landfills, these “plastic eating creatures” promise to offer a first-line waste management filter, diverting reusable plastic materials to be recycled into new products instead of going straight to the garbage.
The top local chain hotel operator has also implemented a single-use plastic ban, a key sustainable initiative under Centara’s 2019 Sustainability Plan.
The elimination of single-use plastic items is part of the “Centara EarthCare” strategy directed at motivating hotel guests and tourists to be proactive, not just about eradicating plastic but energy saving, waste reduction and sustainable environmental tourism.
The sustainability objective covers five types of single-use plastic items, including drinking straws, laundry bags, take-away food containers, fitness centre and poolside plastic bottles, and plastic guest room amenities. They are being replaced with items made from materials designed to minimise environmental impact.
“We are committed to selecting environmentally-friendly products which, in turn, enables us to further incorporate sustainable strategies and development into our products and services, creating shared value at an environmental, social and economic level wherever we operate,” said CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat.
“We are also committed to ensuring a respectful, safe and healthy environment for the larger society and future generations. Centara commenced phasing in its elimination of single-use plastic products across all 40 of its operating properties in 2018. Under the mega plan, alternative products that are reusable and made from environmentally-friendlier materials, including plant-based, compostable and bio-degradable plastics, will be fully phased in by end-2019.”
Centara Hotels & Resorts’ sustainability plan covers five types of single-use plastic items, including drinking straws, take-away food containers and plastic guest room amenities. These are all being replaced with items made from materials designed to minimize environmental impact.
Last August, during the Phase I period, Centara targeted the elimination of plastic straws.
While single-use plastic straws take up to 200 years to decompose, the new bio-straws replacing them take just within six months.
Once the change is fully enacted throughout all Centara properties, the reduction in plastic straw consumption will total nearly 2.2 million straws each year. Last December, during the phase II stage, the process of eliminating the use of plastic laundry bags took effect.
Moving forward with the objectives of preserving the environment and promoting sustainable tourism in the long run, these practices will become Centara’s standards for all existing and new properties.
Another part of Centara EarthCare strategy is “Centara EarthCare Corner”, a green products shop-within-a-shop offering a range of retail products, gifts and souvenirs that cause minimal harm to people and to the environment. Each Corner offers guests access to a huge selection of sustainable products, promotes awareness of sustainability issues, and enhances the overall guest experience.
“Centara EarthCare Corner is the newest initiative of the Centara EarthCare sustainability programme and resulting from our focus on environment-friendly procedures,” said David Good, vice president - operations, Centara Hotels & Resorts. “It enables us to further incorporate sustainable development into our products and services.”
As for Centara’s signature products, he added that switching from single-use disposable products to reusable items is also key to overcoming the damage caused by plastic waste and pollution.
Furthermore, Centara Signature Products are designed to be used and reused again and again, helping preserve the environment by significantly reducing the amount of single-use plastic thrown away.
Guests can shop for crafts, mugs and travel bags by which to remember their trip and simultaneously help sustain Planet Earth for future generations.