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Paper straws, stainless steel crockery, laundry bags made of markeen cloth, and glass bottles are beginning to replace the once-so-popular plastic products. All this, thanks to the ban on plastic in hotels.
“Our objective is to focus on reducing, reusing and recycling the waste. To take this initiative of going environmental-friendly forward, we are focusing on items for which eco-friendly substitutes are available,” said Raj Rana, CEO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.
Radisson has begun using bamboo stirrers, replaced plastic laundry bags with those made of cloth, and also installed wall-mounted dispensers for shampoo and body wash, instead of dishing out small plastic bottles.
However, there are certain items for which no eco-friendly substitute is available: plastic key cards or plastic wraps.
“...we can expect some environmental-friendly alternatives. We can tell vendors to come up with a better option so that they can relay the feedback to the company (manufacturer),” added Rana.
According to industry experts, going green is not only restricted to high-end hotels; budget hotels too are picking up on the trend.
The cost of green
The cost of an item also plays a major role the adoption of environment-friendly items. Plastic is often considered a preferred option as the substitutes available in the market are costlier in comparison.
A plastic straw might cost around 22 paise. The price of a paper straw, however, is around a rupee.
“Right now, there are not many vendors in the business of making paper straws. However, with market evolving at a faster pace and more players coming in, the costs are expected to come down,” said Garish Oberoi, President, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
He added that some green initiatives — such as glass bottles for plastic ones — turn out to be more cost-effective.
Taking this environment-friendly initiative forward, Le Meridien has begun using paper coasters, and also introduced paper straws.
“We are also working on coming up with eco-friendly shower caps as they have some plastic element in it,” said Tarun Thakral, Chief Operating Officer, Le Meridien.
Some hotels also plan to come up with steel straws, so that they can be re-used, said Oberoi.
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