HOSPITALITY FOR A BETTER WORLD
The company's CEO talks to us about the end of plastic in the Meliá group.
Each year, 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea instead of being recycled. Some of this waste takes up to 450 years to disappear, causing pollution throughout the entire decomposition process. By the end of this year, the Meliá group will have eliminated all single-use plastics from their hotels. We spoke to the CEO, Gabriel Escarrer, to learn about the significance of this inspiring and life-saving decision.
Many of us have seen pictures on social media of the island of rubbish in the Pacific Ocean; it’s three times the size of France. Made up of 1.8 billion plastic objects weighing as much as 500 jumbo jets, it’s the largest accumulation of plastic in the world.
Most of the rubbish—nearly half—consists of hard plastic, plastic sheets or films, ropes, fishing nets... the list goes on. This pollution poses huge risks to marine life, as plastic nets can entangle animals and strangle them. Other animals, such as sea turtles, mistake the plastic for food and eat it. And if nothing is done, at the rate we’re going, the consequences will be devastating. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish. That’s according to a recent report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (created by the eponymous sportswoman who broke the world record for sailing solo around the world without stopping).
Countries like Costa Rica—which wants to ban all single-use plastics by 2021—and prominent international companies like Meliá Hotels International have already taken action. Items like bags, bottles and cutlery will soon be biodegradable, unlike plastic products that are only used for a few seconds and then take hundreds of years to decompose, becoming a part of the food chain and polluting the environment. We delve into the imminent end of the plastic era at the Meliá hotels with the company ’s CEO, Gabriel Escarrer, to learn how they ’re doing their bit to reduce the amount of plastic that reaches the sea.
When did you realise that you had to join this battle?
For a number of years now I’ve been very conscious of the threat of climate change, both as a leader of a tourism company (which is strongly linked to the climate and environment, by default), and as a responsible citizen and father of four children. I don’t want them to inherit a polluted world.
That said, we first addressed the role of tourism companies in the fight against climate change at the penultimate General Assembly of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). There I saw very clearly that Meliá, as an industry leader and a role model for many, needed to take its first decisive step towards eliminating non-reusable plastics.
To mention a piece of personal inspiration: both my family and I love to sail around the Mediterranean, where we live, and it’s devastating to think about the fact that our beautiful sea is filled, year after year, with plastic waste that not only spoils the sea and makes it dangerous to sail, but also pollutes and kills animals and plants. It threatens the whole biological pyramid that gives life to our seas, and thereby to all of us.
Meliá has decided to eliminate non-reusable plastics throughout the whole value chain: bottles, glasses, bags, coasters, straws, etc. How do you plan to do this?
Unlike other companies that have announced medium and longterm plans, our commitment is immediate (seeing as how we should have removed all singleuse plastics already by now). That’s why we’ve distributed a roadmap to all of our teams in both the hotels and the
COUNTRIES LIKE COSTA RICA—WHICH
WANTS TO BAN ALL SINGLE-USE PLASTICS BY 2021—AND PROMINENT
INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES
LIKE MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL
HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ACTION.
corporate offices, indicating the steps to take in order to meet this goal. It includes guidelines for replacing these non reusable plastic objects with reusable and eco-friendly materials, as well as installing water dispensers and using glasses and pitchers.
The greatest challenge is to make this change without undermining the guest experience. As a matter of fact, in a business like ours, the best customer experience should be compatible with respecting the planet.
Similarly, our hotels will no longer serve straws with drinks, and if customers request them, they ’ll be given straws made of a biodegradable material. All of this will be complemented by awareness raising campaigns that will explain to our guests why we’re doing this and how they too can help reduce pollution. It’s essential for us that all of our stakeholders, employees, guests, suppliers, neighbours, etc. are environmentally conscious. Which hotels are spearheading these changes, and why? All of our hotels will implement these new guidelines, although I do think it’s clear that in hotels where the natural surroundings are truly extraordinary, such as our resorts in the Caribbean, the results will be even more significant and apparent. For instance, it’s easier to implement this programme in a resort like the Paradisus Cancún, where the beach is home to three endangered species of turtles. This hotel has a turtle nesting and release programme that guests can take part in.
In this way customers learn firsthand about the impact that straws and other plastic objects have on turtles. And not only do they accept the measures we’re taking against pollution, but they also often become ambassadors for the cause by, for instance, speaking out against plastic bottles.
How do you implement a change of such magnitude in a group as diverse and widespread as yours?
The fact that we’re present in over 40 countries means that our organisation has developed tools, processes and protocols that are suitable for all our hotels. This commitment is also integrated into the global sustainability policy that the company upholds, which all line managers enforce among their teams. Of course, training and internal communication are also very important.
What biodegradable materials have you sourced to replace plastic?
There’s a variety of alternative, eco-friendly materials that can be used according to their functionality, cost and appearance on a case by case basis. For example, glass can be used as a substitute for plastic bottles; cardboard or wood pulp for cups, straws, take away containers and coasters; and polycarbonate or Tetra Brik for those cases in which glass is not a good alternative (swimming pools, minibars, etc.).
In some cases—such as that of water bottles—this substitution also requires the installation of filtered water dispensers of a certified quality, to serve as an alternative or complement the use of glass bottles (which are preferably reusable).
Where and how do you purchase and transport these new materials?
At the moment we’re completing our analysis of the alternatives for each material and item, identifying and selecting potential suppliers, confirming the items and setting the implementation timeframes for the hotels.
In principle, as we used to do with plastics, we prioritise local suppliers (in 2017, at the global level, 92.9% of the company ’s suppliers were local, and the purchases we made from these suppliers represented 93.4% of the total).
What specialists are responsible for assessing all these details? A task force was set up in order to develop the implementation of this strategy to eliminate single-use plastics, formed mostly by employees from the global Environment department, the Purchasing department and the regional Operations departments.
As this is a strategic issue, the proposals are examined and validated by the company’s Management and Strategic Planning Committee.
Could we say that this is a return to the basics in hotel practises? Do you remember when plastic was first introduced at a global level to replace other, less polluting materials?
The enormous use of plastic in our daily lives began when I was young, but the boom of single-use plastics, specifically water bottles and so on, is a recent phenomenon. It has multiplied exponentially thanks to its undisputed cost advantages, as well as its convenience and its features as a material for food and drink packaging, etc. Until well into the 20th century, singleuse products were even thought of as more modern and advanced.
Concerns over the impact of the waste generated by these materials on the planet are relatively new, but we can now say with absolute certainty that this is truly an environmental emergency. I have no doubt that we will determine how to respond to this emergency, and find alternative systems to meet our needs.
What impact does removing and replacing its entire stock of plastic products have on the company?
We’re analysing the various alternatives, but in financial terms, the transition from nonreusable plastic to more ecofriendly materials is costly in all cases. It’s a cost that we are willing to take on as an investment for our future.
Stock management doesn’t worry us, as we developed our plan well in advance—with the aim of complete elimination by the end of this year—and items are being replaced as the plastic stock is used up.
How will you train hotel staff to explain this initiative to guests?
We’re developing an internal communication plan to help us manage the ‘cultural change’ that this process will bring about, in order to encourage our employees to become ‘ambassadors’ for the programme. At the same time, this will help them learn how to explain and convey the programme and its advantages to our guests upon their arrival, or even before, in order to forestall and counteract any doubts or concerns guests may have. Above all, we’re relying on the basic premise that respecting the planet needs to be compatible with the best possible guest experience.
So far, and with the initiatives we’ve already implemented (like the elimination of plastic cups, straws and coasters) at some resorts, we’ve been happy to find that our guests understand and willingly accept this transition to a hotel free of single-use plastics, and even feel proud to stay with us as a result. This also extends to the general feeling among our employees and partners.
What’s the most complicated part of a change like this for the company? And what’s the most re-warding aspect of making such a decision?
The most complicated aspects will undoubtedly be taking on the increase in cost and, at an operational level, managing the demand for water by using glass or polycarbonate bottles, or glasses and glass pitchers, as well as installing filtered water dispensers.
In addition, the major challenges will be the materials we use in pools (where we can’t use glass for safety reasons) and at conventions, where higher amounts of individual water bottles are needed due to the large number of people in attendance. This is as much a cultural challenge as it is an operational one.
The sustainability of tourism destinations has become an issue that must be addressed. The Meliá group is taking great strides in this respect. There is still much to be done, but what’s the next challenge you have in mind in order to improve the sustainability of travel? The tourism industry has a huge impact on travel destinations, as it has an unmatched effect on their socioeconomic development. But it can also damage these destinations if a solid environmental strategy is not developed and enforced.
For this reason—and as Meliá is a member of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), with the highest score of all Spanish tourism companies—I would say that one of our greatest priorities is the fight against climate change, through the reduction of emissions and the use of clean and renewable energy sources at every step of the tourism supply chain.
Our second greatest priority and challenge is to raise awareness and consciousness among our people (guests, employees, stakeholders and the visitors and residents of our destinations) regarding the urgency of respecting and improving our natural surroundings—and the whole planet. Climate change, like plastic pollution, is now a global phenomenon.
I WOULD SAY THAT OUR GREATEST PRIORITY IS THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE, THROUGH THE REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS AND THE
USE OF CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AT EVERY STEP OF
THE TOURISM SUPPLY CHAIN.