Corporate Social Responsibility at Garden Hotels
Corporate Social Responsibility at Garden Hotels
Garden Hotels is a company committed to the environment, local communities and suppliers, having included this corporate social responsibility in its strategies for many years now. Three cornerstones make up our corporate social responsibility: society, workplace and sustainability. Our CSR is focused on Responsible Tourism, which rests on three essential pillars: social sustainability, economic sustainability and environmental sustainability.
1. SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY SPHERE:
We collaborate closely with social integration, inclusion and equality projects in and beyond our community.
1.1 Local community
- AMADIP as the official printing company used by the chain.
- Framework partnership agreement between the Diagrama Foundation and the Garden Playanatural.
- Agreement with the IRES Association for employment of people at risk of social exclusion.
- Partnership with the Foundation for People with Disabilities.
- Partnership agreements with the Red Cross for interns.
- Agreement with the Island Council of Mallorca for the employment of vulnerable people in hotels.
- Recruitment of local people as staff.
- Application of the Equality Plan between women and men.
- Partnership with various employment programmes, such as Adecco.
- Face-to-face training plans and support for employees.
- Agreement with the Sa Teulera-Baleares Cooperative.
- Agreement with the Balearic Cooperative of Organic Food Producers.
1.2. Aid
- Partnership with the Fundación Deixalles for clothing collection campaigns and workshops within the hotels.
- Partnership with Operation Kilo of the hotel industry at the end of each season with donations of non-perishable food.
- ‘Lids for a New Life’ campaign with SEUR.
- Donation of blankets to the Red Cross.
- Donation of mattresses to RETO (NGO for the social reintegration of drug users).
- Fundraising for the Sonrisa Médica campaign.
- Partnership Agreement with the Williams Syndrome Association (book collection).
- Joint donation with TUI of free hotel vouchers to the ASPANOB Association.
- Restaurants Against Child Hunger campaign.
- Restaurants Against Hunger campaign.
1.3. Sports sponsorships
- Sponsorship of Mallorcan triathlete Marga Fullana. European and Spanish champion of Cross Duathlon, World Champion of Mountain Bike Master.
- Sponsorship of the Garden Hotels women’s volleyball team.
- Advertising at Campanet football pitch and donation of warm-up shirts for all FC Campanet teams.
- Organisation of races by the Garden Hotels Sports Club.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY SPHERE:
We contribute towards economic growth that generates equitable wealth for our local society and employees minimising damage to our environment.
2.1. Employee and guest welfare
- Framework partnership agreement between the Diagrama Foundation and the Garden Playanatural.
- Agreement with the IRES Association for employment of people at risk of social exclusion.
- Partnership with the Fundació per a Persones amb Discapacitat.
- Partnership agreements with the Red Cross for interns.
- Agreement with the Island Council of Mallorca for the employment of vulnerable people in hotels.
- Recruitment of local people as staff.
- Application of the Equality Plan between women and men.
- Partnership with various employment programmes, such as Adecco.
- Face-to-face training plans and support for employees.
- Hotels with gluten-free menus and products. Staff training from the Spanish Federation of Associations for Gluten-Intolerant People.
- Certification as Cardioprotection Hotels (Spanish Society of Workplace Medicine and Safety).
- Spanish Tourism Quality (SICTED) Commitments.
2.2. ZERO KILOMETRE
- Buying seasonal 0-km products for hotel buffets (supplier: Sa Teulera).
- Purchasing packages wholesale instead of individually to reduce waste.
3. Environment and sustainability:
As part of our commitment to sustainability, at Garden Hotels we have created #EcoGarden from the starting point of 360-degree environmental awareness, involving staff, clients, providers and everything around us. Every one of our actions is based upon the 4 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover), to create a more sustainable planet and reduce our environmental impact.
3.1. Water management
- Use of click-speed mop that reduces water consumption.
- Change from bathtubs to showers at all hotels to ensure rational use of water.
- Devices that minimise water consumption such as flow regulators, dual-flush WCs, automated irrigation facilities, sensor taps that optimise water consumption, etc.
- Watering of gardens when less exposed to the sun.
- Minimisation of the use of bleach, hydrochloric acid and ammonia in cleaning processes to reduce the contamination of wastewater.
- Controls are carried out to detect leaks or excessive use of water and electricity.
- Guests provided with information about the scarcity of water and asked to use it sensibly. Change of bed linen and towels at the guest’s request.
- Use of volcanic stone to prevent evaporation of water and reduce use.
- Planting of native plants. Elimination of lawns for native vegetation that does not require sprinkler irrigation.
- Installation of rain gauges to prevent watering if it has rained.
- Use of greywater (reverse osmosis rejection, pool rinsing, etc.) for watering of landscaped areas and/or filling of WC tanks.
3.2. Energy saving
- Signing of a supply contract with the company, for example, ENDESA, to ensure that all hotels and offices in Spain operate with 100% renewable electricity.
- Purchase of machinery or appliances with A+ certification.
- Use of energy-saving light bulbs and progressive replacement of bulbs with LEDs. Installation of low-consumption lighting in the gardens.
- Thermostat-controlled temperatures.
- Automatic system to turn off air conditioning when the room door is opened.
- Replacement of cathode-ray tube televisions for LCD televisions.
- Use of key-electricity cards in the rooms.
- Purchase of bulk packs instead of portions to generate less waste.
- Heating of pools using 100% renewable energy.
- Installation of energy recuperators for water heating, as well as frequency inverters in water pressure pumps, generating savings when supplying heating and DHW.
- Installation of a pipe system using recycled water for toilets in all rooms.
- Use of auto-disconnect switches.
- Application of water-repellent layer on facades to achieve better thermal efficiency.
- Investment in chiller systems, water-cooled air conditioning systems that cool the air inside a space.
- Recharging points for electric cars are available in several hotels and at the Inca central offices.
3.3. Environmental protection:
- Purchase of locally sourced and seasonal products to include in hotel buffets (supplier: Sa Taulera)
- 100% environmentally friendly baked goods and confectionery (Grupo Monbake supplier)
- Purchase of bulk packs instead of portions to generate less waste.
- Reduction in the use of toxic products and prioritisation of locally sourced products to cut down on transport.
- Fitting of soap dispensers in non-room bathrooms instead of individual soaps.
- Installation of automated systems for reading and dosing pool products.
- The Hotel Federation of Mallorca together with XHSB. Signing of an agreement to implement a sustainable indicator tool at our hotels.
- Actions taken to reduce carbon footprint, emissions and global warming:
- Substitution of HCFC-22 gas for latest generation compatible gases with lower emissions.
- Control of consumption through daily readings.
- Control of emissions from boilers and refrigerant gas emissions: regular checks performed to control possible leaks.
- Use of recyclable materials in the Garden Experience programme, such as rubbish bags, cardboard and old wood.
- Voluntary clean-up of Playa de Muro beaches.
- Creation of Organic Gardens at our hotels.
3.4. Waste management
- Implementation of tools that quantify the amount of recycled and/or reused waste, both by type (paper and cardboard, glass, plastic and packaging) and by area (laundry, swimming pools, office automation, kitchens, dining rooms, cleaning).
- Each property separates organic material generated in kitchens, garden waste, bulky waste and hazardous waste, with authorised managers for this.
- Guests at each property have access to all the necessary containers to separate and recycle waste.
- Internal procedures to adapt the management of waste and CO2 emissions towards greener and less polluting practices.
- Availability of systems for the selective collection of urban waste.
- Introduction of a system for the collection of hazardous and special waste and regular delivery of this waste to authorised managers.
- Implementation of staff conduct guidelines to minimise noise.
- Assigned staff member for the recycling and storage of cardboard and glass.
- Recycling of cooking oil and collection to use as biodiesel.
- Recycling of ink cartridges, cardboard and glass.
- Purchase of products by weight instead of portions, whenever possible.
- Purchase of recyclable toner cartridges.
- Implementation of paperless policy to reduce the use of paper.
3.5 ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATES, AWARDS AND PRIZES
- Travelife Gold certificate at all hotels, the highest distinction accrediting the excellent management of hotel resources towards greener practices.
- EMAS environmental certificate, endorsing the implementation of environmental management systems and their positive dissemination to the public and other stakeholders.
- ISO 14001 environmental certificate, accrediting the positive implementation of the environmental strategic plan at the hotel.
- TUI Umwelt Champion award given to the Playa Garden Hotel & Spa for four years running.
- 2018 Re Think Hotel prize, awarded to the ten best hotel sustainability and rehabilitation projects in Spain.
- 2017 Tourism Award granted by the Balearic Tourism Agency for our composting project (circular economy).
- 2019 Innobankia Award for best sustainable company, recognising excellence in the development of pioneering sustainable actions, such as the composting project based on organic waste generated at the hotel.
4. #ECOGARDEN PROJECTS
4.1. “NO PLASTIC” PROJECT
A. Substitution of toiletries with environmentally friendly dispensers:
- We replaced toiletries with reusable polycarbonate dispensers. This was in partnership with the Mallorcan company Tot Herba, responsible for the production of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel products with a 100% locally sourced almond base. This saves 24,604 plastic bottles per season at a single hotel.
B. Substitution of plastic straws with biodegradable ones:
- Plastic straws have also been withdrawn, being replaced by biodegradable paper ones at all hotels.
C. Sustainable bottles
- Another initiative is our sustainable Tritan bottle, which can be refilled at purified water machines.
4.2. PROJECT BIO CORNER AND ORGANIC LAMB. FIND OUT MORE!
We’re committed to preparing dishes with locally sourced and seasonal products, whenever possible, promoting the “Balearic product” brand among guests. At our BioCorner at the Playa Garden Hotel & Spa, guests will find 100% organic products.
For four years now, each season we have been buying approximately 150 kilos of organic Mallorcan lamb, offering a local product with excellent quality while also helping Mallorcan farmers and supporting the local economy.
4.3. Garden Hotels circular economy project
The Garden Hotels chain has spearheaded a project that fosters the sustainable management of tourism waste, which will be used to obtain organic compost and help local agriculture. A ‘circular economy’ project that not only recycles waste, but also reuses and converts it into compost, thereby closing the circle for the benefit of the land. This project revitalises Balearic agriculture, minimises environmental impact and favours the local economy.