Eaton Hotel in HK Suspends Use of Plastic Bottled Water

Eaton Hotel in Hong Kong has suspended the use of plastic bottled water throughout its hotel operation.

Instead the hotel has invested HK$500,000 to install an eco-friendly drinking water purification system that allows glass bottles to be re-used.

This initiative helps to eliminate the consumption and subsequent disposal of approximately 350,000 plastic bottles every year – a positive and efficient way of supporting the hotel’s environmental commitment without compromising service or quality.

Environmental Officer of the Eaton, Hong Kong, Katrina Cheng, said, “HK$500,000 might seem like a huge amount of money to spend on supporting an environmental commitment and indeed it is. But that amount will be covered over the first two years of us using the system as we are no longer having to buy hundreds of plastic bottles every month. Even then, it is a cheque we are happy to write as it clearly demonstrates our firm belief in the importance of these initiatives.”

The eco-friendly drinking water purifying system – Classic Crystal Tropical Purification System is manufactured in England and features a seven stage filter and purification process:

Stage One: Mineral doser
Adds minerals to separate dissolved salts from the water and ensure cleanliness.

Stage Two: Pre-filter
To remove particles in the water down to five microns in size.

Stage Three: KDF alloy
Zinc-copper alloy that removes 99.9% of free chlorine, nitrates, pesticides, fungicides, bad tastes and odors by using a process of electro-chemical oxidation known as “redox” (Oxidation-Reduction). It also controls and inhibits the growth of microorganisms.

Stage Four and Five: Activated carbon water filtering / bituminous carbon Carbon adsorbs odorous, coloured substances, heavy metals and negatively charged impurities such as chlorine, chemicals and volatile organic compounds.

Stage Six: Ion-exchange resin
Replaces the magnesium and calcium ions found in hard water with sodium ions. This promotes water softening, demineralization, decarbonisation and theremoval of contaminants from the water.

Stage Seven: Ultra Violet
Ultra Violet (UV) light is used to destroy any microorganisms left in the water ensuring that it is free from harmful bacteria.

After all the purifying and filtration processes, the water will be bottled – half of it having been lightly carbonated to produce sparkling water. Every Eaton glass water bottle is tailor-made from 60% recycled glass and is designed with a swing stopper and hygienic full, onbound seal.

Before sending the water to the guest rooms, hotel staff will label the glass bottles with the “best before” dates to confirm the water’s freshness. Used bottles will then be collected and washed using a customised bottle washing machine before being reused.

The installation of the eco-friendly drinking water purifying system reiterates Eaton, Hong Kong’s commitment of continuous improvement in the field of sustainability.

Since 2009, Eaton, Hong Kong has strived to implement sustainability in every hotel aspect of it is corporate behaviour including hotel design, facilities, rooms and services and thereby offering guests a complete green hospitality experience.

This attitude and commitment has earned recognition across the industry including Capital Entrepreneur “Green Entreprise 2012”, 2012 HotelClub Hotel Awards “Best Eco Hotel” and EarthCheck Silver Certification for Environmental Practices.

See also: HD Video Interview with GM of Eaton Hotel Hong Kong and HD Video of a Smart Room at Eaton Hotel in Hong Kong.