Accor Commits to Global Elimination of Single-Use Plastics by 2022

Accor has announced that it will remove all single-use plastic items from the guest-side of its business by the end of 2022. In addition to a previous initiative to eliminate all plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds, this new commitment includes:

- The removal of individual plastic toiletry amenities and cups by the end of 2020; and

- The elimination of all remaining single-use plastic items in guestrooms, meeting areas, restaurants and all leisure activities areas (spas, fitness centers, etc.) by the end of 2022.

“We are aware of the significant impact we have on our planet and our responsibility to create tangible benefits for our employees, guests, suppliers, partners and host communities,” said Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO, Accor. “What guides us is the consciousness and social awareness that drives every person who strives to be a good citizen. It’s about being aware, socially conscious and consistent.”

Single-use plastics are defined as disposable items that are used only once and then discarded. Examples include plastic straws, cotton buds, coffee stirrers, plastic cups, plastic bags for laundry or extra pillows, plastic water bottles, all plastic packaging (for food, welcome products, etc), plastic take-away dishes and tableware, plastic gifts and welcome products (toiletries, slippers, pencils, etc), plastic keycards.

Relevant alternatives to plastic will be proposed for each specific item, considering Life Cycle Assessments to ensure better environmental performance for the solution proposed to our hotels.

With more than 200 million single-use plastic items used every year in all areas, hotels are already reducing significantly their impact. Several have deployed effective solutions by choosing more sustainable alternatives. For instance:

- 94% of Accor’s hotels have eliminated the use of straws, cotton buds and stirrers while the remaining 6% (mostly in China) will do it by end of March 2020;

- 89% of ibis’ hotels are using dispensers for amenities as shampoos. This means 2087 ibis family hotels have already dropped single use plastic for this equipment. Accor ibis family hotels in Latin America will follow the same initiative this year;

- Fairmont has used new construction and renovation standards to incorporate water filtration taps in guest rooms to eliminate bottled water altogether;

- Accor’s new brand “Greet” was created to answer guests’ needs, so it is in the brand’s DNA to be plastic free. There is zero disposable plastic at breakfast and reusable dishes are utilized for butter and jam. In addition, there is zero disposable plastic in rooms and other parts of the hotels. Accor plans to open 10 more Greet hotels in Europe this year; and

- In addition, several Accor hotels within the group’s portfolio, including Novotel Paris les Halles, Novotel Yangon Max in Myanmar (pictured above), Sofitel Bogota, many hotels in Bali & Lombok, Indonesia, and Ibis Styles São Paulo Anhem, have already taken steps individually to be plastic-free and are advancing towards an 100% single use plastic free objective.

“Our efforts do not stop here. We are an innovative group by nature and we continuously search for more areas where we can reduce our impact on the global environment while helping our local communities in their efforts to create a healthier, more sustainable future,” said Sébastien Bazin. “As we work to deliver on our commitments, we are grateful to our dedicated teams of employees all over the world who share our belief in making the world a better place for our guests, while they are traveling with us and even while they are not.”

Accor welcomes over 120 million guests and serves more than 200 million meals each year.

See also: Hotel Waste, Single-Use Plastic and Climate Change - Interview with WWF.

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