Mohd Yasin Khan
Sriram Rallabandi
Bishan panwar
Po Yu Chung
Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU)
Hiran Roy
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The Fairmont Waterfront is a 489 rooms of world class luxury hotel that proudly embraces a sustainable philosophy and located in the city of Vancouver’s dynamic harbor front area. The hotel had opened its doors in 1991 with sustainable measures and that has been incorporated in its building structure. In the early 90s, no other hotel in the city were embracing green initiatives like they are today. Thus, the hotel Fairmont Vancouver became pioneer under the belt of green hotel establishments. However, the sustainable approach was there from the beginning.
The hotel is conscientious at recycling, reusing, and decreasing its waste. All the hotel's food waste is composted, in a vertical composter in the rooftop garden that can grow 100 plants in a single square meter. Fruits and vegetables such as nasturtiums, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, and cauliflower have all been grown in the vertical greenery enclosure garden and utilized in the hotel's kitchens. For redirecting no less than 90 percent of its waste from landfills for three back to back months, the Fairmont Waterfront as of late was awarded "zero waste" accolade from the non-profit association called Zero Waste Canada. In addition, opposed to having normally planned waste pickups, the Fairmont Waterfront has a compactor with a built-in sensor that identifies when it is 80 percent full and consequently books a pickup, once every month.
The hotel is also delighted to be a unique member from the Ocean Wise Program and urges the guests to choose from the numerous sustainable alternatives on their menus. Ocean Wise is a protection program made to engage guests about the issues encompassing sustainable seafood. Furthermore, guest amenities such as shampoos, body lotions, and used towels and sheets are donated to nearby shelters. The hotel offers free parking and charging stations for electric vehicles and its courtesy vehicle for hotel guests which is an electric-controlled BMWi3.
The hotel’s Director of Facilities mentioned a simple yet impactful word when asked about his motivation and drive towards sustainability. The Director explained that “us as humans are responsible for the planet that we reside in. If it is not us that are concerned for it and if it is not us that look after it, survival for the planet is in doubt”. Additionally, the Director states “Vancouver aims to be the greenest city in the world by 2020 and that is the Fairmont Waterfront’s inspiration truly”.
The Fairmont Waterfront is currently accoladed by Green Key Global, a voluntary eco-label that has been awarded to around 2700 hotels worldwide as “5 Green Key” hotel and “4 Green Key Meetings” as per The Director of Facilities of the hotel. The accolades have won them worldwide recognition with their guests, competitors, and the community.
The hotel is working closely with the city to eradicate plastic usage in guest rooms and is constantly empowering the guests to do so as well. Soon, the aim of the hotel is to provide reusable water bottles in guest rooms and water stations on all floors to encourage and empower guests and to be green. In addition, the hotel is positively encouraging the neighborhood and the community to be green. The message is being speeded as if a major corporation such as the Fairmont can be more responsible towards the earth, then what is stopping you?
The recognition received by the hotel is attracting eco-conscious travelers from around the globe to not only choose the Fairmont Waterfront but all Fairmont Hotels for their stay whilst travelling, From economic perspective, the Director mentioned that to implement green practices costs more money than they save, but the good that is being done for and towards the earth is the main motivator that keeps them going. The eco-conscious travelers are generating more revenue for the brand and the property. Thus, many departments at the hotel are benefited in the context of financially, morally, and socially.
The hotel is pushing for literacy to all its staff members. Empowering the staff members to be literate and benefit themselves and the overall society. The hotel’s aim is to remove illiteracy from its list and aim for a more sustainable society.
Environmentally, the hotel is sorting the trash in terms of landfill, waste, paper, and organics. As a result, the hotel is saving the city. Being a 100% smoke and vape free hotel, they are promoting to reduce the pollution and save the earth and aiding in climate action as well. For example, utilizing electric cars as their courtesy car eliminates carbon emissions.
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Employee, Director of Facilities
The world would not survive without our humming little companions the honey bees – or if nothing else it would not be as delightful, excellent and practical. All things considered, the staff at the lavish Vancouver hotel are ensuring they do their part to keep our reality the manner in which it ought to be: Fairmont Waterfront bumble bees and herb garden not just gives crisp veggies, natural product, and nectar items to their kitchen once a day, however it enables their locale to turn into somewhat more sustainable consistently.