In the competitive hospitality industry, where it can be challenging to align luxury with sustainability, The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair has emerged as a shining example of environmental leadership. Their remarkable journey to an impressive 90% showcases how strategic commercial waste management can boost business operations and environmental impact.
Artur Ablewicz, Back of House and Environmental Manager, shared in their testimonial: 'Rewind to 2023, and our recycling rate was at a modest 55%. It was clear we had significant work ahead of us if we were serious about aligning our operations with the sustainability goals demanded by both our community and our conscience.'
This transformation was achieved through a few key approaches:
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Personalised service and collaboration
From the very beginning, the partnership was built on trust, education, and a shared vision of a greener future. Through regular site visits to understand the particular challenges and opportunities for the hotel, our key account manager was able to provide crucial guidance that helped reshape the hotel's waste management practices. This included analysing waste types that were being missed in certain areas of the hotel and suggesting bin location improvements to increase the capture of recycling materials. -
Comprehensive staff training
Education was at the heart of this success story, including detailed training sessions, guidance posters and continuous support, ensuring that all staff members understood how to recycle correctly. -
Waste composition analysis
One of the first site visits conducted highlighted that a thorough waste composition was needed to understand what was being produced in each area of the hotel. Based on the report, we found that 40% of their general rubbish still contained food and other recyclable materials that shouldn't be there, even when bins for those materials were co-located with the general rubbish. After discussing this with their management, further communications were delivered to staff and a target for staff to aim for was put in place. As a result, their general waste production was reduced to just one 1100-liter bin, and their recycling rate is now above 90%. -
Innovation
The hotel was keen to explore new ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and educate both staff and guests about sustainable practices. After further site visits to review waste types being produced, a smart innovation they added was a small baler machine in their delivery area. All goods arriving in cardboard boxes are now unpacked immediately before being distributed to departments. This ensures no cardboard enters the hotel and everything is compressed into small bales for recycling.
What's next?
Looking ahead, The Connaught remains committed to further improvements: 'While we celebrate this success, we know the journey is far from over... There is always more to do, and we are ready for it.' This success story demonstrates how Commercial Waste Services can help businesses achieve remarkable sustainability goals while maintaining operational excellence. The Connaught's journey serves as a blueprint for other organisations looking to make meaningful environmental improvements in their operations.
Ready to make your business more sustainable? Take the next step by visiting our sustainability page or call us at 020 7641 6180 to discuss how we can help transform your company's environmental impact. Our expert team is ready to create a customised strategy that aligns with your business goals.
