As travelers become increasingly aware of their eco footprint, the landscape of the hospitality industry is changing. Luxury is no longer equivalent to extravagance. Vacationers traveling to places like the Mediterranean, Hawaiian Islands, and the California coast are seeking out high-end resorts that respect and preserve the natural beauty of these destinations.
And these earth-conscious guests are savvy. They know the difference between a greenwashed marketing campaign and truly sustainable practices. So, it’s not enough for hotels to simply talk about sustainability. They must take action and show that they truly care.
Resorts like Twin Fin Hotel in Honolulu have demonstrated that it is possible to offer a planet-friendly experience, while maintaining a sense of luxury for its guests. Twin Fin has set a high bar, and other destination resorts are following in its footsteps as the hospitality industry shifts to satisfy the demands of forward-thinking clientele.
But this shift in consumer demand is not the only thing driving change. There is a very real and urgent need for the hospitality sector to take climate change seriously. The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) is working with its members to create a roadmap for sustainability. According to research commissioned by the ITP, the hotel industry must achieve a 66% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025 in order to align with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Plastic pollution is also an enormous threat to the health of our planet, fueled in large part by the hospitality sector. Research by UNESCO shows that the international hotel industry consumes a staggering 150 million tons of single-use plastic each year. A significant portion of that is plastic water bottles; a 200-room four-star hotel sends approximately 300,000 plastic water bottles to the landfill each month.
IHG and other leaders in the hotel industry have already made strides to reduce plastic waste by switching to bulk-size amenities and eliminating plastic stir straws. As these choices become the new standard in hotels, luxury destinations will need to go even further to set themselves apart.
Twin Fin is doing that by offering co-branded bottles of Mananalu to their guests. These 22oz. bottles are made from impact extruded aluminum with a heavy-duty design that can be used over and over before recycling. Guests can carry them along during their vacation, refilling them at state-of-the-art water filtration stations throughout the resort. The sturdy bottles then return home with travelers, the Twin Fin logo serving as a keepsake of the trip and a reminder of the resort’s commitment to a planet-friendly luxury experience.
Mananalu goes beyond offering infinitely recyclable aluminum bottles as an alternative to plastic. Through its Drink One, Remove One program, Mananalu works with rePurpose Global to fight plastic pollution by collecting and removing low-value plastic bound for the ocean. This partnership has already prevented over 440,018 pounds of plastic from entering our waterways and avoided an estimated 58 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
Sustainability is central to Mananalu’s mission, and the company is committed to offsetting its own carbon footprint created by the manufacturing and shipping process. In addition to being Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon neutral, the company is actively working toward reducing its per-bottle CO2 emissions year- over- year. To bridge the gap, and to contribute to the health of our planet, Mananalu sources verified carbon credits from Patch, investing in a variety of environmental projects, including direct air capture, forest management, and wind infrastructure.
Resorts like Twin Fin that choose to partner with Mananalu are demonstrating their commitment to environmental impact by linking arms with a company that is creating real change for the good of the planet. Together with guests that demand earth-conscious destination options and the accountability of entities like the ITP, the hospitality industry is making a permanent shift toward sustainability and setting a new standard for the travel experience.