Green Globe Certification on Making Recycling Fashionable

Friday, 16 Feb, 2014 0

Waste has become a major pollutant affecting both, environmental aspects and socio-economic factors. Reducing potential waste streams, reusing what cannot be avoided, and recycling what is not reusable is a critical factor in sustainable tourism operations. Minimizing the amount of solid waste that goes to landfills and incinerators helps reduce negative environmental impacts. Additionally, minimizing waste reduces the needs for virgin materials and limits the amount of greenhouse gases that are released throughout a product’s life cycle.

Green Globe members are committed to minimize their environmental footprint and integrate comprehensive waste management plans into their operations.

The Cinnamon Grand Colombo in Sri Lanka, a Green Globe Elite Member, takes the commitment to environmental conservation and preservation further with the launch of a ‘first in Sri Lanka’ recycling initiative. B2b (Banners to Bags) is a unique project that is based on recycling flexi banners used for promotional material on billboards into durable bags that have multi-dimensional uses.

Explaining the genesis of the project, General Manager Rohan Karr stated, "Ever since we began using the banners a few years ago, we didn’t throw them away but instead stored them safely until we came up with an environmentally friendly plan. Discarding these flexi-banners without a sustainable recycling plan was simply not an option."

The bags, designed exclusively by Cinnamon Grand are strong, durable, 100% waterproof and ideal for the modern day individual, as their fashionable trendy features make them a ‘must have’ accessory. Due to the bags also being made from different banners, no two bags will ever be alike and hence, each bag will be unique and one of a kind. Cinnamon Grand despised the much practiced option of discarding these flexi-banners in landfills or burning them.

"Can you imagine the degradation of the land if we simply dump these into a landfill? We were not prepared to do that. So instead, we pursued a recycling option and B2b is what we came up with. We are conscious of being accountable for our actions and the impact that our actions have on the larger stakeholder segments. Therefore, while we have the environmental certifications, it is also important that we look for ways and means of being environmentally conscious and being innovative in those areas as well," added Rohan Karr.

The transformation of the banners into bags is indeed amazing, as it uses the 3R initiative of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as an inspiration. Cinnamon Grand worked on reducing waste that could arise from discarding the banners and reusing this discarded product by recycling it for better more productive use, while also ensuring that the proceeds of the bags are directly channeled to the hotel’s primary charity initiative, the Children’s Ward at the Cancer Hospital at Maharagama.

"If we set an example on good sustainable practices, there will undoubtedly be a marked difference in the way people think and act," concluded General Manager Rohan Karr.

Stephen Milton

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