New Sustainability Guide To Empower SA Hotels In Setting Nation-Leading Clean And Green Standards

The South Australian hospitality industry made a huge leap forward in its clean and green efforts in June, with the launch of the AHA|SA’s Hospitality Industry’s Guide to Sustainability.

In collaboration with the State Government’s Green Industries SA (GISA) and local sustainability consultants 2XE, this guide will cement a commitment and provide comprehensive resources to empower hotels in adopting and excelling sustainable practices.

AHA|SA CEO, Anna Moeller, said, “We are thrilled to unveil this guide with the State Government and 2XE on behalf of the hotels industry.”

“Environmental sustainability has played a pivotal role in South Australia’s history, driven by a commitment to protecting our pristine natural environment. Our state has been a trailblazer, being the first to ban plastic bags in 2009 and setting Adelaide on course to become the world’s first carbonneutral city.”

“We have developed this guide so that our hotel members are well supported in their endeavours towards more sustainable options and can realise the real moneysaving opportunities that come along with a more effective use of resources.”

“This sustainability guide aims to tackle waste management by aligning industry thinking to avoid waste in the first place, followed by initiatives that focus on better practices, reusing and recycling, and finally, disposing of waste in more responsible ways.”

“Across our great state, we not only provide excellent venues and service with premium food and wine, but we have shown that we can do it with care for our people and our planet.”

“By looking at sustainable supply chains and sharing the success, our industry can encourage the extension of green practices and become an industry leader in this space,” Anna said.

GISA’s Chief Executive, Josh Wheeler, said, “Green Industries SA has a long track record of partnering with industry to provide valuable guides and toolkits like this to enable South Australian businesses to unlock the potential of the circular economy to gain a competitive advantage while also demonstrating a commitment to environmental leadership.”

2XE Managing Director, Nick Palousis, said, “This is exactly the leadership that has set South Australia apart from the rest of the nation for so long.”

"In this guide, we have outlined the many opportunities for venues and hotels to reduce their impact on the environment and benefit the business by doing so. 2XE is so happy to be on the ride with the leaders at the AHA-SA, Green

Industries SA, and our hospitality industry,” Nick said.

AHA|SA members have already adopted sustainable practices outlined in this guide:

• Watervale Hotel owners, Nicola and Warren are reducing food waste by turning unused animal parts into items for their “Doggie Degustation” menu for canine companions. With their pub and farm just minutes of each other, food waste from the pub goes to a three-stage compost system - eventually being used to grow fresh produce. It’s circular, regenerative, and impressive!

  The Maylands Hotel analysed their waste composition, revealing that organic food waste comprised approximately 38% of their general waste. By implementing an organic waste management service, the hotel successfully diverted significant amounts of waste from landfill, resulting in a net weekly saving of $50 and annual savings of $2,600!

• Novotel Barossa upgraded most of their lighting to LED fittings. It is expected that this upgrade could result in up to 11,800kWh in savings per year, or $3,540 (at 0.30c/kWh).

• The Feathers Hotel installed incorporated timed heaters so they are only turned on when required.

• The Old Spot Hotel has a large roof space and has invested in a large rooftop solar system – even incorporating panels on their car park shading structure! As a result, they are seeing a significant reduction in electricity costs.

• Case studies that underpinned this new sustainability guide showed that:

• On average, restaurants throw away 23% of food they purchase

• Lighting controls can reduce energy use by 30 to 50%

• Refrigeration in hospitality venues can account for up to 30% of their total energy consumption

• Poorly maintained HVAC systems can consume up to 30% more energy than they should

• Upgrading building insulation can result in up to 40% reduction in heating and cooling costs

• Good operational practices can result in up to 10% savings

• A tap that drips 1 drop per second can waste up to 7,000 litres of water per year

We look forward to working with members to continue adopting sustainable practices and encourage businesses to reach out to our specialists if they have questions, need advice, or sustainability initiatives they would like to promote through us!

A copy of the AHA|SA Hospitality Industry's Guide to Sustainability can be downloaded here

Launch attendees.

Panel Discussion Members, Left to Right: Watervale Hotel Owner, Warrick Duthy, Mark Condi from Duxton Pubs, and Andrew Kemp from Matthews Hospitality Group.