3 minute read

“SUSTAINABILITY IS JUST WHAT WE DO”

for protection, but manufacturers are becoming more intuitive about the size of packaging and already our fish and meat come in packaging that is returnable.”

Apex also use a company in Edinburgh to recycle their uniforms into fashion items which are then sold on, and they have their own laundry. They also, a few times a year, give their lost property to Charities such as Marie Curie to be sold. Explains Marie Clare, “We always keep lost property for a period of time before handing it over. Our view is ‘one man’s waste is another man’s treasure.’”

There are a lot of things that the company does that she believes most hoteliers are already doing – such as ensuring waste oil is being collected and is into renewable energy, and working towards eliminating all plastic. She says, “We are all beyond boasting about not using plastic straws.”

Apex tries to buy locally when it can. “It’s certainly a challenge when you are a national business to buy locally and still get the economies of scale. For instance, we put Scottish Borders biscuits in our bedrooms, and use Arran Dairies, which are great Scottish suppliers but obviously they are not local for our English-based hotels, but then we use London-based Tiptree preserves. We have a target of buying 25% locally sourced items and all our fresh fruit and meat is locally sourced where possible. We buy very little from abroad.”

They also encourage suppliers to help them with their sustainability journey. Says Marie Clare, “We developed an incentive for Brakes to reduce delivery days. They also have a Scottish range which makes it easier to buy from smaller producers because they come on the same truck. We also appreciate when suppliers come to us with greener newer products.”

However, there are some things which Apex still shy away from. She explains, “We have not gone down the wine on tap route. The timing has to be right and I think at the moment the theatre of opening a bottle of wine is still what the customer wants. We have also not taken meat off the menu. You don’t start pushing things on customers but we do try and reduce the

Enhancing your Guest Experience

consumption of meat by having a meat free Monday for our staff meals.”

Bio-diversity is also a challenge because the groups hotels are city-based. Marie Clare smiles, “Our hotels may be easy to get to on public transport, but when it comes to growing our own produce we don’t have very much outdoor space, but we do try and grow herbs, and in Bath we have bees on the roof.”

The company is also looking at putting in car charging points in hotels with carparks, such as Dundee and the Grassmarket . Says Marie Clare, “I think charging points will be like wi-fi, in years to come everyone will expect them to be there. The challenge is the cost of putting them in. We are not a SME, nor a huge company, we are in the middle, and there is not as much funding help for businesses like ours.”

It is certainly a learning curve and Marie Clare has just been awarded a HIT Scholarship for Sustainability to allow her to help her with her own understanding of the topic, and she is looking forward to learning more. She says, “I wish that when I started out on this journey I had people who I could have gone to for more advice. But now more hotels have a dedicated person to lead their sustainability journey and we have started to exchange ideas.

Marie Clare concludes, “The Silver Green Tourism Award awards are a great motivational tool. We now have the confidence that we are doing something right. Now we are looking at things we can do to get to get to Gold which will mean investing in infrastructure. There is only so much you can do with recycling and adapting products. We are always looking at what we can we do next. But we know the biggest thing we can do is change behaviours and that’s what we are trying to do.

However, one thing which is staying put is Apex’s signature Rubber Ducks... which are a gift to guests. Marie Clare concludes, “With all things green you also have to look at the credit and debit – our customers love our ducks, and we have not managed to come up with an alternative...yet.”

Bunzl Rafferty are the leading supplier of Guest Amenities in UK & Ireland. We provide a comprehensive choice of products from all textile needs, aswell as a large choice of personalised products into the Hospitality sector.

Driving a Sustainable change through innovation and collaboration, we have had great developments in more eco-friendly guest amenities that can offer solutions for a plastic free future and exploring new avenues with textiles to become more eco-friendly.

Bunzl Rafferty can provide different sustainable options for guests such as PET bottles and doypacks which can provide both savings on the actual cost of waste by 70%. Additionally, we have reduced single use plastics in our accessories range such as using a paper band in place of the previous OPS bag for slippers, together with eco-friendly corn starch bags, bamboo hairdryer and laundry bags.

Our product portfolio available for download on our website www.bunzlrafferty.ie

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