Consumers are Making Sustainability a Growth Opportunity for our Spas

By Lucy Brialey - The Sustainable Spa Association

• 88% of consumers want you to help them make a difference.

• Does your spa help people make choices for the better?

In Futerra’s survey of over 1000 consumers in the U.K. and the USA they discovered that 96% of people feel their own actions such as donating, recycling or buying ethically made a difference to the environment and that it was their duty to make these choices where possible.

This is great news! Over the past years the need for ‘sustainable lifestyles’ has become imperative. Everyday people believe they can personally make a difference but the job isn’t done yet.Businesses have a key role to play.Because, although people think they can make a difference they want more help doing it. Another survey revealed an overwhelming demand for brands and businesses to step up and offer sustainable lifestyle choices. If your business isn’t helping consumers improve their environmental footprint, then you could be in danger of disappointing88% of them.

Building sustainability into your business can connect you in a more meaningful way to your existing guests and attract new guests for this very purpose. misleading information about a companies environmental values). If your claims or actions are found not be be true this can be incredibly damaging to a business reputation. The good news is that many sustainability efforts are measurable and can be presented in a factual way to guests.

One of the most successful ways of communicating your sustainability efforts is to ask guests to be involved in the process with you and report back on the achievements you have made together. It is very helpful if you give a link to your ‘green policy’ on all digital communications detailing exactly what you are aiming to achieve. Tell guests how they can help and advise them of any alternative solutions you may want to suggest before they arrive. Here are four examples to get you thinking:

Towel policies: Explain your choice of towel policy and ask guests to adhere to it where possible. Have reception issue the towels so that this can be monitored. If you can share information about how many towels were used the previous year, what your reduction goal is and how this benefits the environment through water use reduction, chemical pollution and energy saving.

Carbon reduction travel policies: Offer green travel alternatives. Link up with your local transport office and ask for helpful alternatives for your guests to use public transport, walking and cycling schemes or provide free electric car charging points. Analyse travel to the spa year on year and report on the potential carbon reduction for each choice compared to individual fuelled car travel.

Support local trade: Where possible buy local.Sourcing ethical, plastic free and local in-spa guest amenities, food and beverage and consumables can considerably reduce single use plastic, travel miles for each procurement line, supports local communities and gives regional character to the spa experience. Enhance local business further by offering these items as retail options for your guests.

Waste reduction: Provide clear recycling points in all areas of the spa and residences.Measure each waste type your business creates and have reduction or elimination goals that you can share.Encourage all staff and guests to follow these rules in order to keep waste from landfill. Identify where you can reduce and refuse certain waste lines coming into the business. Go single use plastic free. Reporting on waste reduction is tangible and measurable and is a highly evocative subject for spa guests.

Contact Details: The Sustainable Spa Association https://sustainablespas.org +44 (0) 7590 915 541 hello@sustainablespas.org