Hotels look to achieve zero landfill wastes

Global Business

While creating a closed loop economy isn’t always easy, some of the biggest companies are trying to achieve zero landfill waste. They include Subaru and Unilever.

And the hotel industry is another producing a huge amount of waste. CCTV America’s Karina Huber visits one in Vancouver that’s also trying to eliminate what ends up in the ground.

The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver is one of the city’s top hotels and its goal to become zero waste by the end of 2016 makes it a leader in the green movement.

To fulfill its goal, the hotel has to divert at least 90 percent of its waste from landfill through recycling or composting. It’s just a few percentage points away.

One of the biggest challenges for hotels size in attempting to achieve zero waste status is figuring out what to do with all of the food. In Vancouver, they are mandated by law to compost so most of the waste is sent off-site. But they also have the vertical garden on-site, which is mainly meant to educate their guests on the importance of what they’re embarking upon.

And to get their staff excited about the challenge. Other hotels around the world are attempting to achieve zero waste status, but it hasn’t yet become a widespread trend. Experts said having the infrastructure in place to recycle and compost is critical to the movement as is getting the staff on board.

At the Fairmont Waterfront no one is more passionate about the environment than Michael King, who is also beekeeper to the hotel’s four beehives-home to swarms of honeybees.

Hotel manager Ken Flores said creating a community of environmental co-conspirators also helps with their business.

With hotels being a major contributor to landfill, the hope among environmentalists is that more of them will take on the challenge to become zero waste.


Winery smells success of fresh approach to dirty water

In Australia, a vineyard owner is trying to become the first zero waste winery. CCTV’s Greg Navarro reports.

Rob Glastonbury knows there’s more to seemingly dormant grape vines than most people notice at first glance.

The same can be said of the De Bortoli Wine Company which spread out on a property in Australia’s rural southeast, especially when it comes to sustainable practices.

This family-run business has been making and bottling wine for almost 90 years. But the way the company goes about that process has changed dramatically over the past decade – as it strives to become the country’s first zero-waste winery.

To date, De Bortoli has spent nearly $20 million on revamping virtually every part of the business. That includes installing solar hot water systems, using more energy-efficient equipment, and streamlining the wine making process.

The company has also changed its approach to what it uses – adopting a sodium-free policy that allows it to reuse water. And it pays greater attention to what is thrown out. The winery hasn’t reached the zero waste goals yet but it’s close.