Cork International Hotel has launched a policy highlighting steps to improve sustainability when hosting events.
The hotel, which hosts an average of 500 meetings and events every year, has launched a policy which sets out five commitments to help make conferences more sustainable: Waste Reduction, Energy Efficiency, Training and Education, Community Commitment, and Research and Reinvestment.
Some of the measures being introduced by Cork International Hotel to make conferences and banquets more environmentally friendly include switching flipcharts to whiteboards, pens to pencils and paper coasters to leather coasters.
"Focusing on UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide our practices and policies, our aim is to become a sustainable business embedded in the local community," said Edel Kavanagh, deputy general manager at Cork International Hotel.
"We cannot achieve this without a continued commitment to greener practices and introducing sustainable conferencing will allow us ensure responsible consumption and practices in one of the most wasteful areas of the business."
Cork International Hotel is committed to managing waste and reducing landfill waste by 10% and food waste by 20% year-on-year. The hotel has trained team members to separate landfill, recycling and organic waste. All bedroom and meeting room bins are segregated so guests can dispose of waste appropriately.
The hotel has successfully reduced its single use plastic items by over 80% and aims to build on this by switching from disposable items in meeting rooms to reusable alternatives.
Cork International Hotel is prioritising monitoring, efficient sourcing and good practice when it comes to energy efficiency. LED bulbs have replaced Halogen, where possible, and they will promote using natural light in meeting rooms. Air conditioning is individually controlled per meeting room.
The hotel has installed electric charging points and runs an electric shuttle to and from Cork Airport while promoting regular bus route alternatives to driving.
Last year, The Trigon Hotel Group launched a Food Charter initiative which aims to combat food waste and bolster sustainability efforts across the hotel group’s Metropole Hotel and Cork International Hotel. As a result, the hotels have reduced the amount of food waste by 12.5% or four tonnes so far.
"Small efforts make all the difference especially when it comes to hosting an event or conference," said Kavanagh. "We look forward to working with our guests and clients to make the most of our new policy when booking an event or conference so we can all live in a cleaner, better world.”
