WAIKIKI, HONOLULU, HI—Eight Outrigger Hotels and Resorts 2013 eco-friendly efforts amounted to more than 27 tons of recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans from guestrooms, up from 20 tons in 2012, enough to preserve more than 200 cubic yards of landfill space, according to the company.
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts launched its in-room recycling program in 2006 at its two Waikiki beachfront hotels, encouraging visitors to leave plastic bottles and aluminum cans in a designated bin or area within the guestroom for recycling purposes. The program gained momentum, and in 2009, Reynolds Recycling honored Outrigger Enterprises Group with its inaugural “Green Leader Award” for being the top recycling and sustainability leader in Hawaii’s tourism industry. Over the past eight years, the program has collected roughly 107 tons of recyclables that otherwise might have gone into landfills.
“Having reached the milestone of collecting more than 100 tons of recyclables, we are more committed than ever to helping keep Hawaii green,” stated Barry Wallace, EVP/hospitality services. “As ambassadors for the tourism industry, it’s our responsibility to ensure that Hawaii is a beautiful place to live, work and play for generations to come.”
With the recyclables collected in 2013, the company was able to raise more than $27,000 for PACT, a local nonprofit that offers social services to Hawaii families in need.
Outrigger hotels and affiliated properties that participated in the 2013 recycling program included: Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, Outrigger Reef on the Beach, Outrigger Luana Waikiki, OHANA Waikiki East, OHANA Waikiki West, OHANA Waikiki Malia, Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk and Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber.