As part of a Plastic Free 2022 strategy to remove and avoid all virgin plastic materials from its hotel and spa operations, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas is the first hospitality brand to collaborate with the U.S. Coalition on Sustainability and SustainChain. This follows a partnership with the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative signed in 2020 to work with suppliers to seek safer alternatives and address the root causes of plastic pollution.
SustainChain is a change engine to drive unprecedented action and progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Championing the value of collaboration, SustainChain connects the global sustainability ecosystem to join collective ventures, share best practices and scale solutions.
Starting with single-use and disposable plastic as the top priority, Six Senses is removing exposure to all plastics for guests and communities in and around its properties. Innovation is required to meet this goal—on everything from packaging materials to fabrics and furniture—and SustainChain provides a platform for connecting with suppliers, innovating together and bringing about meaningful change, the company reports.
Six Senses has been serious about reducing disposable plastic for many years, going back to the 1990s with refillable ceramic bathroom amenities, its signature water bottled in glass since 2003 (more than 2.4 million single-use plastic bottles were replaced group-wide in 2019-2020 alone), and more recently with the elimination of plastic straws and delivery containers in 2016. In parallel, Jeff Smith, VP, sustainability with the brand, and Six Senses Yao Noi Resort in Thailand have worked on a prototype for a plastic-free kitchen with the intention of extending the approach to all Six Senses properties.
“Our collaboration with SustainChain opens options to collaborate and innovate throughout our value chains, to help deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and more specifically, for us to achieve our goal of Plastic Free 2022,” said Smith. “We’re already seeing huge innovations, and the opportunities to grow together as a movement are incredible.”