Latest news with #plasticWaste
Hospitality Net
4 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Radisson Hotel Group builds on sustainability commitment with closed loop approach to amenities recycling
Radisson Hotel Group continues to drive its responsible business agenda with an innovative closed loop recycling approach to hotel bulk liquid amenities in key markets including India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This wide-scale initiative is part of the Group's broader commitment to reducing single-use plastic waste, supporting a circular and local economy, and providing sustainable stays to guests. The initiative ensures that used bulk amenity bottles are collected, the remaining liquids extracted and recycled, as well as that the packaging is recycled and repurposed. This circular economy approach contributes not only to a more sustainable supply chain but also significantly reduces plastic pollution. In India for example, the closed loop system was established through a network of eleven recycling partners across the country that take amenities waste from hotels. Materials are then sorted, cleaned, recycled and turned into raw materials. The process is fully documented and recorded in an audit and regular reporting, ensuring traceability of the closed loop approach. Additionally, as part of the Group's commitment to Hotel Sustainability Basics, Radisson Hotel Group is replacing single use bathroom amenities with bulk amenity dispensers, with already 91% of hotels using soap dispensers in public washrooms. The Group aims to achieve the roll-out of reusable soap dispensers throughout its portfolio by the end of 2025. The initiative is expected to eliminate 57 million miniature amenity bottles annually and reduce the related plastic use by nearly 500 tons. Next to that, Radisson Hotel Group has already eliminated single-use plastic from all dry bathroom amenities, replacing them with environmentally responsible alternatives. Dry amenities are packaged with innovative materials designed to reduce plastic use. Stone paper – crafted from calcium carbonate bonded with high-density polyethylene resin – has replaced cellulose-based paper and is combined with soybean oil ink used for printing. FSC Cardboard, sourced from recycling and responsibly managed forests, is used for packaging, while the dry amenities themselves use PSM materials made with starch from plants including corn and potatoes combined with plastic fillers like polypropylene. This step aligns with the Group's ongoing efforts to minimize its environmental footprint while maintaining premium 'Yes I Can' service. We are committed to leading sustainability in the industry and reducing single use plastic waste across our operations, said Inge Huijbrechts, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer, at Radisson Hotel Group. We make it easy for guests to experience sustainable stays, expressed by the verification on Hotel Sustainability Basics or a recognized eco-label certification. After food & beverage, amenities are the biggest portion of a typical hotel's scope 3 emissions. With the closed loop recycling and the dry amenities free of single-use plastic, we work at substantially reducing these scope 3 emissions, en route to our Net Zero 2050 target. The launch of the responsible bathroom amenities is part of Radisson Hotel Group's broader sustainability strategy and responds to guest aspirations: a recent survey reported that 75% of global travelers want more sustainable travel choices and 43% believe travel service providers hold the key to mitigating the environmental impact of travel. More widely, the Group is turning objectives into policies, offering Sustainable Stays through Hotel Sustainability Basics and eco-labels; and encouraging guests to travel more responsibly. Watch here the video:
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Japan scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater as ocean pollution solution
Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the Riken Centre for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred for about an hour. A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic being immersed in saltwater at the Riken Centre for Emergent Matter Science. Photo: Reuters While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research had attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day, which takes place on Thursday this year. 01:59 Trump signs order on plastic drinking straws, says paper ones 'explode' Trump signs order on plastic drinking straws, says paper ones 'explode' Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23 million to 37 million tonnes of waste into the world's oceans each year.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Companies overhaul iconic product packaging as tough new rules take hold — here's what to expect
Plastic packaging accounts for 40% of the planet's plastic waste. Efforts to address the immense burden these unsustainable practices put on the planet have resulted in tightening regulations. Now, big companies are looking to reimagine their packaging for greater sustainability and circularity — but what does that look like? As many problems as it may pose to the planet, it's hard to argue against the utter convenience of plastic packaging. It's lightweight, durable, customizable, and cheap to make. But it's favoring these short-sighted benefits that have our landfills overflowing and microplastics permeating everything. Fortunately, regulations like the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Australia's National Packaging Targets are finally stepping in to change that. The EU PPWR, which entered into force in February 2025, is a regulation that seeks to create uniform sustainable packaging rules across all member states. It will do that by encouraging big companies to use fewer materials, incorporate compostable and biodegradable materials, and improve the recyclability of their packaging. Australia's National Packaging Targets are similar but perhaps even more ambitious than the EU PPWR. The targets represent a commitment from both Australia's government and its industry leaders to achieve totally sustainable packaging by 2025. That means converting to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging and phasing out all problematic, unnecessary single-use plastic packaging. Of course, these regulations present some considerable challenges to many industries. But innovation is intrinsic to any successful company, and so is adaptation. Some companies are choosing biodegradable packaging, others are making their packaging more recyclable, while others are redesigning their packaging to create less waste. Another shift that's occurring in response to these regulations is a move towards reusability and refillability. You can see these concepts in America through Whole Foods' new refill stations or The Body Shop's refill program. Through all of these reimagined packaging concepts, the goal is to achieve a circular economy, or at the very least a more circular one. And while some companies may not be up to the task and wind up by the wayside, others will surely thrive; the recycled materials packaging solutions market is projected to be worth nearly $250 billion by 2029. When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you? The way it looks The information it provides The waste it produces I don't think about packaging at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
