At most hotels, waste is created at upwards of 1 kg per guest per night, a large amount when multiplied by the number of hotels and guests around the world. Hilton Hotels in Beirut are well aware of these numbers, especially with the growing waste crisis affecting the whole of Lebanon. In this regard, and part of their "Travel with Purpose" CSR strategy, Hilton Hotels in Beirut have been recycling carton, paper, plastic, oil and food for the past 5 years in both their properties: Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand and Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace.
"Waste is not only created in guest rooms; much of the waste stems from food and beverage handling, housekeeping, public areas and offices", said Mrs. Joanne Zarifé Nehmé, Marketing and Communications Manager at Hilton Hotels in Beirut. "This is why, our mission to reduce our hotels' impact on the environment begins from within by donating the reusable items - food - and recyclable items - oil, paper, carton and plastic - to organizations that can turn them into something beneficial to the environment and to the community", she continued.
Over the years, Hilton Hotels in Beirut have put appropriate systems in place to identify how the waste can be redeployed: untouched food from catering displays and trolleys is donated to the Lebanese Food Bank, an organization that distributes food to the less fortunate; plastic, carton and paper are sorted in divided waste baskets and sent to Arc En Ciel, an organization that drives social, environmental and economic sustainable development; oil surplus is sent to Darwish Oils, a company that converts used oil into biodiesel, an eco-friendly fuel alternative. Through this initiative, the hotel is converting an average of 3 tons of oil per year, thus reducing the carbon footprint on the environment.
