With hotels in some of the most stunning natural environments on earth, The Red Carnation Hotel Collection knows very well the importance of forward-thinking environmental initiatives and social responsibility. We are fiercely committed to protecting the planet by rolling out eco-conscious projects across all of our properties. For us, luxury and sustainability go hand in hand. Here, we take a look at the biggest changes that were made last year.

Plastic-free canteens

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection has ensured that all disposable plastic cups and single-use plastic items, such as butter and jam packets, have been eliminated from staff canteens across the board. Simultaneously, under the guidance of the TreadRight Foundation, we began eliminating the use of plastic straws from our properties in December 2017. We have replaced the plastic straws with environmentally friendly recycled paper and stainless steel alternatives.

Project 2022

Taking its name from The Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s environmental mission to fully eliminate all single-use plastics from its 17 hotels within the next three years, Project 2022 has established Green Teams at all our properties. Our staff are working tirelessly to achieve this goal. We’ve made plenty of progress so far, switching our takeaway coffee cups and lids to compostable paper and corn starch versions and eliminating the use of plastic sanitation bags for TV remote controls, opting for recyclable paper instead.

In addition to this, we’re in the process of discontinuing the use of other plastic items such as cocktail stirrers, toothpicks and coffee capsules. In the fight against plastic water bottles, our London hotels are proud to continue an ongoing partnership with Belu Water, recipients of the Queens Award for Enterprise, Sustainable Development in 2017. A likeminded company, Belu is known for its ethical glass bottles, which are made from 45 per cent recycled material, and it’s also famous for donating 100 per cent of its profits to Wateraid.

As well as sustainable schemes and partnerships, the staff at The Red Carnation Hotel Collection aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty in order to help the environment. Employees at The Twelve Apostles, The Oyster Box, and The Chesterfield Palm Beach are invited to participate in weekly or monthly beach clean-ups and guests are also welcome to take part.

Luxury amenities

In 2018, we continued to work with our hotel suppliers to find alternatives for the plastic bottles typically used for hotel toiletries. In Europe, we’re very proud to have recycling initiatives in place for unused soap and toiletries, such as The Egerton House Hotel’s partnership with Clean Conscience, a charitable organisation that recycles and repurposes partially used toiletries in order to provide hygiene products to those in need.

At The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, we’re committed to environmental sustainability. Visit any of our properties to discover how we’re implementing our Project 2022 to eliminate single-use plastics by the end of 2022.