Why plastic is far from fantastic at Six Senses

Six Senses resorts are celebrating not only the holiday period, but also a successful year in helping protect the environment.

Six Senses has set a goal towards plastic freedom and says it is committed to weaving long-term positive change into the fabric of every property.

Following its pledge as a founding signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in 2019, efforts to eliminate single-use plastic are on track, the hotel group says.

This includes eliminating the brand’s “18 Most Unwanted” items, everything from guest amenities to behind-the-scenes material such as coffee pods and fruit packaging. It also means sourcing plastic-free products, arranging packaging take-back and bottling drinking water on property.

By the end of 2022, Six Senses will have:

# Eliminated all unnecessary plastic packaging of bathroom amenities, room amenities, and retail spaces.

# Introduced more reusable solutions in the kitchens to replace cling film and plastic packaging of fresh products.

# Sourced naturally compostable packing and other materials where appropriate by engaging with suppliers.

# Worked with other hotels and industry partners to share best practices, supplier recommendations, and other information to help all stakeholders move away from plastic.

# Eliminated more than 1.5 million plastic bottles each year by bottling its own drinking water in reusable glass bottles.

# Used natural materials to substitute everything from plastic straws to toothbrushes, and also crates, cloth bags, bottles, and containers that can be reused and refilled.

“When the world woke up to plastic straws, we realised we need to go much further to continue to lead on sustainability in the hospitality industry, so back in 2017, we set the audacious goal of eliminating all unnecessary plastics,” says Jeff Smith, VP of Sustainability at Six Senses.

“This journey began with an inventory of all remaining plastics, once straws and bottles had been eliminated, and now continues with supplier engagement, seeking natural materials, and adopting circular solutions. Our solution to plastic waste is to avoid it before it happens.”