THREE simple eco-lessons for Hotels from Thailand’s OG of sustainable resorts: The Tongsai Bay

Stop all of them!…..

The Tongsai Bay manages to run a 5 star resort without using ANY plastic. Finding strategies to replace some items can present challenges but it is all possible if a small amount of effort and creativity is employed.

They are incredibly resource intensive to produce, fill and ship and consequently have a significant carbon footprint from the very start. Only a tiny percentage even get recycled after use and most end up polluting our waterways and oceans.

Tongsai Bay offers GLASS bottles in rooms, these are then recycled directly with a supplier… and to date no one has exploded from a lack of hydration. If you want to get fancy, offer a stainless steel drink bottle in each room and inform guests of a few places where they can be refilled for free. Brand them and guests can even buy them at the end of their stay to continue their sustainable journey.

If people don’t have their own toothbrushes travelling in this day and age then they don’t deserve to have their lack of organisation rewarded by an opportunity to pollute the planet for all of us.

Enough of the tiny plastic bags with plastic bristled, plastic handled toothbrushes…

Enough of the cotton buds individually wrapped in plastic, with their plastic stalks (that are able to heat seek endangered turtle nostrils once they reach the ocean)..

Enough of the plastic shavers wrapped in plastic….

Enough of the combs… the shower caps… stop it all….

Have ECO FRIENDLY alternatives available at your front desk or boutique for PURCHASE.

Bamboo toothbrushes, wooden combs, bamboo cotton buds, and why not a steel razor with steel blades… you get the picture..

Are they more expensive to buy for the dude that forgot his stuff? Yup… Guess what… Chances are he will remember his toiletries next time…

Will some people grumble…? Probably… but f**k those people…. We all need to stay focused on the bigger picture.

I think you can guess where I am going on this. Yeah, stop all that crap too.

Much like the reused towel masterstroke, this eco action will actually save you money in the long run. No more tiny customised range of tiny plastic bottles….

Instead, INVEST (yes.. spend money) in REFILLABLE ceramic/glass/stainless steel soap/shampoo/moisturiser dispensers. Oh, and you will need to find a new supplier for the stuff that goes inside (a key point to come).

Not necessary anymore. There are a billion alternatives.

Many F&B outlets choosing to go the “Biodegradable Plastic Option” – plant based plastics, bioplastic, PLA (Polylactic acid, aka Corn Starch or Sugarcane based starch)….

But Please Take note, these are .. for all intents and purposes, no better than actual plastic straws…

CAN they biodegrade.. ? Sure…. technically…. But the real question should be WILL they?

To do so they need an environment free of oxygen and 60°C temps for a solid 10 days.

So chances are small they will ever actually biodegrade…. and the more likely scenario is that they will also find the ocean and be just as damaging as the straws they were replacing.

So, the way to go is reusable bamboo or stainless steel… which will need to be washed of course. Or do what The Tongsai Bay ninjas do and core some lemongrass for a beautiful Thai twist on drinks service, no washing, perfectly hygienic and 100% compostable.

Paper straws are also possible BUT do your research, many brands make them using very harmful chemicals, so that’s not ideal either…

Hay Straws…. 100% all natural made from WHEAT! Compostable/biodegradable, never go soggy, and intended as single use so don’t need to be washed… Genius.. oh and they are even Gluten Free! 🙂

While we are talking straws, here is another super simple practice that will only cost 5 minutes of training at your next staff meeting. OFFER the straw, do not AUTOMATICALLY add the straw. By giving the guest the choice you will inevitably reduce the amount of use your reusable straws get and spread a nice eco message to each guest that reinforces how closely held your green values actually are!

This is a challenging one right?

But Tongsai Bay managed to do it, proving that where there is a will there is always a way. In the rooms there are metal bins, and bamboo woven bins and if any are lined at all it is with a re-washable cotton bag. I have no doubt that occasionally there are some scary things thrown out in rooms that require a Hazmat approach, but my guess would also be that the overwhelming majority would not require such attention and can simply be tipped out into the housekeeping cart bin and reused as is.

This of course negates the need and waste of endless small plastic bags for bins in each and every room and public space.  Maybe every now and then one of your staff will have to handle a melting ice cream cone at reception or a a paper plate filled with curry and have to work out a solution…. There will always be situations which challenge systems, but there are solutions if you foster the right mindset within your organisation and within your teams.

Saving the environment doesn’t have to be a HUGE  global endeavour, it can (and should) start with YOUR local environment. So, take a step back and take a good look at your neighbourhood…

Once you get an overview on these questions, then dig deeper…

For the forests and jungles: What is threatening their well being? Is there illegal logging happening? Unsanctioned developments? Maybe an invasive species damaging the eco system? Is pollution or irresponsible waste disposal killing off areas of natural habitat?

For your own trees and plants: Are they helping or hurting?  How do they fit into the overall local ecosystem? What is their relationship with local insects and wildlife? Do your flowering plants help bee populations? Do your trees help prevent soil erosion?  Do they provide nesting for specific birds?  Many types of plants are experts at helping filter out air pollutants, could they be planted? What plants attract butterflies?

 

For the beaches & waterways: Are the rivers or streams suffering from local pollution or illegal waste disposal? Are the beaches washing up enormous amounts of ocean plastics? Is the lake being over fished? Is nutrient pollution causing algal bloom in reservoirs?

For the local wildlife: What issues are they facing for their own survival? Is their natural habitat at risk from deforestation or pollution? Are invasive predators targeting their young and causing a decline in numbers? Is illegal hunting or capture a problem? Are their natural food sources dwindling due to other issues? Do they no longer have access to clean drinking water which is causing lower fertility rates?

Then what….

Get passionate about each issue and be AN AGENT FOR CHANGE within your community…

Check out some of Tongsai Bay’s initiatives:

– No trees are allowed to be cut down on the property.

– Any deceased animal found on the property is sent to vet for an autopsy to see what caused it.

– If any staff member is found to have caused injury or death to an animal (including mosquitoes) it is cause for instant dismissal.

– Continual planting of new trees and plants both on property and nearby land to provide greater habitat and food for local fauna.

– Provision of water ponds across the property for animals.

– Total ban on any products within the resort that harms animals – No product that conducts animal testing etc.

– Stickers are placed on all resort windows to prevent birds from hitting them.

– Any sick or injured animals found are taken to the vet for treatment at the resort’s expense.

There are no shortage of stories within the Tourism industry of the multiple separated recycling bins all being emptied into one big bin at the end of the chain. A win-win situation…. the guests feel good for having done the eco-responsible thing and placing their garbage in the correct bin… and the hotel doesn’t have to actually go through that hassle of actually disposing of it responsibly. Fortunately more and more councils of the world are charging for waste disposal by volume and recycling is being incentivised.

But no matter the regulation, with a bit of effort you can actually DO THE RIGHT THING… as well as get ahead of the inevitable and make sure you are doing everything you can to be responsible with your waste management.

Tongsai Bay has clearly marked recycling bins all over the resort and has clear protocols for the treatment of each type of waste category including hazardous waste being taken to an industrial disposal centre at their own cost.

They have composting and worm farms to deal with food and garden waste. They have worked with their suppliers to minimise packaging in their deliveries and maximise the reusability of all their order containers. They have minimised or eliminated their use of chemical cleaners by fermenting certain fruits from their organic farm to create their own eco friendly versions.

Share your best practices with your neighbours, with your competitors, with the world.

Join social media groups, local community groups and help be not only an agent for good but an agent for MOMENTUM and CHANGE on an ever increasing scale. There are no borders when it comes to things like protecting the environment, we all stand to win as much as we all stand to lose if we do nothing at all.

Having visited The Tongsai Bay several times now, we can say that we love the serenity and beauty of the location, the attentive service of their friendly staff as well as the exquisite and refined dining options….  These are all spectacular.

BUT…. what has truly cemented this resort in our heart is their COMMITMENT and unwavering PASSION to be not just sustainable with their business… but to be a POSITIVE CHANGE AGENT in making things BETTER in as many ways as they can think of.

And that is something that should inspire each and every one of us to try a little harder in our corner of this beautiful planet we inhabit.

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