Sustainability is Good for Business PRESENTATION TO GROUNDSKEEPING DEPARTMENT Sustainable Hotel Gardens

Introduction Our customers are looking for accommodation that is:  working to improve its sustainability  reduce negative environmental impact  The hotel is making efforts to reduce its water and energy consumption and to minimise the production of waste  Garden planning and maintenance has an important role to play in reducing water consumption

GROUNDS – Energy Reduction DECORATIVE LIGHTING  external lighting should use energy efficient lamps  Install automatic timers to limit the hours that decorative lighting is on to when it is likely to be viewed by guests i.e. turn off by 1am  Install daylight sensors to ensure the lights can only be on when it is dark and not left on accidentally

Grounds – Water Reduction  Select indigenous plants appropriate for the local climate  Ensure all plants are located within their correct watering zones for water needs (low, medium and high)  Plants in the low zone should only need rain water  Water gardens in the early morning to avoid evaporation  Use a controlled irrigation system rather than hoses  Capture rainwater from roofs and gutters to be used on the gardens  Consider using grey water (from sinks, baths and showers) for irrigation

Grounds – Water Use Reduction Ensure that watering activities match:  Water zones  Climatic conditions and humidity  Hours of sunshine  Mow the lawns correctly  Maintain mulching and plant cover

Grounds – Waste Minimisation  Garden waste can be composted on site and then used on the gardens for mulching and providing nutrients to the soil  This process can be extended to include kitchen waste  Avoid the use of pesticides wherever possible  Oils from equipment should be collected by a specialist contractor

Case Study - Morocco  Hotel Tikida Garden, Marrakesh  Action  The hotel has 5 hectares of land so the Gardening Staff set up a composting system  Impacts –Cancelled weekly collection of garden waste by truck – saving €200 a week –Produce their own fertiliser and don’t need chemicals anymore - saving €1000 each year and significantly reducing their environmental impact –The scheme is a great way to communicate the hotel’s environmental work with guests and partners

Action Planning  Discuss what options there are for reducing energy, water and waste in your operations  create a list of potential actions  who needs to be involved to ensure that these actions can take place?  how quickly do you anticipate these actions being put into place?  will any further training be required?

MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE…