There are a few reasons to focus on this industry. One is that there are potentially very high levels of waste generated, relating to the high levels of consumption, especially with quality service. Washing of linen daily in hotels, or using bottled water and other highly packaged beverages. Two is that tourism is a very large and growing industry in SA, but with the rising Rand, we need to find ways to beat other destinations, one of which is to `green` the industry and thereby assure the tourists that their impact is being managed and reduced. By marketing their achievements hotels, restaurants, bars, etc. will attract visitors who may be happy to spend a bit more, but know that they are not trashing the very destination which they enjoy visiting. From the industry point of view, managing wastage of electricity and water and reducing one's waste stream or recycling some of it, reduces costs, in some cases marginally, in other cases very impressively, with savings being noticed even on the overall balance sheet at the end of the year.
The project is divided into two thrusts: one is the hotels with the focus on energy and water saving measures and the other is pubs and restaurants with the focus on the waste stream. Long Street has recently become a really `happening` place. We have focused on upper Long Street, above Wale, as this is where the hospitality industry is focused. We have walked the street chatting to owners and managers and most are keen to take part in a simple two bin recycling programme where they separate their waste into recyclable and non-recyclable. We will also encourage them to look at other ways of re-using materials and even reducing use of some materials to avoid generating the waste in the first place. We will introduce the waste minimization heirachy and get the recycling programme off the ground.
For more information please contact Roger Diamond on 021 483 2747.
Letter to the media.
Draft agenda for meeting on 11 November 2004.
