31 Venue Spotlight
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Conference News looks at how venues are reassessing their sustainable practices
s venues begin to reopen , they are also beginning to reassess their sustainable practices in order to meet visitor demands and keep up with the sustainability trend . To find out some venue specifics , we speak to Laurie Nicol , chief operating officer at De Vere and Chris Eigelaar , resort general manager at The Belfry Hotel & Resort .
De Vere
“ We are very passionate about the part we play to reduce our environmental footprint and understand that this has never been more important , within the hospitality industry and beyond ,” says Laurie Nicol , chief operating officer at De Vere .
To reduce its environmental footprint , De Vere has introduced several measures across the collection , from using environmentally friendly cleaning products to providing electric car charging points in its car parks .
“ We have partnered with ChemEco for housekeeping , kitchen , bar , and leisure club use , only using products that are naturally sourced and produced from plant microbials and enzymes ; UK manufactured , reducing associated carbon miles ; 100 %
De Vere Beaumont Estate
biodegradable and phosphate-free ; and packaged in 100 % recycled plastic ,” reveals Nicol .
De Vere is also committed to replacing its legacy lighting systems across the collection , such as fluorescent and halogen , with energy-saving LED lighting . “ Not only is this lighting 80 % more efficient and lasts up to six times longer , but it also has the added benefit of removing the impact of harmful chemicals used in legacy lighting such as mercury , which can contaminate the environment in landfill ,” she says .
To further reduce energy wastage , Nicol tells us how the collection is in the process of rolling out presence sensors in public areas , conference spaces and in its meeting rooms .
When it comes to plastics , all of its hotels offer filtered water machines to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles . “ We also work with sustainable recycling partners to ensure our waste doesn ’ t go to landfill , and we are involved in a recycling scheme that converts used plastic bottles into carpet backing ,” she adds .
Hand in hand with sustainability , is catering . De Vere champions health and wellbeing and aims to offer its delegates a selection of menus . “ By using plant-based ingredients that use fewer natural resources , in 2019 we saved 31,936kg of greenhouse gas , an www . conference-news . co . uk