Intercontinental Hotels Group - Pledge

IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) have announced the switch to bulk size bathroom amenities across it’s entire portfolio. This includes Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza. The upmarket brands Six Senses and Voco already maintain high levels of sustainability (more about that later). The complete IHG portfolio amounts to almost 843,000 rooms worldwide. With the mini bottle ban to complete in 2021, it means the removal of 200 million miniatures a year.

From IHG’s CEO, Keith Barr

“It’s more important than ever that companies challenge themselves to operate responsibly. We know it’s what our guests, owners, colleagues, investors and suppliers rightly expect. Switching to larger size amenities across more than 5,600 hotels around the world is a big step in the right direction and will allow us to significantly reduce our waste footprint and environmental impact as we make the change.

We’ve already made great strides in this area. Almost a third of our estate is already adopting the change and we’re proud to lead our industry by making this a brand standard for every single IHG hotel. We’re passionate about sustainability and we’ll continue to explore ways to make a positive difference to the environment and our local communities.”

IHG’s Wider Sustainability Pledge

IHG are the first global hotel company to commit all brands to removing miniature bathroom bottles. The move to bulk amenities closely follows IHG’s pledge to remove single-use plastic straws by the end of 2019. Additionally, IHG have a new partnership with award winning AI Technology firm Winnow. The technology enables hotels to track, measure and reduce food waste for more sustainable bar and restaurant operations.

IHG remain part of the FTSE4Good Index and are recent members of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 network. The groups commit to working with cross-industry partners to build a more sustainable world.

Over reliance on single-use plastics is not only recognized by IHG. At Your Travel Corporate we have seen other suppliers address the rising issue. Airlines making positive commitments include Air New Zealand, Emirates, Etihad and Delta. Marriott Hotels have also reported the phasing out of single use plastic straws in 2019. We are proud to have strong relationships with such responsible companies in the travel industry.

The IHG Brand Leading The Way

Voco Hotels are considerably more advanced in the IHG pledge than other brands in the portfolio. The new brand launched last year with a focus in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, as well as it’s first signing in Australia. Plans to open more than 200 Voco hotels in the next 10 years include locations in America and China.

Since launch, Voco hotels have only offered quality bulk amenities in dispensers. With sustainability in mind, Voco Hotels also provide duvets and pillows filled with 100% recycled materials.

If you are travelling for business and would like a quote on our most sustainable partners, get in touch.

Email: hello@yourcorporate.co.uk

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