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Welcome to the weekly AST Briefing.

The recent Asia Sustainable Travel (AST) Forum in Phuket was a powerful showcase of passion and commitment, bringing together industry leaders eager to drive change. 

The forum shed light on actions that hospitality and travel professionals can take in two key areas: plastic crisis and water shortage. 

This wasn’t just a platform for talk. It was a launchpad for collective action, reminding us why we’re here: to make a difference, one sustainable step at a time. 

Collective Action: Key to Combating the Plastic Crisis

In her introduction, Ernita Amalia, Sustainability Analyst of Seven Clean Seas, pointed out that '11 to 14 million of the 450 million tons of plastics produced annually wreck the environment.’

As a matter of fact, plastics and microplastics infiltrate every aspect of life on Earth. A recent study from Cornell University in the U.S. reveals that Southeast Asia now leads the world in microplastic consumption. 

In Indonesia, people are ingesting 15 grams of microplastics a month. That is the equivalent of three credit cards, with most of these plastic particles originating from marine sources like fish and seafood.

Simply put, the plastic crisis isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a polycrisis that deepens climate change, fuels socio-economic inequality, accelerates biodiversity loss, and directly threatens our health. 

Plastic Crisis vs. Hospitality: Can Plastic Credits Save the Day?

The short answer is no. But Plastic Credits helps solve one part of the plastic crisis: the lack of funding waste management facilities. 

Seven Clean Seas, an ocean clean-up non-profit organization headquartered in Indonesia, is spearheading the Plastic Credits scheme to address waste management funding gaps in many parts of Asia.

Partnering with Nikoi and Cempedak, it launched the first initiative to offset hotel plastic footprints — a breakthrough born from years of collaboration, as Amalia highlighted during the discussion.

First Priority: Tackle Plastic Waste Upstream

Jeffery Smith of Six Senses and Marina Tran-Vu of EQUO stress the need to tackle plastic waste upstream. But change takes time. Tran-Vu warns that doom-and-gloom messaging can backfire, demotivating action. The key is to offer compostable, convenient alternatives to plastics and make the switch appealing. EQUO’s creative designs aim to make plastic-free products irresistible for businesses and consumers alike.

Six Senses’ Plastic Freedom journey kicked off in 2016, with a launch to eliminate the “18 Most Unwanted” plastics in 2021. Smith revealed they’ve developed 82 innovative solutions to tackle plastic pollution across their properties, proving the brand’s commitment to setting new sustainability standards in hospitality.

Establish Impactful, Replicable Partnerships that Move the Needle

Smith emphasized the importance of working together with only the internal team and also suppliers and guests. The head office of Six Senses, a global brand with 26 properties, created a letter template for properties to urge suppliers to join their Plastic Freedom initiative. Each property has a sustainability director working with hotel managers to engage teams, while guests of all ages join in fun workshops at Earth Lab to make plastic-free items.

Tran-Vu shared a collaboration that EQUO formed with ECO Vietnam and JW  Marriott. The project demonstrated how local expertise can be leveraged to simplify composting for consumers. 

»»»  Read our panelists’ recommendation on how we could reimagine our relationship with plastic.

»»» Check out this very informative Plastic Free Toolkit for Tour Operators by Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

How Circularity Can Help Hospitality Brands Save Water and Increase Bottom Line

The hospitality industry is a major global water consumer.

The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance reports that a hotel room can use an average of 1,500 liters of water daily, often exceeding local usage in areas with limited supply. In some places, tourist water consumption is over eight times higher than that of local residents.

Maitri Fischer, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Eco Mantra and one of the panelists, noted that in five-star resorts, water consumption can reach 2,500 liters per guest.

This staggering figure underscores the urgent need for effective water strategies.

The global demand for freshwater is projected to exceed supply by 40 percent by 2030, according to Csaba Kőrösi, president of the 77th UNGA. In Thailand, issues like water shortages, droughts, and saltwater intrusion in its groundwater sources have persisted for decades.

Given all these challenges, the industry must not only rethink strategies but also seek innovative solutions to conserve water and enhance the hotels' operational efficiency and profitability.

Emerging Trends and Innovations in Water Technologies

O.B. Wetzell, Managing Director of DMG Thailand, started by sharing the water situation in Phuket and the emerging trends or innovations in water technologies for hospitality that he believes will improve the conservation and quality of water.

• Despite receiving 2.4 meters of rain annually, Phuket faces a severe water crisis due to poor water management.

• The Phuket Water Association reports a shortfall of over 3 million cubic meters, straining the island’s resources as it hosts 12 million tourists yearly.

• With less than 3% of rainfall effectively utilized, the crisis deepens, depleting aquifers and causing rising salinity and contamination of freshwater sources.

»»»  Read more on what advanced water production methods can tackle Phuket's water challenges.

Balancing Luxury and Sustainability in Hospitality Design?

Wetzell emphasized that "there's a huge education that needs to be done to balance those two." He explained that the challenge lies in educating both guests and staff about the importance of sustainable practices.

For instance, microswitches on doors save energy by turning off air conditioning if doors are left open, but guests often misunderstand this feature. As Wetzell shared, the guest would say, "'I'm paying $1,000 a night, I want to sit on the deck in my towel, my six towels, I can afford it."' Well, you can, but the planet cannot."

»»»  Go deeper into to Rosewood Phuket case study for its circular water strategies, greywater recycling benefits, and return on investment (ROI).

Tailoring Water Conservation Solutions in Hospitality Design

By analyzing water usage, Eco Mantra identifies major water consumers like garden irrigation, pools, and chillers. They then develop a comprehensive material and water management system that cycles water multiple times, significantly reducing overall consumption.

In one Bali resort case study, advanced water-saving technologies reduced water use by 58%.

Key strategies included rainwater harvesting from roofs and pools, efficient water fixtures, and regenerative media filters for pools, cutting pool water consumption by up to 95%.

»»»  Read what other strategies Eco Mantra recommended during the discussion.

Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Circularity in Hospitality Projects

A key challenge in adopting circularity in hospitality is clients' mindsets, often believing sustainability is too costly and not financially viable. To counter this, it's crucial to demonstrate the financial and long-term ROI of sustainable practices.

Clear communication and evidence-based demonstrations are essential to overcome clients' initial cost hesitations regarding sustainability initiatives.

»»»  Learn how Fischer's team addresses cost concerns with lifecycle cost assessment for each sustainability solution.

Integrating Water Conservation Strategies at A Resort

At Batu Batu Resort in Malaysia, effective water conservation is crucial due to its off-grid location and limited resources. Cher Chua-Lassalvy, Co-owner and Managing Director, stated, "We have to pull, create, and treat our own water. It's really important that we are as efficient as possible."

Here are some climate-smart strategies that Batu Batu Resort implemented:

• Capacity limitation

• Desalination for water production, powered partially by solar energy.

• Water-conserving landscaping

• Rainwater ponds

• Closed greywater and blackwater treatment system, transitioning to a constructed wetland to reduce energy consumption further.

• Guest engagement.

»»»  Go deeper into each one of the said strategies here.

Collaborations with Local Communities Enhanced Water Conservation and Benefited Batu Batu Resort

Chua-Lassalvy highlighted the resort's proactive stance on sustainable tourism, noting Malaysia's lower tourism numbers offer a chance for careful planning. "Tourism doesn't have to be destructive," she says, explaining that the resort's sustainability and conservation department, established early on, became an NGO in 2019 for funding access.

»»»  Learn more about how Chua-Lassalvy and her team used the resort’s sustainability and conservation department as a vehicle to garner impactful partnerships.

Enhancing Sustainability and Profitability in the Beverage Industry with Closed-Loop Systems

Alexander Radach, Founder of Radach & Family Organics Co., explained that closed-loop systems minimize environmental impact by reusing resources.

At Sai Yok Springs, reusable glass bottles are collected, washed, sterilized, and refilled, significantly reducing their carbon footprint.

"A bottle of imported water has a footprint of 800 grams of CO2, whereas ours is just 70 grams," explained Radach.

Sourcing reusable glass bottles was challenging due to a lack of local suppliers and retailer take-back systems, forcing Radach’s team to manage distribution and recycling independently. Although costly at first, reusing packaging up to 100 times lowers long-term costs and supports premium pricing.

Sai Yok Springs conserves its natural spring by using just 1% of the water and reinvesting in the local community through initiatives like sustainable farming education and pollution reduction projects. “It’s about giving back,” Radach emphasized.

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