Environmental Management in Jamaica's Hotel Industry Case Study on Negril Cabins Resort
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Environmental Management in Jamaica’s Hotel Industry Case Study on Negril Cabins Resort 1 Background This case study presents a summary of the results achieved by the environmental management program that was developed by Negril Cabins in collaboration with the Environmental Audits for Sustainable Tourism (EAST) project. The EAST project was launched in 1997 to assist Jamaica’s tourism and hospitality industry implement effective environmental management practices and improve its environmental performance. This activity is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in collaboration with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA). Negril Cabins is an 86-room, 10-acres property located in the Negril resort area, at the western tip of Jamaica. Its guest accommodations consist of natural wooden cabins, set on stilts, and nestled in the lush vegetation of its tropical gardens. In November 1997, an EAST project team, composed of engineers and hotel operations specialists, conducted a detailed assessment of Negril Cabins’ infrastructure, equipment, practices and operations. This activity was designed to gauge the current (or baseline) environmental performance of the property, identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts, and set the stage for the creation of an environmental management system (EMS). An EMS is a management tool which helps a property incorporate environmental care in all key aspects of its operations, management and decision making process. By promoting the efficient use of resources and waste prevention, an effective EMS can simultaneously improve the environmental performance and reduce the operating costs of a property. 2 Environmental Management at Negril Cabins Following the asse ssment and the review of the recommendations proposed by the EAST team, Negril Cabins set out to develop and implement an EMS tailored to the specific characteristics, needs and objectives of the property. This effort has been so successful that Negril Cabins became, in 1998, one of the first hotels in the world to meet the requirements for Green Globe certification, the leading international voluntary environmental standard for the tourism industry, and received an environmental achievement award at the 2000 Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference. Negril Cabins’ Green Team is the engine behind the success of its EMS. Led by Mr. Raynor Mills, the property’s chief engineer, it includes representatives of all departments and all levels of the organization, ranging from top management to line staff. It meets on a weekly basis to discuss and take decisions on a broad range of environmental management issues, such as reviewing the efficiency of key hotel operations; identifying new opportunities for improving performance; keeping the staff motivated and committed to the environmental program; and developing new strategies for improving the program.
3 Summary of Key Results
The EMS has helped Negril Cabins significantly reduce its use of water, Negril Cabins has saved
energy, materials and chemicals, as well as the volume of solid waste more than $38,000 since
generated by its operations. For example, in the 29-month period since the the start of its EMS.
launch of its environmental program (5/98 to 9/00), Negril Cabins has
✔ saved approximately 2,500,000 imperial gallons (IG)1 of water and 147,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of
electricity by implementing a broad range of water and energy conservation measures2;
✔ saved $43003 worth of laundry chemicals by implementing a voluntary towel reuse program in guestrooms
and optimizing the use of chemicals in the laundry;
✔ produced 35 tons of compost from yard and food waste; and
✔ replaced synthetic fertilizers with homemade compost in all landscaping operations.
In addition to boosting environmental performance, the changes brought about through the EMS process have
helped Negril Cabin reduce its operating costs and improve its bottom line. For instance, the savings achieved
in only the three categories tracked for this case study - that is water, electricity and laundry chemicals - amount
to $38,000 since the start of the program.
$2,000
Monthly financial savings
Total financial savings since
$1,600 $40,000 $4,333
start of the EMS
$1,200 $30,000
$16,867 Laundry chemicals
$1,922
Electricity
$800 $1,340 $20,000 W ater
$924 $929
$10,000 $17,622
$400
$0 $0
1998 1999 2000 Average
since EM S
Average monthly savings in water, electricity and Total savings in water, electricity and laundry chemicals
laundry chemicals achieved since the start of the EMS achieved since the start of the EMS (5/98 to 9/00).
(5/98 to 9/00).
1
1 imperial gallon = 1.2 US gallon = 4.55 liters.
2
Estimated savings are calculated by multiplying the baseline (before the EMS) consumption rates for water and electricity
by the actual (after the EMS) occupancy data, and comparing the resulting figures with actual usage data obtained f rom
utility bills.
3
All f inancial figures in US$, US$ 1 = J$ 45.4 Environmental Measures and Best Practices Implemented at Negril
Cabins
Energy
Negril Cabins has developed, as part of its EMS, a comprehensive energy
conservation program which covers all areas of the property. Through this Negril Cabins has reduced
its electricity consumption
effort, Negril Cabins has managed to reduce electricity use from 15.6 to 14.5
kWh per guest night (GN). per guest night by 7%
since implementing its
Some of the key energy conservation measures adopted include: EMS.
✔ Monitoring on a daily basis the property’s consumption of electricity,
diesel and LPG. The monitoring data helps Negril Cabins track its energy efficiency performance, and
identify any unusual shifts in energy use that could indicate equipment or operational problems.
✔ Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent lamps.
✔ Reducing the energy consumption of the water heaters by installing low-flow showerheads and faucet
aerators throughout the property.
✔ Booking whenever possible adjoining rooms which share the same water heater.
✔ Reducing the running time of the pool pumps.
✔ Ensuring all refrigerator and freezer doors are equipped with airtight seals.
✔ Organizing and labeling the items that are stored in the walk-in freezers in order to reduce search times and
the amount of time the doors of these units remain open.
✔ Using carts to transport foods in and out of the walk-ins to ensure that the doors are not left open any longer
than necessary.
✔ Encouraging guests to contribute to the property’s environmental efforts by turning off lights, television sets
and air conditioning units before leaving their rooms.
✔ Training staff on what they can do to conserve energy in their daily operations.
$7,000
16
Average monthly electricity
Electricity use per guest night
14
12 $6,000
$6,444
(kWh / GN)
costs
10
15.6 14.5 $6, 022
8
$5,000
6
4
2 $4,000
C ost at the baseline Cost at the consumpt ion
0
(before EMS) rate achieved after the
Before the EMS Since the EMS
consumption rate EMS
Electricity use per guest night before and since the start of Reduction in the average monthly electricity bill achieved
the EMS (5/98 to 9/00). through the EMS.Water
Negril Cabins has also developed an aggressive water conservation
Negril Cabins has reduced
program, which has helped reduce water consumption from 142 to 118 IG
its w ater consumption per
per GN. This program has been highly cost effective and has paid extra
guest night by 17% since the
dividends after the National Water Commission doubled its water rates in
start of its EMS.
February 1999.
Some of the key water conservation measures implemented at Negril
Cabins include:
✔ Monitoring water consumption on a daily basis to help track the property’s water efficiency performance and
identify unusual shifts in water use, which could indicate the presence of leaks or operational problems.
✔ Installing sub-meters to help monitor water use in key areas of the property. Over the past two years, these
sub-meters have allowed the Engineering Department to rapidly detect and repair several underground
water leaks.
✔ Ensuring that all areas of the property are equipped with effective water conservation devices, such as
faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, flow restrictors and water saving toilets.
✔ Installing a drip irrigation and a low pressure sprinkler system in the gardens to reduce the consumption of
irrigation water.
✔ Starting a voluntary towel reuse program in guestrooms. In addition to saving water, this program has also
reduced chemical and energy use in the laundry, and the wear and tear on the towels and laundry
equipment.
✔ Displaying signs in public restrooms and in back-of-house areas to encourage guests and staff members to
conserve water.
✔ Training housekeepers to identify and report leaking or malfunctioning toilets in public restrooms and
guestrooms.
✔ Training staff on what they can do to conserve water in their daily operations.
$5,000
160
Average monthly water costs
140 $4,000
Water use per guest night
120
$3,000 $4,467
(IG / GN)
100
$3,867
80 142 $2,000
118
60
$1,000
40
20 $0
C ost at the baseline Cost at t he consumption
0 (before EMS) rate achieved after the
Before the EMS Since the EMS
consumption rate EMS
Water use per guest night before and since the start of the Reduction in the average monthly water bill achieved
EMS (5/98 to 9/00). through the EMS.
In addition, it should be noted that Negril Cabins is in the process of constructing a rainwater catchment and
collection system to harvest rainwater from its roofs and use it for irrigation and as laundry wash water. Since
rainwater is perfectly soft, its use in the laundry will not only save water but also greatly reduce the amount of
chemicals consumed by the washing machines.Solid Waste Negril Cabins has implemented various measures to reduce both the volume of waste generated by its operations and the amount of garbage sent to the local landfill. These measures include: ✔ Composting green kitchen waste and landscaping waste. Since the start of this activity, the property has produced more than 35 tons of homemade compost. ✔ Eliminating the use of disposable plastic bags by the grounds staff. The plastic bags that were previously used by grounds staff to collect landscaping waste have been replaced with wheeled containers. ✔ Reusing the plastic containers discarded by the Food & Beverage Department as planting pots which are used by gardeners to propagate seedlings for the property’s gardens. ✔ Minimizing the use of disposable items in F&B operations. For example, straws are now given out with drinks only when requested by the guest. ✔ Replacing the disposable plastic bags that were used by housekeepers to transport towels and linens with durable cloth bags. ✔ Using durable baskets to replace the disposable guestroom laundry bags. ✔ Reducing the use of plastic liners in guestroom garbage bins. Instead of changing these liners on a daily basis, they are now removed and replaced only when soiled or damaged. ✔ Reducing the volume of paper waste generated in the front office. For example, the backside of copy paper is now reused to print draft documents or as scrap paper. Chemicals Some of the key measures put in place by the property to lower its use of chemicals include: ✔ Eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers in the gardens by replacing them with homemade compost. ✔ Monitoring the quality of the laundry’s water supply and adjusting the dosage of laundry chemicals according to the hardness of the water. ✔ Training the staff on the proper use, dosage and dilution of cleaning and laundry chemicals. ✔ Identifying and testing environmentally friendly chemicals to substitute some of the more harmful products used on property. Training and Incentives Active and effective staff participation is the key to the success of Negril Cabins’ environmental program. In order to achieve this goal, the property provides regular training activities on best environmental management practices for each department. Negril Cabins also encourages the members of its Green Team to attend short courses on environmental management and other related issue, which are offered by organizations such as the University of the West Indies, HEART, UTECH, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association and the Caribbean Action for Sustainable Tourism. To help motivate its employees, Negril Cabins has developed an incentive program which provides cash and in- kind awards to the departments that meet, or exceed, the annual environmental performance targets set by the Green Team. The property hosts a quarterly staff luncheon at which the most environmentally-conscious department is recognized and given a cash award. Funding is given to support the special project that is presented by the winning department. Negril Cabins also provides a cash award of $110 to any staff member who provides to the Green Team an idea that is eventually adopted as a “best environmental management practice” for the property.
Social and Cultural Development Negril Cabins supports a number of local business and community-based organizations in their efforts to promote social and cultural development, improve environmental and public health conditions, and increase employment opportunities in the Negril area. These organizations include • the Negril Chamber of Commerce, • the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, • the Negril Environmental Protection Trust, • the Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society, and • the Green Island Primary School. Through its support of these programs and organizations, Negril Cabins strives to maintain a constructive relationship with the local community and nurture the social and natural environment which are essential to the wellbeing of Negril’s tourism industry. 5 Contact Information Negril Cabins Resort Mr. Raynor Mills, Environmental Officer Norman Manley Boulevard P.O. Box 118 Negril, Jamaica Phone: (876) 957-5350 Fax: (876) 957-5348 E-mail: negrilcabins@cwjamaica.com Web page: www.negrilcabins.com Jamaica Hugh Cresser c/o JHTA 2 Ardenne Road Kingston 10, Jamaica Phone: (876) 926-3635 Fax: (876) 929-1054 E-mail: east@infochan.com Barbados USA Wendy Rudder PA Consulting Group, Inc. Barbados Environmental Sustainable Tourism Jeannelle Blanchard (BEST) Programme 1530 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 400 Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association Arlington, Virginia 22209, USA 4th Avenue Belleville Phone: (703) 351-0300 St. Michael, Barbados Fax: (703) 351-0342 tel: 246-426-5041 E-mail: tourism@paconsulting.com fax: 246-429-2845 email: wendyrudder@mail.com
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