Hailed for its commitment to restoring iconic heritage buildings, The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts is also committed to a raft of sustainable strategies which builds upon its existing environmentally friendly credentials. This month, the company will also sign a Plastic ACTion commitment (PACT) agreement with the World Wildlife Fund to reduce a significant amount of single-use plastic by 2022 for both of its hotels in Singapore, with plans underway for The Fullerton Hotel Sydney.

All three Fullerton Hotels and Resorts’ properties - The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore and the soon-to-open The Fullerton Hotel Sydney – aim to be “greener” by 2022. The two hotels in Singapore have pledged their commitment to the following initiatives as part of the Plastic ACTion agreement with the WWF:

• Reduce consumption or single-use plastic by 50 percent by 2022
• Eliminated 100 percent use of single-use plastic stirrers  and plastic straws since June 2018
• Reduce use of plastic bottles hotel-wide (including rooms, meetings, conferences etc) by 100 percent by 2022.
• Eliminated the use of plastic bags by switching to non-woven reusable bags by August 2019
• Placed recycling bins in all guest rooms by August 2019. Guests have the option to sort their trash (recyclable and non-recyclable) into the eco-bins available in their rooms.
• Advocate design packaging with carbon neutral/positive, circular and/or actively reduce plastics in nature.
• Utilise property-centralised procurement to ensure all plastic item alternatives are validated and have supporting documentation.

“Sustainability is integral to our business. Beyond delivering excellent service and customer satisfaction, we strive to be good stewards of the environment in the way we operate and serve. The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts is dedicated to reducing its environmental footprint and increasing sustainability initiatives across our hotel property portfolio by 2022. Through our efforts, we hope to send an important message about sustainability and join the global effort in creating a greener future,” says Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale, General Manager, The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts.

As custodians of heritage, The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts cares deeply about the preservation of Singapore’s rich history and the heritage of its buildings. Similarly, sustainability and care of the environment is paramount for the hotel group and its guests. Frequent travellers are increasingly aware of their carbon footprint and how hotels are addressing sustainability efforts. How and where hotels source amenities and suppliers have become critical in guests’ decision-making process.

As such, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore have implemented a number of sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives including:

Reduction of Single-Use Plastics

Both hotels have replaced all plastic takeaway packaging and cutlery with sustainable corn-starch alternatives. Plastic straws are banned in all restaurants and bars and eco-friendly alternatives are made available upon guests’ requests. Bio-degradable plastic is used for packaging when no other options are available. The hotels have embraced carbon neutral packaging, providing water in Tetra Pak cartons in select areas of the hotels, and bio-degradable bathroom amenity bottles in guest rooms. Plastic water bottles have been replaced with refillable water pitchers in meeting rooms. Additionally, pulp paper napkins were replaced with napkins made from eco bamboo fibre, and single-use plastic bags have been replaced with re-usable non-woven bags.

Green Technology

Building a sustainable Fullerton doesn’t just stop at reducing the use of plastic. The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts’ in-room tablet is one of the many digital sustainable initiatives which reduces paper wastage. The e-Compendium tablet runs Tapendium, an Australian hotel technology solution that provides a digital concierge service. At the touch of a button, guests can place a reservation at any of the dining establishments located in the hotel; book a spa treatment; or schedule a taxi or laundry pick-up service. Other features include: an in-room dining menu that takes room service orders; and a city guide with insider tips on what to eat, see and do around the hotels.

Water Usage

Inspired by the national icon of Singapore, the mythical Merlion plushie is placed in the guest rooms of both hotels to encourage guests to reduce the impact on the environment by conserving water. Guests have the option of reusing the bed and bathroom linen simply by placing the Fullerton Merlion plushie on the bed. The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts also partakes in the Clean the World Asia Soap Recycling Programme, a leading global hygiene revolution in Asia and around the world.

A Greener Kitchen

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore has also extended its journey towards sustainable living into the kitchen with the introduction of an innovative plant-based vegan menu at its signature Cantonese restaurant, Jade. The new Taste the Future menu features Omnipork; a plant-based pork that is prepared from a blend of pea protein, non-GMO soy, shiitake mushroom and rice. Guests can look forward to an environmentally friendly meal paired with over 30 fruits, vegetables and natural ingredients to ensure a rich tapestry of textures and flavours.

2018 Sustainability Initiatives

Through consistent hotel-wide efforts and investment in sustainability, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore achieved the following outcomes in 2018:

• Reduction of 116,472 plastic water bottles since the implementation of Tetra Pak and glass bottles;
• Reduction of 10,550 plastic bags in both hotels since the implementation of non-woven bags;
• Reduction of 490,000 plastic straws in both hotels;
• 655kg of soap collected through the Clean the World Asia Soap Recycling programme; and
• 74,935kg of waste recycled - includes cardboard, newspapers, used paper, metals, plastics, glass, and oil.

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney

This year marks The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts’ first expansion overseas, where the vision to launch a luxury heritage hotel in the heart of Sydney’s CBD will come to fruition with the opening of The Fullerton Hotel Sydney in the former Sydney General Post Office (GPO), in October 2019. The green initiatives demonstrated by The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts in Singapore will be extended to The Fullerton Hotel Sydney in phases.

Click here to view the Fullerton Hotels and Resorts website.

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