Earth Day, celebrated today, Tuesday, 22 April, is all about raising awareness, inspiring action, and uniting behind efforts to protect our planet. This year’s theme of “Our power, our planet” highlights the urgency of embracing clean, renewable energy.
At City Lodge Hotels, sustainability is more than a buzzword, it’s a daily practice. One of the standout initiatives across our properties is the Hydration Station, a guest favourite that offers complimentary, unlimited, filtered, magnesium-rich water. By encouraging guests to refill and reuse rather than repurchase, the Hydration Station significantly cuts down on the use of single-use plastic bottles, a win for both people and planet.
These filtration units, supplied by Best Water Technology (BWT), use municipal water and enhance it using patented magnesium technology. By swapping calcium ions for magnesium, the system not only lowers the water’s pH level but also improves its taste. Each unit can purify between 30 to 40 litres of water per hour. Conveniently located near reception areas, the Hydration Stations make it easy for guests to top up their own bottles or pick up one of our branded reusable ones.
Elegant glass water carafes are currently being added to guest rooms at City Lodge Hotel and Town Lodge properties, completing the in-room tea and coffee making facilities. These stylish, reusable, and easy-to-clean carafes pair perfectly with our filtered water offering, and are a sustainable solution to having bottled water available in guest rooms.
“We embraced the move to ‘zero-kilometre water’ in March 2021 with the launch of our Hydration Stations, allowing us to play our part in reducing carbon emissions. Our goal is to make it simple and appealing for guests to refill and reuse these new water carafes,” explains Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, chief operating officer. “Sustainability depends on these small, conscious decisions – we are attuned to the growing demand for eco-conscious travel options and are committed to enhancing our sustainable practices to meet the expectations of guests seeking responsible and environmentally friendly-travel experiences.”
More ways City Lodge Hotels is making a difference:
- 41 out of 58 hotels use solar energy, reducing our carbon footprint
- Water and energy efficiency (as per our 2024 Integrated Annual Report):
- Water: 0.34 kl per occupied room (previously 0.35 kl)
- Electricity: 19.5 kWh per occupied room (maintained)
- Eco-friendly bathroom amenities are now displayed on a sleek new amenities tray made from polyaluminium (PolyAl*), a material consisting of 100% recycled Tetra Pak cartons.
- Switch to cage-free eggs across all properties
* PolyAl is a 100% recyclable, eco-friendly product made from post-consumer long-life liquid cartons. Each sheet of PolyAl is produced using 4,049 cartons – meaning 4,049 fewer containers end up in landfills. These durable sheets can be used for a wide range of applications. This proudly South African product is manufactured by Apex Polymer Solutions and supplied to City Lodge Hotels by The Bespoke Amenities Company.
As Earth Day marks its 55th anniversary, artist Alexis Rockman’s official poster captures this year’s message with a striking image of a solar panel rising above a hopeful crowd symbolising the clean, green future we are working toward together.
Single-use plastic fact file
- 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been produced since plastic was introduced in the 1950s. (1)
- 79% of plastic that has ever been made still sits in landfills or the natural environment (except for the small amount that has been incinerated or recycled) (2)
- Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year, averaging about 13 bottles per month for every person in the US. That means by using a reusable water bottle, you could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually. (3)
- At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year. (7)
- When plastics end up in landfills, they aren’t harmless. They break down into tiny toxic particles that contaminate the soil and waterways and enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them. (8)
- Researchers in Germany indicate that terrestrial microplastic pollution is much higher than marine microplastic pollution – estimated at 4 to 23 times higher, depending on the environment. This could ultimately have adverse health effects on humans and animals. (9)
Source: www.earthday.org.
