Getting rid of single-use plastic
Akaryn Hotel Group has underlined its commitment to preserving the environment with the setting up of the charity organisation Pure Blue Foundation to support multi-faceted marine projects including coral reef restoration and marine turtle conservation.
The foundation has also made concerted efforts to engage with local communities, particularly schools, where the next generation can learn about the importance of protecting fragile marine eco-systems.
Concerned about the amount of plastic waste that finds its way into the ocean, the charity is now focusing its efforts on eliminating single-use plastic at the origin through the introduction of re-usable stainless steel water bottles.
“As part of our ongoing support for the Pure Blue Foundation, all Aleenta and akyra hotels aim to become single-use plastic free by 2020,” says Anchalika Kijkanakorn, the group’s founder and managing director. “The akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel is taking the lead on this initiative by becoming the first new hotel in Asia to launch without single-use plastic in its rooms or food and beverage outlets. This will soon be followed by akyra Manor Chiang Mai, which is on track to be free of single-use plastic by August 2018.”
Upon check-in, guests at akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok will be offered the possibility to donate to the foundation in order to get a stylish Pure Blue Foundation branded stainless steel water bottle that can be refilled throughout their stay. Self-service drinking water will be conveniently dispensed on every floor to make refills easy, and guests will be advised to take their bottles with them on excursions around the city.
“We are also encouraging our partners and suppliers to adopt a more environmentally sensitive approach to business, and our cooperation with The Lab Fitness Studio is the first step in extending the zero plastic policy into the wider Bangkok community,” she adds.
The Lab’s founder and managing director, Richard Cohen, decided to become the first company to collaborate with Pure Blue Foundation's plastic-free initiative. The hotel offers 100 reusable stainless steel bottles to the Lab to be used at the gyms.
“With our newly renovated and upgraded gyms in Phrom Phong and Silom, together with our 100-per-cent no single-use plastic policy, we will continue leading the industry by contributing to a fitter, healthier, eco-friendlier Bangkok,” Cohen says.
In addition to stainless steel water bottles, other eco-friendly features implemented at akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok include essential oil-based bathroom amenities presented in locally manufactured celadon ceramic containers, as well as toothbrushes and combs made from corn starch. Biodegradable garbage bags will be placed in the rooms and the plastic foil used for room amenities and in-room dining will be replaced by pinto boxes and glass jars.
The hotel group also tries to apply this concept in various areas, leading to opportunities such as supplying the properties’ retail shop with an innovative brand of swimming shorts, Riz. This brand from UK offers a more soulful, sartorial, and sustainable approach to men’s swimwear, with swimming shorts made from recycled plastic bottles, diverting further waste from entering the sea.
To learn about the Pure Blue Foundation, visit www.PureBlueFoundation.com
For the new akyra TAS Sukhumvit Hotel, visit www.theakyra.com/bangkok/sukhumvit/
