Circular economy

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SOLUTION

Why do we need a Circular Economy?

A staggering one-third of Earth’s resources have been depleted, a trend intensifying with time. Our current consumption rate demands 1.75 planets, projected to surge to an alarming two by 2030. This unsustainable trajectory is tightly interwoven with climate change, with 45% of global emissions originating from everyday essentials like cars, clothing, and food.


To address this pressing issue, a unified effort from companies, governments, and stakeholders is imperative. Together, we must craft a robust, profitable and sustainable model. This model not only revitalizes social and human capital but also combats climate change head-on. The shift towards a circular economy is a necessity.

The  Circular Economy solutions we are driving

We started our circular economy work by designing strategies to remove single-use plastics, send no waste to landfill, and decarbonize operations within accommodation. Having implemented these strategies for over five years, we broadened our approach to encompass the regenerative and restorative management of water, energy, and products within its built environment. Going even further, we expanded our circular economy philosophy to integrate the concept of regeneration in ecosystem services as well as in the destinations and the value chain.

01

Evolving operations towards circularity

02

Contributing to regenerative destinations

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Driving partnership through the value chain

Evolving operations towards circularity

We seek to demonstrate that transforming business models in favor of circularity is possible. In order to do so, we spark action across four key areas:

 

  • Employees have the sufficient capacity, constant engagement and clear empowerment to achieve value-driven corporate objectives in the circular economy. 
  • Operations drive efficiency, renewable energy and regenerative sourcing to decarbonize its direct and indirect emissions well before we must reach net zero objectives globally
  • Operations minimize the need for water resources through efficiency, innovation and reutilization
  • Operations keep products in use by fostering efficiency and regenerative sourcing in its goods and services
Contributing to regenerative destinations

Beyond transforming business models, it is also imperative to build regenerative destinations, leaning into collective action and successful public-private partnerships with governments, IGOs & NGOs and the tourism industry. Only through partnerships can we create destinations that add value, minimize environmental impact, and safeguard critical ecosystem services and consequently, ensure long-term prosperity in these destinations. 

 

  • Circular built environments ensure that new developments and renovations in hospitality adhere to the highest standards of efficiency and waste reduction, all while enhancing resilience in the face of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. 
  • Safeguarding ecosystem services to guarantee that assets and infrastructure remain resilient in the face of stressors and climate change. 
  • Business operations and presence align with the needs of each destination, actively contribute to the evolution of sustainable infrastructure, and foster meaningful public-private partnership.
Driving partnership through the value chain

Value chains are a network necessary for many businesses to drive transformation towards circularity. In order to enact this transformation, we must:


  • Shift the focus in the value chain from mere procurement of goods and services to fostering strategic partnerships
  • Drive standardization and interoperability in measurement within the value chain to drive accountability and action
  • Engage in pre-competitive collaboration to propel innovative solutions to the industry that address shared challenges
What we have achieved
STRATEGY
Created a circular economy strategy that integrates regenerative destinations and builds partnerships in the value chain
PLASTICS
Created a strategy which enabled a business in hospitality to remove single-use plastics in under three years across 100 hotels
3R
Established the first global 3R department in hospitality to reduce and manage waste in hotels
AI TECHNOLOGY
Established the first global 3R department in hospitality to reduce and manage waste in hotels
ENGAGEMENT
Engagement of value chain towards best practices
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It is fundamental to adopt a regenerative and restorative economy  in all operations to ensure the health of our oceans

We present our roadmap for the restorative and regenerative procurement of resources, the use and end use of water, energy and the products of the built environment: our hotels

Discover our resources

This White Paper outlines actionable strategies and focus areas to reduce emissions, minimize food waste, and enhance the sustainability and resilience of hotel food systems.
This Key Findings presents a range of focus areas and recommendations on how the sector can reduce emissions, and adapt to climate threats.
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Discover the remarkable achievements and ongoing sustainability efforts of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in 2023 by downloading our full 2023 Year in Review report.
This report and roadmap synthesize progress on our strategic objectives and lays out the evolution of embodying a circular economy at Iberostar Hotels & Resorts.
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This roadmap establishes clear goals and key progress indicators to track success, and provides guiding actions to enhance the ecological health of coastal ecosystems.
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As part of our commitment to transparency, we present our Wave of Change 2020 Year in Review. This document outlines how we performed in 2020.
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Nature holds the most powerful solution to climate change. Learn more about our plan to offset our carbon footprint with nature-based solutions here.
We're setting a standard towards responsibly-sourced seafood while relying on gastronomic excellence to revolutionize the path towards responsible consumption. 

Alliances and partnerships

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