Govt directs 5-star hotels to donate leftover food, offer half portions to guests

Top hotels could soon be donating leftover untouched food and partially used toiletries, allowing guests to order half portions and buying toilet tissue and towels made from recycled paper, besides re-using all their waste under the government's green agenda.

Amid concerns that posh hotels generate a lot of wastage and misuse water, these are some of the guidelines for hotels listing the "dos" and "don'ts" for ensuring an environment friendly venture that the Centre has come up with. They ask five star hotels to donate leftover untouched food to local shelters or food banks and also offer guests the option of ordering half portions to reduce food waste.

The guidelines prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) were presented in the Lok Sabha by Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Monday.

"Purchase refillable soap, hair rinse and hand lotion dispensers for guest rooms. Donate partially used product. Purchase towels and sheets made from 100 per cent natural cotton, containing no chemical, dyes or bleaches. Donate used linens to local shelters or other charities," they say.

The waste reduction measures include donating left over, untouched food to poor living in local shelters or food banks and "to reduce food waste, offer guests the option of ordering half portions."

Assuming a 50 per cent occupancy rate, a 200-room hotel uses almost eight million gallons of water in a year, it says. "Using water-efficient fixture could save nearly 2.5 million gallons of water a year," the guidelines say.

To encourage environmentally responsible purchasing practices, the guidelines suggest to buy recycled products. "Purchase toilet tissue, facial tissues and paper towels made from recycled paper. Buy cleaning products that are biodegradable-- use recycled paper for letterhead and guest room stationery," they say.

Noting that most of the five star hotels are treating only waste water generated from kitchen and laundry, the guidelines suggests that entire waste water generated from kitchen, laundry and domestic sewage should be treated in a biological Sewage Treatment Plant.

Natarajan said that the five star hotels have been advised to take appropriate environmental friendly measures including waste reduction, water conservation, energy conservation and follow environmentally responsible purchasing practices envisaged in the guidelines for Green Hotels.