Sudima Hotels is saving costs and emissions with carboNZero

Sudima Hotels are committed to being the most environmentally friendly hotel chain in Australasia. Family-owned, the company prides itself on putting the welfare of people, the community and the environment at the forefront of every decision they make. This translates into a broad range of initiatives, from their goal of phasing out single use plastics by 2020, Be Accessible graded facilities, and commitment to embedding sustainability into the construction of new buildings.

They are also walking the talk on carbon emissions and reducing their impact on our atmosphere: Sudima Auckland Airport was certified carboNZero in 2013 and was the first hotel in New Zealand to be carboNZero certified, this was followed by Sudima Christchurch Airport in October 2017.

It was only a matter of time before Sudima Rotorua followed, certified carboNZero this month at an event in Rotorua.  “Sudima Hotels are working towards being more environmentally sustainable”, says Samantha Roebuck, Food & Beverage Services Manager at Sudima Rotorua. “Our Sudima Auckland Airport and Christchurch Airport hotels have already achieved carboNZero certification and Sudima Rotorua wanted to follow their example”. Sudima Hotels are currently only hotels in New Zealand to be carboNZero certified.

As part of their certification, Sudima Rotorua has measured and verified their carbon emissions, and committed to an ongoing plan of reductions. They have also offset their unavoidable emissions with Gold Standard carbon credits which support landfill gas capture in China.

One of the biggest hotels in Rotorua, Sudima Rotorua’s main emissions sources include electricity, natural gas, and waste. They are kicking off innovative projects to tackle these challenges, including conducting a feasibility study on installing solar panels, and auditing all their gas-powered appliances to identify ways to reduce their footprint.

In the meantime, they have tackled their waste stream and already realised cost and environmental benefits. “The biggest reduction for us since we started carboNZero has been around our waste”, says Samantha. “Instead of having pick up seven days a week, we have reduced down to three days a week which has a hugely positive financial and environmental impact”. They have actively looked for ways to reduce their waste, including investing in a crusher for glass bottles, and a compactor for rubbish and plastics graded 1 – 5, which will reduce their carbon emissions by up to 50 percent.

Sudima staff have enthusiastically embraced the certification, which is included in staff training practices and is part of day to day life around the hotel. “We have what is called ‘Care Team’ onsite”, says Samantha. “We meet once a month and discuss ways we can help in the community or change things around the hotel. We also have our own veggie garden at the back of the hotel, the produce is used in our restaurant and hāngi – and the garden’s getting bigger and bigger”.

“We are committed to environmental sustainability and will continue to explore and implement ways to reduce our environmental impact.” Samantha adds.

What next for Sudima Rotorua? As they prepare for their 2019 audit, they are also considering aiming for Enviro-Mark Gold certification.

Congratulations Sudima Rotorua!