{"id":1438,"date":"2026-03-02T12:07:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T12:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/sustainable-waste-management\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T12:07:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T12:07:57","slug":"sustainable-waste-management","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/sustainable-waste-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Waste Management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Waste management in the lodging sector follows the <strong>waste hierarchy<\/strong>: the priority is prevention, followed by reuse, recycling and, as a final step, responsible disposal. By addressing waste structurally, a lodging establishment reduces its carbon footprint and operational costs. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Our Objectives: What do we want to achieve?<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Waste Prevention:<\/strong> preventing waste through conscious purchasing and eliminating single-use products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maximum Recycling:<\/strong> Ensuring that residual waste is minimized through strict source separation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elimination of Single-Use Plastics:<\/strong> Completely phasing out single-use plastic items such as straws, cups and individual containers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reducing Food Waste:<\/strong> Implementing a plan to minimize food surpluses in the kitchen and at the buffet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Measuring is Knowing<\/h3>\n\n<p>Without data, it is impossible to set targeted reduction goals.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Recording:<\/strong> The total amount of waste is best <strong>recorded monthly<\/strong>, preferably by waste fraction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Units:<\/strong> Waste is measured in <strong>kilograms (kg) or tons<\/strong> and normalized to <strong>kg per guest night<\/strong> to identify trends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monitoring:<\/strong> Specific attention is paid to large streams such as food waste, textiles and packaging materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Practical Methods and Resources.<\/h3>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prevention and Procurement<\/h4>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Disposable items:<\/strong> Do not use disposable dishes or cutlery except for safety reasons (e.g., at the pool).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dispensers:<\/strong> Replace individual soaps and shampoo bottles with refillable dispensers in all bathrooms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Packaging:<\/strong> Limit monopacks at breakfast (such as sugar, jam or butter) to an absolute minimum (no more than 5 kinds).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Suppliers:<\/strong> Make arrangements for reusable transport packaging (such as crates) to be returned to the supplier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sorting and Recycling<\/h4>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fractions:<\/strong> Sort waste into at least <strong>three fractions<\/strong> in accordance with legislation (e.g., paper\/cardboard, glass, PMD); residual waste does not count as a fraction for this purpose.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Infrastructure:<\/strong> Provide clear sorting bins in both staff areas and public areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Instructions:<\/strong> Use simple pictograms or illustrations at waste receptacles to prevent mis-sorting by guests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Food and Organic Waste<\/h4>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Composting:<\/strong> Process organic waste (GFT) on site or have it collected for biogas production&#8230;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Food waste:<\/strong> Adjust portion sizes, use smaller plates at buffets and work with an &#8220;a la carte&#8221; system to reduce surpluses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. The Financial Impact<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lower Disposal Costs:<\/strong> In most regions, the disposal of sorted waste is cheaper than that of unsorted residual waste.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Purchasing advantage:<\/strong> Bulk purchasing for dispensers and avoiding individually packaged products lowers the unit price of consumables.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Efficiency:<\/strong> \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Digital administration saves significantly on paper and printing costs.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dispensers reduce operational costs in room maintenance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Planetary Frontiers and Social Impact.<\/h3>\n\n<p>Your waste policy contributes to the bigger picture:<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"wp-image-1290\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-12-picto-nl.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-12-picto-nl.jpg 400w, https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-12-picto-nl-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-12-picto-nl-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/td><td><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"wp-image-1292\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-14-picto-nl.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-14-picto-nl.jpg 400w, https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-14-picto-nl-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-14-picto-nl-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/td><td><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"wp-image-1293\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-15-picto-nl.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-15-picto-nl.jpg 400w, https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-15-picto-nl-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/sdg-15-picto-nl-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>UN SDGs:<\/strong> Direct contribution to <strong>SDG 12<\/strong> (Responsible consumption and production), <strong>SDG 14<\/strong> (Living in water &#8211; reducing plastic soup) and <strong>SDG 15<\/strong> (Living on land).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Planetary Boundaries:<\/strong> Waste management limits the introduction of <strong>new entities<\/strong> (such as microplastics and chemical pollutants) into the biosphere.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Minimum Limits:<\/strong> Contributes to local <strong>public health<\/strong> by preventing pollution of the immediate environment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. More Information &amp; Tools<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gstc.org\/certification\/become-certified-hotel\/\"><u>Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria.<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.green-key.be\/\"><u>Green Key Belgium &#8211; Criteria &amp; Explanation.<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/environment.ec.europa.eu\/topics\/ecolabel_en\"><u>EU Ecolabel for Tourist Accommodation<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"text-decoration:underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betersorteren.be\/\">Better sorting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div style=\"height:64px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p><em>This guide is a living document. By working with local partners and sharing experiences, we are building journeys to tomorrow together. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n<p><em>Collective intelligence, stronger than artificial intelligence !<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Waste management in the lodging sector follows the waste hierarchy: the priority is prevention, followed by reuse, recycling and, as a final step, responsible disposal. By addressing waste structurally, a lodging establishment reduces its carbon footprint and operational costs. 1. Our Objectives: What do we want to achieve? 2. Measuring is Knowing Without data, it &#8230; <a title=\"Sustainable Waste Management\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/sustainable-waste-management\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Sustainable Waste Management\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1438","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1438"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1439,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1438\/revisions\/1439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}