Saturday, April 27, 2024
Kathmandu: Nepal’s hotels have decided to ban single-use plastics from 2025 and join the fight against plastic pollution and promote sustainable tourism.
In an effort to fight against pollution and promote sustainable tourism, hotels in Nepal have a timeline to ban plastic use effective from 2025.
Hotel Association Nepal has announced recently that all types of plastics material like water bottles, cutlery, plates, straws, polystyrene food service products, toothbrushes etc. would be banned to it's over 3,000 hotel members across the country from January 1, 2025.
“To promote eco-friendly product and practice green hospitality , campaign and to ban single-use plastics have already started,' Sreejana Rana, president of Hotel Association Nepal, said.Supporting the initiative, KGH Hotels in partnership with HITA Group will now be Zero-Plastic waste hotels.
'Our three hotels in Kathmandu – Kathmandu Guest House, Thamel, Maya Manor Boutique Hotel, Hattisar and Park Village Resort Budhanilkantha will have all its non biodegradable waste recycled or disposed in a smokeless incinerator that burns garbage in a high temperature combustion,' says Shaguni Singh Shakya, Executive Director KGH Group.
The HITA Group is a waste management specialist company investing in zero waste management equipped with the latest technology of high combustion smokeless incinerator. Certified by WHO, this incinerator of the HITA Group is one of the only kind in Kathmandu with no polluting factors. It has a heat recycling system that lets out steam, hot water, and ash. It has a capacity to burn half tonne of waste (plastic, paper, rubber) at one time and takes out around 10 kilo ash balls which can be used to make wall or floor tiles. The Hita group has also met and informed Kathmandu Metropolitan Mayor Balen Shah and Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol about the use of this waste management technology.
The KGH Group is deeply committed to be an eco-friendly hotel. The KGH Hotel’s Zero Plastic Waste Initiative to reduce, recycle and remove plastic pollution has been an ongoing process for long.KGH Hotels has stopped using any plastic bags in rooms, and encourages glass bottles instead of using mineral water bottles, reduces purchasing products that are plastic-wrapped and has stopped all plastic cups, plates and cutleries within hotel premises for long.
'Our waste is segregated into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable. All glass, and cans are being sent to local recyclers (“khali sisi”),' Shakya says. The KGH Hotels which has highest number of rooms in Kathmandu – a total of 305 rooms in three hotels, responsibly feel the need for a proper waste management system to reduce carbon footprints.
Along with providing good hospitality, eco friendly services is a priority. Sakya added KGH is also planning to go plastic-free in the next two years.
