Green Hospiotality Award

EPA announces a successful first year for the Green Hospitality Award

Mr Michael Kitt T.D., Minister of State for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, today presented 54 businesses with the Green Hospitality Award.

This award recognises achievements in becoming more resource efficient, saving money by preventing waste, and conserving water and energy, while still offering a high quality guest experience.

This project, funded by the EPA National Waste Prevention Programme, is working with individual Irish hotels over a four-year period to significantly improve environmental management practices, prevent waste and encourage resource efficiency, while reducing operating costs for the sector.

Laura Burke, Director of the EPA Office of Climate, Licensing and Resource Use said:
“The EPA is delighted to recognise the achievements of the successful participants who have made savings of over €3 million in 2008 alone. This project has had a significant environmental impact in terms of less waste being produced, and less energy, water and raw materials being wasted.”

To date, over 80 members have gained a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, making it one of the most significant schemes of its type in Europe. In addition, a number of special achievement awards were presented to outstanding properties. Typical savings that hotels in the scheme have made in 2008 include:

Water – Through the use of leak detection programmes and water efficient taps, showers and toilets, hotels involved in the programme have saved 280,000 cubic metres of water (600 swimming pools). This is equal to savings of between €5,000 and €100,000 per hotel.

Waste - By reducing packaging, preventing waste, increasing re-cycling and segregation the hotels have saved 4,000 tonnes (1,600 full skips) of landfill waste. This is equal to monetary savings of between €5,000 and €45,000 per hotel.

Energy – Energy awareness and management programmes, installation of energy efficient equipment and lighting and adoption of alternative energy sources has resulted in savings of between €10,000 and €100,000 per hotel, equal to 187,500 kWh per hotel, enough to light a 100w bulb in each hotel for 214 years.
Other actions include reducing chemical use, sourcing sustainable and local food, carbon offsetting, educating suppliers and customers and developing environmental policies.

James Hogan, Director, Green Hospitality Award, says
“The Green Hospitality Award is very attractive as it offers practical guidance and training on the implementation of environmental best practice. This is borne out by its rapid uptake in 2008, with 8% of Irish Hotels now accredited to the scheme, proving the commitment of those in the Irish Hotel business to a sustainable green Ireland.”

The target for 2009 is to expand the current membership of 180 hotels and catering firms to 300, expanding the scheme to other similar sectors, including contract catering, nursing homes and hospitals.

Information on the award nominees and winners is available in the Editor’s Note below. Further information on the Hotel and Hospitality Project and the National Waste Prevention Programme is available at http://www.ghaward.ie/ or http://www.nwpp.ie/.

The special category award nominees and winners are:
Green Hospitality Annual Award for Excellence - Member For the property that has shown consistent improvement and innovation. Nominees are:
Westport Woods Hotel, Co Mayo - Winner
Clarion Hotel, Cork
The Moorings Guesthouse, Portmagee, Co Kerry
Green Hospitality Annual Award for Excellence – Group/brand For the group/brand that has shown the greatest leadership in environmental sustainability.

Nominees are:
Radisson SAS Hotels - Winner
Carlton Hotels,
Talbot Hotels
Green Hospitality Special Award - Greenest DestinationFor the destination that provides hospitality environmental excellence
Westport , Co Mayo
Green Hospitality Annual Award for Best Awareness Programme For the property that has created an excellent staff awareness programme and incorporated it into the everyday culture of the organisation Nominees are:
Westin, Dublin- Winner
Radisson SAS Hotels
Maryborough House Hotel, Cork
Green Hospitality Annual Award for Most Improved - Waste Management For the property that has shown most improvement in their waste prevention and reduction. Nominees are:
Clarion Hotel, Dublin Airport- Winner
Radisson SAS Hotel, Dublin Airport
Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel, Killiney, Dublin
Green Hospitality Annual Award for Most Improved - Water Management For the property that has shown most improvement in their water reduction and management. Nominees are:
Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel- Winner
Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford
Dromoland Castle
Green Hospitality Annual Award for Most Improved - Energy Management For the property that has shown most improvement in their energy conservation and management. Nominees are:
Clarion Hotel, Cork.
Radisson SAS Hotel, Little Island, Cork- Winner
Marriot Hotel, Druids Glen
Multi-staged accreditation awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
Gold Awards 2008

Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel, Co. MayoClarion Hotel Cork, CorkClew Bay Hotel, Co. MayoDromoland Castle, Co. ClareJurys Inn Cork, CorkMaryborough House Hotel, Co. CorkRadisson SAS Hotel - Little Island, Co. CorkRadisson SAS Hotel - Dublin Airport, DublinThe Moorings Guesthouse, Co. KerryWestin Hotel, DublinWestport Woods & Spa Hotel, Co Mayo

Silver Awards 2008

Adare Manor Hotel, Co. LimerickBuswells Hotel, Dublin Campbells Catering , Boston Scientific, CorkCarlton Hotel Dublin Airport, DublinCarriage House Adare Manor, Co. LimerickCastlecourt Hotel, Co. MayoCastleknock Hotel & Country Club, DublinCastletroy Park Hotel, Co. LimerickClanard Court Hotel, Co. KildareClarion Hotel Dublin Airport, DublinClarion Hotel Dublin Liffey Valley, DublinCommodore Hotel, Co. CorkConnemara Coast Hotel, Co. GalwayDays Hotel Castlebar, Co. MayoDepartment of Tourism & Hospitality Studies, CIT, CorkDingle Skellig Hotel, Co. KerryDrury Court Hotel, DublinFitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel, Co. LimerickFitzpatricks Castle Hotel, DublinGlashaus Hotel Dublin SilverGlenview Hotel, Co. WicklowGrafton Capital Hotel, DublinHarvey's Point Country Hotel, Co. DonegalHayfield Manor Hotel, CorkKillarney Park Hotel, Co. KerryKillashee House Hotel, Co. KildareKnock House Hotel, Co. MayoMarriot Hotel Druids Glen, Co. WicklowMount Juliet Conrad Hotel, Co. KilkennyQuality Resort Hotel Killarney, Co. KerryRadisson SAS Hotel Farnham Estate, Co. CavanRadisson SAS Hotel Galway, Co. GalwayRadisson SAS Royal Hotel, DublinRadisson SAS St Helen's Hotel, DublinStillorgan Park Hotel. DublinTalbot Hotel Carlow, Co. CarlowTalbot Hotel Wexford, Co. WexfordTallaght Cross Hotel, DublinTullamore Court Hotel, Co. OffalyWestport Plaza Hotel, Co. Mayo
Bronze Award

Ardilaun House Hotel, Co. GalwayAshford Castle, Co. MayoBallymaloe House Hotel, Co. CorkBlue Haven Hotel, Co. CorkBrandon House Hotel, Co. WexfordCampbells Catering, EMC, Co. CorkCarlton Shearwater Hotel, Co. GalwayCliff House Hotel, Co. WaterfordClontarf Castle Hotel, DublinDolmen Hotel, Co. CarlowFerrycarrig Hotel, Co. WexfordFitzgeralds Vienna Woods Hotel, Co. CorkGalway Bay Hotel, Co. GalwayGarryvoe Hotel, Co. CorkGlenlo Abbey Hotel, Co. GalwayHeritage Hotel Portlaoise, Co. LaoisHillgrove Hotel, Co. MonaghanKillarney Avenue Hotel, Co. KerryKillarney Plaza Hotel, Co. KerryKillarney Towers Hotel Co. KerryMerrion Hotel, DublinOriel House Hotel, Co. CorkPark Inn Hotel Dublin, DublinRadisson SAS Hotel ( Limerick), Co. ClareRadisson SAS Hotel Athlone, Co. WestmeathRadisson SAS Hotel Letterkenny, Co. DonegalRadisson SAS Hotel Sligo, Co. SligoRiver Island Hotel, Co. KerrySeven Oaks Hotel, Co. CarlowThe D Hotel, Co. Louth