Mount Lavinia's Eco-Friendly Policy
Becoming the premier Heritage icon where green is the aim...
We are very pleased at Mount Lavinia Hotel to have been able to take some big steps into becoming a “green business”. We are committed to a policy oriented programme to develop human resources and build up capacities to support the planning and implementation of environmentally sustainable development strategies.
Inherent within our approach is a commitment to raise awareness of the effects of MLH intends not only to be a leader in bridging the gap between the theory and practice of environmental conservation management at the macro and micro levels, but also to lead in addressing environmental issues, in ensuring that personnel are fully aware of these issues and contribute to their resolution and in instilling environmental responsibility as an intrinsic feature of all its practices and procedures. Our intentions lie also to provide the opportunity for all urban stakeholders in participating in developing sound environmental policy that will help us live sustainably.
We have been selecting local suppliers for our food which emphasizes the eco gastronomy initiatives we have taken, staying seasonal, using low energy light fittings in our rooms and low energy bulbs everywhere else. We have appointed five committees to focus on five aspects of conservation; green procurement committee, waste management, energy saving, water consumption control, and community development initiatives. The practices that we have adopted:
Minimize waste by evaluating operations and ensuring they are as efficient as possible.
An eco gastronomy initiative that leaves a smaller environmental footprint while working closely with our own local growers.
Actively promote recycling both internally and amongst our guests and suppliers.
Source and promote a product range to minimize the environmental impact of both production and distribution.
Meet or exceed all the environmental legislation that relates to the company.
Promote good conservation practice and awareness amongst the MLH team.
Promote the continued development of best practices and expertise in conservation disciplines in order to provide knowledge and capacity building related to cultural, social and environmental sustainability.
Take into account the principles of sustainable development in conducting administrative, commercial and social activities.
Participate in local initiatives to improve the quality of the environment and conservation projects.
Switch Off For Earth Hour – March 2010
Dear Valued Guest,
Everybody likes the Earth. It’s hard not to, especially since it’s the place that we all call home. Yet across the hospitality world, green initiatives are rarely a top priority. However, we at Mount Lavinia Hotel are focusing on five aspects of conservation measurements for the hotel with the objective of provoking a sense of environmental responsibility among all.
Mount Lavinia Hotel chose to demonstrate their commitment to the environment by undertaking five aspects namely: better waste management, water consumption control, green procurement mechanisms, community development projects and energy consumption control.
With these initiatives in focus, a global call to action showing leadership and being responsible for the future will occur when we partake in the Earth Hour Movement 2010 dedicated for the 27th March 2010 at 8.30pm. A terracotta lamp has been left in all places of our property to symbolize hope and indeed to represent our support for a sustainable future. In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour and this year we at the hotel have joined in too.
We are happy to partake in this worldwide campaign where we will turn off our lights for one hour and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.
Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.
With this commitment, Mount Lavinia Hotel reaffirms its primary goal: to be – and to remain – the benchmark in terms of trendsetters in hotel innovation but with ‘green’ in mind.
Sincerely yours,
ANURA DEWAPURA
General Manager
Green Lavinia – Community Development Committee
Completed
Donation to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital -10 chairs which had been discarded by the Hotel have now been repaired and ready for donation to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital. Donation / March 8th 2010
In Progress
Interactive session for school children on conserving the environment by Hemantha Ratnayake
Objective – To educate school children on the importance of conserving the environment, how they could assist in bringing down the cost of living to a more manageable level by reducing, recycling and reusing resources
Arrangements – The Principal of Buddhist Girls’ School in the vicinity of Mount Lavinia Hotel arranged the 2nd of March 2010 for the first interactive session to be held. The members of the School Environment Society gathered in the school hall and participated in great enthusiasm. And then the society was treated to some refreshments courtesy of the hotel.
The agenda consisted of the following: The interactive discussion on conserving the environment and Question and Answer time.
Mount Lavinia hotel is committed to sustain the communities and environment around us. Giving back to the community we gain so much from… “Kaduru” (bitternut: strychnos nuxvomica) grown on the river banks of Sri Lanka acts as a natural barrier to soil erosion. These seeds are collected by the communities that live along the river banks and we in turn purchase them at the hotel. After the seeds give birth to the plants they sprout a very attractive plant and then they are ready for planting. The hotel gives the plants back to the same communities and they plant them along the river banks to protect themselves from floods and soil erosion. The income they gain from this project is used to assist their school going children.
Green Lavinia – Energy Saving Committees
Completed
Conducted three classes on energy saving for 60 Engineering staff. (to be continued)
Fixed new KWh meter on Chinese lounge A/C system, Chinese Lounge & bar lighting, Sea Food Restaurant, Secondary chill water pumps, Generators, Beach Function area, Little hut, (more meters on order)
Replaced 50 W Halogen bulbs with 1.2 W LED lamps for terrace column, Empire Ballroom Floor.
Replaced 60 W normal lamps with home made 1 W LED light sets on Pool changing room steps.
Closely monitoring the daily readings and taken necessary action to minimize the wastage of energy.
Fixed a Variable Speed Drive on Flat work Ironer in Laundry and made the arrangement for proper control.
Replaced more than 400 normal bulbs with CFL bulbs in 118 guest rooms
Fixed a Air pressure regulator on Laundry air compressor.
Connected city water line directly to the cooling tower (this will reduce the load on main water tower pump.)
In Progress
Fix a variable speed drive on secondary chill water pumps.
Replace all normal lamps in guest rooms with CFL bulbs
Replace halogen lamps with CFL in guest rooms
Green Lavinia – Green Procurement Committee
Completed
Environmentally responsible, sustainable or "green" procurement committee select products and services that minimize environmental impacts and maximize the 4Rs – reduce, recycle, reuse and recovery.
Waste reduction.
If waste is produced, every effort should be made to reuse it.
Recycling should only be considered for waste which cannot be reduced or reused.
Recover materials or energy from waste which cannot be reduced, reused or recycled.
Reuse projects
Compost plant – garden refuse, outlet waste particularly organic are composted in our compound and used for all our gardens.
Bio-degradable pesticides – We manufacture our own biocides by using left over soap from guest rooms and ‘kohomba’ (Margosa or Neem) oil; The oil has a medicinal value. It is used to make herbal oil. The speed is valuable as an insecticide too. The green leaves are insect resistant.
‘Global No-Pesticides Use Day’ – This day was observed on 3rd December 2009 and the use of bio degradable pesticides and organic fertilizer in the Hotel gardens was launched on this date. Media publicity was also given for this event
We have obtained ‘Bio-degradable Certification’ in respect of all chemicals used in Laundry, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage and Kitchen.
Recycling projects
Instructions have been given to the general office staff on the re-use of box files, photocopy paper, used paper and old documents.
Empty jam jars and glass bottles, laundry chemical cans, canisters and flagons are re-sold for re-filling.
Polythene bottles, bags and papers are sold to recycling plant.
Cardboard boxes and containers are re-sold to paper re-cycling plant.
Reduction Projects
Cost saving mechanism - Bulk quantities are purchased as much as possible particularly on Kitchen and Food and Beverage supplies.
Recoveries Projects
Stores helpers and assistants have been trained in the proper use of equipment and chemicals. This is in order to obtain maximum benefit from equipment and chemicals.
In Progress
Change guest amenities to use bio-degradable and eco-friendly products.
Re-cycled paper to be used in guest rooms.
Green Lavinia – Waste Management Committee
Completed
Colour Coded Bins
These eye-catching recycling bins have been placed to offer the perfect solution for source separating waste materials that are released from the Governor’s kitchen, main kitchen, Seafood Cove kitchen and all function halls
1)Wet garbage – Black
2)Dry garbage – Blue
3)Glass – Red
4)Ceramic – Green
5)Plastic – Orange
6)Steel/tin cans – Maroon
7)Cardboard – Brown
In Progress
The main garbage area to be painted in the colour code system and three more rooms have been sourced.
7.0 Green Lavinia Water Management Committee
Completed
Fixed New Urinal Flush Taps in "La Fontaine" toilet
Ice Machine and Chill water Drain Line connected to the Lobby Water pond
Tea Garden Area Leaking Pipe Line has been repaired
Fixed New Water Meters on below stated locations to monitor the water consumption:
Boiler plant
Boiler softener
Staff Canteen
Cooling Towers
Ac Plant Washing Area,
Chiller makeup water tank Sky Shack
Hot water Tank
Laundry
Chinese Long Cooling Tower
Governor Kitchen washing area
Main kitchen cooling towers
Butchery
Main kitchen
Spa cool water
Spa Hot water
Spa hot water retain
Salon Cool Water
Salon Hot Water
Tropical Hut Area Well water line
Staff changing room well water
Well water main line
Guest toilets cistern tank capacity was reduced by 1½ litres
The well water line has been connected to supervisor & executive changing rooms
In Progress
UV filter drinking water system in progress.
Ordered new 5000 liter water tank to stand by well water.
Arrange 80% condensation water return to boiler feed tank.
More water meters ordered for car washing area and tropical hut area to monitor water consumption.
Green Month celebrated by Mount Lavinia Hotel
“Green Month is an opportunity for all Sri Lankans to take a positive and active role in helping protect our environment. By planting native trees and shrubs, we can help to combat climate change, provide food and shelter for our wildlife and beautify our surrounding,“ states Mr Anura Dewapura, General Manager Mount Lavinia Hotel.
Mount Lavinia Hotel‘s commitment to the environment by undertaking five aspects that will be assessed towards Certification in the future, is right on schedule. The hotel will be assessed according to performance criteria that will guarantee, among other things, better waste management, less air pollution, noise control, energy and water consumption control.
Celebrating the National Tree Planting Day along with Nilla Piruna Ratak programme under the Mahinda Chintana at the Mount Lavinia Hotel is indeed a logical fit given to its ongoing “GOING GREEN” commitment to working for the environment.
The main aim of the Green Month is to inspire, educate and recruit many to actively care for our unique land and create future generations of committed environmental custodians. And the objective behind Mount Lavinia Hotel’s initiative to plant coconut seedlings is to use species that are best suited to local conditions, since native plants use far less water than exotic species, in addition they help restore the natural character of an area, and finally they provide food and shelter for local native wildlife.
Global No Pesticides Use Day commemorated by Mount Lavinia Hotel
Since December 3rd has been designated the Global “No Pesticides Use Day” to commemorate what many consider the worst chemical disaster in the history of humankind–Bhopal. The date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, which occurred 3 December, 1984, and killed hundreds and injured thousands of people. And indeed the day aims to draw attention to the life threatening impacts of chemical pesticides on people and the environment.
Mount Lavinia Hotel’s Green initiatives main mission is to offer tangible ideas to be actively shaping the environment that they live in, and commemorating a day as such is one of their pledges to a better tomorrow.
The General Manager of the hotel states, “We passionately reject the presence of pesticides in our property they are in no way contributing to improving the quality of life of our people.”
To commemorate the day Mount Lavinia Hotel launched their compost manufacturing unit in the property along with the afternoon spent in using biocides on plants which replaces harmful pesticides, weedicides and fungicides in the premises and environment of the property.
E-mail:greenoffice@mountlaviniahotel.com
 |
 |
 |
