Sustainability impacts 2021
April 11, 2022 - We’ve always emphasized becoming self-sustaining, regenerative, plastic-free and collaborative with NGOs around conservation, community, culture, and commerce. But what does that mean in real terms, counting every bottle, turtle, and coral fragment?
As the regenerative travel movement grows, we’re thrilled to play a part in it, in line with our values, and the values our guests hold dear. We’re promoting the move from high-volume disposable travel to longer-stay more mindful and soulful travel.
“The strategy at Six Senses has always been based on looking for unique locations in destinations that tell a story while offering out-of-the-ordinary guest experiences to educate, surprise, and delight,” says Vice President of Sustainability Jeff Smith. “With guests traveling with greater awareness and mindfulness, this strategy is more relevant than ever. From showcasing efforts to reduce consumption and produce locally to guests via Earth Labs at all properties to marine conservation, forestry, wildlife protection, and regenerative agriculture – all are topics to watch over the coming years.”
Here's how we got on in 2021.
Self-sustaining
To be self-sustaining, we’re moving towards zero waste to landfill, using existing resources and reducing our carbon.
In 2021, we produced:
- 135,895 pounds (61,641 kilograms) of compost
- 79,128 pounds (35,892 kilograms) of organic veg
- 69,305 eggs
- 1,946 pounds (883 kilograms) of mushrooms
- 877,761 bottles of our own water
- 391,000 kWh renewable energy: enough to make 19.5 million daiquiris!
we upcycled:
- 6,323 pounds (2,868 kilograms) of glass
- 941 pounds (427 kilograms) of fabrics
and we reduced:
- 32,271 metric tons CO2e in 2020 to 29,040 metric tons CO2e in 2021
Regenerative
Our aspiration to be regenerative goes beyond protecting local communities, cultures, and environments to add value to local stakeholders and give back more than we take. After all, we’re all part of a global community on a shared Earth, which is why sustainability at Six Senses also focuses on aligning with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2021, we volunteered in our local communities:
- 6,045 host hours
- 15,367 guests at awareness events
- 1,499 teaching hours
we recruited locally:
- 84 percent hosts
- 65 percent management
we made life better:
- 127,477 people with access to clean water
we protected endangered species:
- Ornate Eagle Ray
- Napoleon Wrasse
- Green Turtle
- Grey Reef Shark
- Whale Shark
we protected critically endangered species:
- Bali Starling
- Fijian Crested Iguana
- Hawksbill Turtle
- Ornate Eagle Ray
- Black Shanked Douc Langur
and we conserved our habitats:
- 4 million square meters of marine habitat protected
- 151 coral fragments planted
- 8,258 trees planted
- 13,572 pounds (6,156 kilograms) of trash removed
Plastic free
We’re on our path to becoming plastic free, on track to eliminating our “18 Most Unwanted”. This also means prioritizing the elimination of single-use and virgin plastic sourcing and adopting circular solutions through supplier engagement.
Collaboration
Within the world of hospitality, Six Senses has created a niche for itself and become a gamechanger in sustainability. In the broader sense, we also form strategic partnerships with NGOs around conservation, community, culture, and commerce. This includes being one of the first signatories of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, led by the UN Environment Programme and UN World Tourism Organization, and collaborating with the United States Coalition on Sustainability and SustainChain™ to connect initiatives and scale solutions.
