World Earth Day 2024, celebrated on Monday (April 22), was themed ‘Planet vs. Plastics’ and City Lodge Hotels announced some of its achievements in this area, notably in its hotel bathrooms.

Since August 2020, the bathroom amenities across its 59 hotels have been free from single-use plastic, thanks to its partnership with The Bespoke Amenities Company.

City Lodge Hotels announced the following sustainability initiatives across the group:

• 41 out of our 59 hotels have solar renewable energy systems, with a total generating capacity of 2.6MW or 16.3% of the group's energy requirements, with the remainder of the hotels to follow.
• Battery storage has been added to two hotels as part of a battery pilot programme.
• Water supply resilience strategy has delivered a further three new boreholes and filtration plants, bringing the total number of such installations to seven, and a further 14 filtration plants are planned for existing boreholes.
• Hydration Stations at all hotels offer free, filtered, magnesium-enriched still and sparkling water, reducing plastic water bottle waste.
• Responsible removal of waste from grease traps at all hotel restaurants by a black-owned business that is part of its incubator programme together with SATSA, and Organic Matters, owned by Siya Sigcau.

In the 2023 financial year, the group achieved:

• Reduced average electricity used per occupied room: 19.5 kWh (2022: 22.5 kWh)
• Reduced average water used per occupied room: 0.35kl (2022: 0.39kl)
• Increased energy produced by solar/PV systems: 2.2 million kWh (2022: 2.1m kWh)
• Commitment to cage-free eggs by 2025: 65% currently (2022: 55%)

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, Chief Operating Officer of City Lodge Hotels, said: “By proactively addressing the challenges of climate change, we can reduce our environmental footprint and attract a growing market of eco-conscious consumers.

“Our sustainability committee leads the action plan, which includes installing more solar panels, ongoing single-use plastic minimisation, environmental awareness training, and various initiatives improving water and energy-saving, waste management and recycling, and green buildings.”