“This is the way forward for business, and we want to leave the way in the hospitality industry,” said Franz Mascarenhas, Managing Director of Cordis Auckland. “Change, however, cannot be done in isolation; it’s a global effort to ensure the world we live in is sustainable for future generations.”
Cordis Auckland made significant process in its sustainability journey as it recently received the EarthCheck Master status. As one of 15 hotels globally to do so, the status comes after years of consistency and small actions from the Cordis team, which include recycling, effective waste management, and water usage.
EarthCheck has been the world’s leading scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for travel and tourism since 1987. As the hospitality industry continues monitoring and reporting on its sustainability performance, EarthCheck helps travel and tourism organisations to increase efficiencies, decrease their carbon footprint, and maximise the guest experience.
Stewart Moore, EarthCheck CEO and founder, congratulated the team at Cordis Auckland on their long-term sustainability commitment over the past 15 years.
“Achieving EarthCheck Master Certification is not an easy task, and it takes the commitment of the whole team to deliver improved operational results across the business,” Moore detailed. “There are no shortcuts, and there needs to be an ongoing commitment to both measurement and improved performance.”
Cordis Auckland recently launched its new Pinnacle Tower, which brought an extra 244 rooms to the hotel. With this increase, the hotel aimed to ensure sustainable practices were the focal point of the development.
Initiatives by the team include high-performance glazing, energy-efficient LED lighting and controls, water metering, thermally environmentally efficient façade glazing, biking facilities, e-charging stations for electric vehicles, easy access to public transport and more.
“Fifteen years ago, we made a commitment to be a sustainable business, and we have been working in incremental steps to achieve this,” said Mascarenhas. “This accolade is a testament to that, showing that small, consistent steps can make the biggest changes long-term.”
Significant achievements include:
Cordis Auckland Beehive
On level seven of the hotel, a beehive assists with pollination and supports the rehabilitation of bees in the urban area. Due to the number of parks nearby and the climate, bees are increasing in large numbers. The hive can produce 45 kgs of honey, and it is harvested once a year to be used throughout the hotel’s food and beverage outlets.
One bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day, and if bees ceased to exist, people would no longer consume foods such as broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, watermelon, almonds, and apples.
Soap Recycling
Working with Beyond Skin Deep, Cordis Auckland recycles hotel room soaps for an estimated five million bars of unused soap in hotels that are thrown away daily. Cordis redistributes these bars to the community, promoting hygiene and reducing the spread of disease. Collected soap is donated to Rapid Relief Team.
Cordis Auckland was the first hotel in New Zealand to partner with Beyond Skin Deep, and in 2018/19, they collected 597.1 kgs of used soap from hotel rooms and suites. Following the launch of the new Pinnacle Tower, Cordis Auckland has removed single-use amenities where possible, such as turning to reusable liquid pumps and reducing plastic waste.
Sustainable Seafood
Cordis Auckland buys seafood caught sustainably by reputable companies. All seafood sourced and used is managed under the Quota Management system by the Ministry of Primary Industries.
Green Meetings by Cordis
‘Green Meetings by Cordis’ is a programme offering sustainable meeting solutions to assist organisers in integrating environmental considerations and promoting positive social impact. The new event includes environmentally-friendly resources such as LED walls, electronic signages, compostable drinking straws, and healthy and delicious food and drink options prepared with fresh, locally sourced, seasonal and sustainable ingredients.
“Cordis Auckland has persistently worked towards optimising its energy performance, improving water usage, integrating responsible waste management systems and reducing its carbon footprint with science-based targets,” said Moore.
The hotel is looking at an on-site water bottling machine as an alternative to plastic water bottles. Cordis Auckland also plans to re-introduce ORCA, the food waste solution that mimics a natural digestion process. Using air with water and microbiology, it turns food waste into an environmentally safe liquid to go down the drain.
