Water
Water consumption has quadrupled in 50 years
With its extensive hotel network, Accor works every day to find sustainable methods to manage water use. The goal is to use the fewest resources possible through more rational consumption and innovative reutilization technologies.
Up to 90% of waste water are not treated in developing countries
The discharge of untreated effluents into the natural environment has a direct effect on water potability, making several million people ill every year. Accor is working to ensure compliance with rigorous sanitary standards in its hotels.
Accor 2010 objectives
1 - Reduce water consumption by 10% per occupied room in owned and leased hotels in comparison with 2006.
2009 year-end indicator: Water consumption reduced by 4% in owned and leased hotels.
2 - Equip all owned and leased hotels with flow regulators.
2009 year-end indicator: 89% of owned and leased hotels are equipped.
Achievements
The management and progress tools
- Accor Hotels Environment Charter: through its Hotels Environment Charter, Accor recommends 10 measures to reduce water consumption and 4 others for the treatment of waste water.
- OPEN (Outil de Pilotage Environnemental): OPEN is Accor's environmental management and reporting tool. Developed by Accor in 2003, OPEN is used notably to follow-up the water consumptions of Accor hotels.
- Guide for good laundry practices: given to the Procurement departments in each country, this guide allows them to select the most exemplary service providers on an environmental and social level.
The hotels best practices
- 89% of owned and leased hotels are equipped with flow regulators, which enables to save nearly 4 million cubic meters of water per year.
- Most of Accor hotels suggest their guests to reuse their bath towel to prevent wasting water. Since 2008, this practice has taken on a new dimension with the Plant for the Planet project.
- In several countries, Accor hotels have signed partnerships with environmentally innovative laundries, which operate on ozone for example (United States) or use a patented detergent-free cold water system (Greece, France).
- About one hundred Accor hotels have already installed tanks to recover rain water. The water is then used for landscaping, or even to wash guest cars. For example, in 2007, the Etap Hotel Birmingham City Centre in the United Kingdom installed a rain water recovery system, which saves up to 780m3 of water a year.
- Ibis Koblenz, Germany (2008): the hotel installed a waste water treatment and recovery system. The water is then reused in the toilets.
- Novotel Bangkok On Siam Square, Thailand: the hotel has its own waste water treatment plant in the building basement.