| A well-thought-out waste management system is a key component of any comprehensive sustainability strategy in the hotel and hospitality industry. Such a system includes recording and analyzing waste, consistently separating waste, using reusable products, and actively involving employees and guests. However, what are the particular advantages of this approach?
The most important advantages at a glance2-4:
- Savings: Reducing waste means lowering disposal costs. Avoiding single-use products also reduces purchasing costs in the long run.
- Image boost: Hotel guests appreciate transparent sustainability measures. This strengthens brand loyalty and trust.
- Legal compliance: Implementing resource-saving measures early on enables you to meet current and future environmental requirements.
- Increased efficiency: Monitoring tools help identify sources of waste and take targeted steps to combat them.
- Resource conservation: Recycling and composting conserve natural resources by closing material cycles.
Many Green Pearls® partner companies are already implementing advanced waste management concepts, demonstrating the effectiveness of creative, low- and zero-waste strategies. |
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Best Practices against Waste
Although hotels in the Green Pearls® network have different approaches to waste prevention, they all share one common goal: to make sustainability measurable. |
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Digital Tracking Provides a Clearer Overview and a Consistent Strategy
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| At the Hotel Weihrerhof in South Tyrol, waste measurement is a core component of the hotel’s sustainability strategy, not a marginal issue. „Knowing where you are is the first step to knowing where you are going,” says the hotel’s manager, Klaus Pichler. To measure the status quo and progress, Pichler commissioned the development of a custom app called My Monitoring, which records key figures on energy, water, and waste. This allows changes to be tracked directly. The result: since 2020, the hotel has reduced PET consumption per guest by 400 grams and water consumption per guest by 130 liters. In the spirit of collaborative transformation, Pichler makes the app available to other sustainable hotels free of charge. |
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| The hotel SANDnature in Timmendorfer Strand uses digital tools, such as GreenGuide, to record wet waste—also known as organic or biodegradable waste—including kitchen waste, food leftovers, and garden waste. Implemented measures, such as adjusting food production based on the number of guests and optimizing order quantities through better communication with the reception desk, resulted in a 30% reduction in food waste in the last assessment. This reduction is equivalent to the CO₂ emissions from 48 car trips from Oberstdorf to Kiel. The data is being used to develop additional strategies for waste prevention, exemplifying the intersection of technology and sustainability. |
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Preventing Waste Before it is Produced
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| Small steps, such as systematically recording waste quantities, are often the first steps in sustainable waste management. At Birkenhof***** Spa & Genussresort, these quantities are regularly documented and evaluated in collaboration with a waste disposal partner. The obtained data helps reduce packaging materials and further reduce plastic usage. Particular focus is given to switching to paper packaging and other recyclable alternatives, especially in the breakfast and spa areas. |
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| The Green City Hotel Vauban in Freiburg focuses on prevention rather than reaction. „We order goods in bulk or without packaging wherever possible,” says Managing Director Johannes Staub. Waste is separated throughout the entire hotel, from the kitchen to the guest rooms. The hotel exceeds the „gold standard” of the DEHOGA environmental check, demonstrating that sustainable processes can work in urban, budget-oriented hotels. |
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Avoid, Separate, Recycle, and Document
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| At the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA in Bad Herrenalb, waste is sorted into an impressive 15 categories. The amount of waste generated is documented annually through waste bills and internal estimates. This data is then entered directly into the CO₂ accounting tool and used to make strategic decisions aimed at continuously reducing waste. |
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| At the Naturresort Gerbehof on Lake Constance, waste management is a closed cycle: careful waste separation and consistent composting result in minimal residual waste. Since there is no regular garbage collection service on site, the team takes all waste to the landfill themselves, which automatically ensures a high level of awareness. Kitchen waste, such as coffee grounds, eggshells, and used napkins, is placed on the resort’s compost heap and later used as fertilizer on its fields. |
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| Other Green Pearls® members are also focusing on targeted strategies for waste prevention and collection. For instance, OLM Nature Escape in South Tyrol documents its waste volumes as part of the strict GSTC certification process, which makes sustainability verifiable. The Naturhotel Outside in East Tyrol, on the other hand, estimates its waste volumes per week based on the amounts collected — a pragmatic approach that fosters transparency. In Zermatt, Switzerland, the Hotel Bella Vistaregularly records when its bins are emptied and compares these figures with those from the previous year, particularly concerning organic waste. This allows them to identify developments early on and adjust their measures accordingly. The Hotel Luise in Erlangen is also moving towards “zero waste”. The team is currently working on an improved waste collection method to further optimize waste prevention. |
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| Hotel Luise, Erlangen |
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Hotel Bella Vista, Zermatt |
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Naturhotel Outside, Matrei in East Tyrol |
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OLM Nature Escape |
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Waste Prevention Requires Structure — and Role Models
Experience shows that those who understand their waste streams can operate more efficiently and reduce waste more effectively. Many Green Pearls® accommodations have already incorporated this into their daily operations, not as a PR measure, but as a foundation for achieving greater sustainability. Progress can be documented through systematic recording, digital tools, and adapted purchasing processes. However, it is clear that the road to virtually waste-free hotel operations is long and requires structural changes. In addition to commitment and internal training, the industry needs clear standards, functioning reusable systems, and support from politicians and supply chains. Lastly, guest behavior plays a key role because change only happens when an ecological supply meets conscious demand. |
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