KATHMANDU, June 1: Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) has initiated a campaign “Eliminating single-use plastics from hotel rooms” to promote eco-friendly products for green hospitality in the hotel industry. 

According to HAN, single-use plastics or disposable plastics are used only once before they are thrown away. Such items include straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles abd packaging. Stating that elimination of single-use plastics from hotel rooms and replacing it with reusable alternatives have become a major goal for many stakeholders across the hospitality industry globally, HAN has expressed its commitment to end single-use plastics from hotel rooms by 2024 under the campaign. The association has expressed commitment to spread awareness by hosting workshops and demonstrating alternatives to plastic products with its chapters and  executive committee members. 

Speaking at the program, President of HAN Srijana Rana said that the campaign is launched to bring environmental consciousness in the tourism industry. “As a hotel owner and avid traveler, it has always saddened me to see the large amounts of plastic use in hotel rooms around the world,” Rana said. Stating that Tourism, which is one of the fastest growing economies in Nepal, Rana said that the industry also contributes to pollution, CO2 emission and environmental degradation. She also said that climate change has also put the country at great risk given the fragile mountain ecosystems, where melting glaciers and decreasing snowfall in the Himalayas impact the lives of Nepalis on a daily basis and will only continue to cause hardship.

“Nearly 2 million plastic bags are used once and thrown away every year in Kathmandu valley while every single day an estimated 600 tons of plastic waste gets disposed of in Nepal’s landfills,” she said

“The hospitality industry in Nepal is facing a huge challenge with single-use plastics and we must recognize that it is our responsibility to reduce plastic usage in our hotels. Elimination of single-use plastics from hotel rooms and replacing them with eco-friendly alternatives has become a priority for HAN and many stakeholders across the hospitality industry. This is not only essential because travelers themselves are becoming more conscious of their environmental impact, but because it is our collective responsibility as the human race to ensure we do our part to preserve our ecosystems and leave our planet better than we found it for generations to come,” Rana added.

Similarly, Vice President of HAN Binayak Shah said that existing members of HAN will have to comply with the initiative to ban all single-use plastic products from their hotel rooms by 2024. Stating that large scale hotels have already started using reusable products rather than plastic, Shah said that hotels wanting to join HAN will also have to comply with the campaign after 2024 for green hospitality. 

“Hotels are one of the biggest consumers of plastic products. In order to minimize our plastic waste and contribution to pollution, HAN is taking steps towards an eco-friendly service, which helps reduce cost, increases customer loyalty, and mainly its impact on the environment,” Shah informed Republica.

The program was attended by Respected Guest of Honor, Nicola Pollitt - British Ambassador to Nepal, Special Guest Mr. Taranath Adhikari – Director General of Department of Tourism, Ms. Lisa Choegyal – Honorary Consul of New Zealand to Nepal, immediate past President of HAN Mr. Yogendra Shakya, Presidents of Professional Federation of Nepal, Presidents of Homestay Association, HAN Executive Board, Chapter Presidents, representatives of Nepal Tourism Board, Joint Secretaries of the Government of Nepal, Government officials, representatives from Tourism Associations, representatives from ICIMOD, UNDP, CARE for South Asia, IUCN, OXFAM, WWF Nepal, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Officials, Tourism experts, Hoteliers, and Institutional heads.

 
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