Six Senses has always felt that travelers should be taken beyond their intended destinations to witness and take part in new cultures and experiences. However, recent years have led to a revitalized understanding of how escape and exploration go hand in hand with consideration of the effects on the environment and nearby communities.
Six Senses has set an ambitious aim to achieve plastic liberation and has committed to integrating long-term positive change into the design of every resort as a leading sustainability pioneer within the hospitality sector.
After signing the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative In 2019, Six Senses have made consistent progress toward its goal of stopping single-use plastic. In doing so, the company will eliminate its "18 Most Unwanted" products, which range from guest amenities to office supplies like coffee pods and fruit packing. It also entails locating plastic-free goods, setting up packaging recycling, bottling water on-site, and exchanging best practices.
As part of an ambitious Plastic Free 2022 commitment to eliminate and avoid all virgin plastic materials from its hotel and spa operations, Six Senses was also the first hospitality brand to work with the United States Coalition on Sustainability and SustainChain™ in 2021.
By the end of 2022, Six Senses will have:
- Eliminated all unnecessary plastic packaging of bathroom amenities, room amenities, and retail spaces.
- Introduced more reusable solutions in the kitchens to replace cling film and plastic packaging of fresh products.
- Sourced naturally compostable packing and other materials where appropriate by engaging with suppliers.
- Worked with other hotels and industry partners to share best practices, supplier recommendations, and other information to help all stakeholders move away from plastic.
- Eliminated more than 1.5 million plastic bottles each year by bottling its own drinking water in reusable glass bottles.
- Used natural materials to substitute everything from plastic straws to toothbrushes, and also crates, cloth bags, bottles, and containers that can be reused and refilled
“When the world woke up to plastic straws, we realized we need to go much further to continue to lead on sustainability in the hospitality industry, so back in 2017, we set the audacious goal of eliminating all unnecessary plastics,” Six Senses’ VP of Sustainability Jeff Smith said. “This journey began with an inventory of all remaining plastics, once straws and bottles had been eliminated, and now continues with supplier engagement, seeking natural materials, and adopting circular solutions. Our solution to plastic waste is to avoid it before it happens.”
Over the following months, the local resorts' Instagram reels will highlight and celebrate the group-wide initiative to eliminate the "18 Most Unwanted" plastic things, from guest amenities to packaging. The company will also release a summary of the results of the eliminations in early 2023.
The road to plastic emancipation is a winding one.
The quest for plastic freedom is making progress every time plastic isn't used in a Six Senses resort. One such journey in the cause is highlighted by a day in the life of a sustainable glass bottle at a Six Senses facility. It was only one of several bottles that left the refinery on that particular day. It will be replenished the following day in preparation for a new tale and a new visitor. However, its tale has now been documented on film.
