A Glasgow hotel which opened in 2023 has met the stringent criteria of the respected Green Key certification scheme for its commitment to environmental excellence.
The four-star Sandman Signature Glasgow Hotel has implemented a number of initiatives in order to improve the ecological footprint of its operations. A sizeable investment has been made in a new wireless building management system that controls all of the hotel’s major mechanical units. These units can be set to run at certain times and have resulted in a 20% reduction in monthly electricity use.
Green Key sets the standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism sector, covering hotels, visitor attractions, conference centres and restaurants. During the rigorous judging process each establishment is assessed against 13 key criteria areas, in line with guidelines from the UN Tourism. The aim is for businesses to achieve year-on-year environmental improvements and reduce climate-change-causing greenhouse gas emissions.
The 179-bedroomed Sandman Signature Glasgow Hotel has undertaken a wide range of activity to improve its environmental footprint, including switching to more eco-friendly products where applicable, and recycling as much waste as possible. In addition to the new building management system, new control systems for guest room heating now allow the front desk to control temperatures. Sensors recognise if there is no human presence in the room so the heating or cooling can be shut down to save waste. Water reduction gadgets have been fitted to all showers and taps in the bedrooms and guests are encouraged to consider the environmental impact of their choices. Toiletries are refilled rather than using disposable minis, saving tens of thousands of pieces of single use plastic.
Inga Gadisauskaite, General Manager at Sandman Signature Glasgow Hotel, is one of a team of five people responsible for overseeing environmental matters at the hotel, across various departments, from management and front desk to maintenance and housekeeping. Inga said: “We all know it’s important to play our part in helping to create a more environmentally friendly planet and this was something we took very seriously. Going through the Green Key certification process has been extremely helpful in encouraging us to make further improvements where possible. As an accreditation it is not easily achieved, which makes it so much more valuable. It’s been a real journey of learning, finding new ways to save water and electricity and ensuring that less waste goes to landfill. Our team have been right behind us, making their own adjustments such as many of them now cycling to work where possible.
“It’s proof of the esteem the Green Key certification is held in that it is one of the leading ecolabels recognised by the Google-powered booking engine Google Travel as part of its ‘Sustainability Labelling’. This verification is, rightly, important to guests.”
In Scotland, the Green Key scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of the global organisation Foundation for Environmental Education.
