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Indian Hotels Embracing Sustainable Practices this Christmas
Christmas, the festival of joy is here, accompanied by beautiful decorations and gifts which spread joy in the moment but will only add up to the misery later. Plastic Christmas trees have been gaining a lot of popularity in the recent years, especially in the urban areas, which end up in landfills. Each year, about 10 million artificial trees are purchased globally, made from non-biodegradable materials, adding to the waste management problem.
This Christmas, India’s hotels are embracing sustainability in its Christmas Celebrations. Let us see how.
The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi
This Christmas, The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi, has focused on sustainability as its central theme for the decor. The hotel has set up a 9 feet tall Aujasya Tree weighing 650 kilograms crafted from reused glass bottles and reclaimed floorboards sourced from within the hotel. The hotel has also focused on supporting local businesses and artisans for sourcing other decors including ornaments. It has also reused some of the decor that was left over from previous events and even repurposed some old iron bases to create new items, following the mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle.
voco Jim Corbett National Park
voco Jim Corbett is an IHG hotel nestled in The Jim Corbett National Park. The hotel is known for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices, aimed at preserving the local environment while delivering premium hospitality to its guests.
This Christmas, voco Jim Corbett has introduced a unique initiative. The hotel has collaborated with Tharu craftswomen to create a Christmas tree handcrafted from wild grass. The grass is sourced responsibly from local communities. The tree was crafted over 10 days at the hotel. For decor, the Tharu women used wild lemon grass, peels from local date trees, and moonjh grass, and adorned it with colorful wool decorations.
Radisson Blu Chennai
Radisson Blu Chennai has opted for best out of waste approach for its Christmas tree this year. It has used fallen coconut tree leaves sourced from the hotel’s own plantation.
“We have 587 coconut trees, and many fall during storms. Instead of discarding the leaves, we decided to use them creatively,” says Shabin Sarvotham, General Manager.
The tree’s base is made of coconut husk while the frame is built using the stem of coconut leaves. The decorations for the tree are made entirely of coconut leaves, dried and painted with the help of a non-profit which works with Dalit and tribal women, Palm Leaf Art and Craft Village. Solar-powered lights illuminate the tree, which will later be used in the hotel’s garden.
“The green and dry waste will be sent to a farm for vermicomposting,” says Shabin.
Park Hyatt Chennai
Park Hyatt Chennai has named its Christmas tree ‘The Tree of Hope’. It has partnered with the underprivileged community of Ambedkar Nagar in Poonamallee, where tribal children and street kids often lack basic necessities. On the Christmas tree, which is made of stacked-up wooden cubes, are hung little cards with notes on items the children want for Christmas. Guests can pick a card and either buy or pay for the item mentioned in the card. In addition, in the week leading up to Christmas, the Park Hyatt team, dressed as Santas, delivered the gifts and meals to 100 children from the community.
The Westin Chennai Velachery
The Westin Chennai Velachery has chosen to use terracotta Christmas tree this year. With an intent to draw attention to traditional earthenware while supporting local artisans, the tree is made entirely of terracotta pots and painted with red soil while all the decorations are hand-painted. The hotel staff has said that after the season, the pots will be repurposed for planting saplings, which will be donated to a non-profit, Rising Star Outreach of India.
ITC Maurya Delhi
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