DUBAI: In line with the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and key events such as COP28 taking place in Dubai this winter, Premier Inn Hotels has officially launched its sustainability programme Force For Good in the Middle East. The Force For Good initiative – a global activation initiated by Whitbread, the owners of Premier Inn Hotels UK – focuses on enabling people to live and work well whilst having a positive impact on the world around us.
Opportunity, Community and Responsibility
The Force for Good programme is built on three pillars: Opportunity, Community and Responsibility. Premier Inn aims to create an inclusive and diverse work environment where teams can thrive and reach their potential, to make meaningful contributions to communities and charitable causes and above all to operate in a way that respects people and the planet.
Simon Leigh, Managing Director, Premier Inn Middle East, said, “Premier Inn is proud to have launched its Force For Good programme in the Middle East. Doing business in a responsible way; being a Force for Good is at the heart of everything we do. To ensure that teams are fully aligned with our sustainability vision, we kicked the initiative off with a series of interactive management-led roadshows at our 11 hotels located throughout the UAE and Qatar. Our next step is to start sharing these important messages with our guests.
“The Force For Good programme aims to reduce Premier Inn’s carbon footprint and is aligned with the Dubai Sustainable Tourism initiative which supports the UAE Strategy to be Net Zero by 2050. In our efforts to make the hotels greener, Premier Inn will focus on waste management, energy efficiency and responsible supplier sourcing. For example, we are one of the first hotel brands in the UAE to introduce Al Ain Water’s new recycled PET water bottle in all hotel rooms. Premier Inn is 100 per cent committed in making sustainability a great priority in all aspects of our operations.”
Recyclable rPET bottles
Plastic bottles account for no less than 40 per cent of a hotel’s waste. In working towards becoming a plastic-free organisation in line with government policies, Premier Inn has replaced all single-use plastic water bottles in its hotel rooms and public areas by the new, recently introduced Al Ain Water recycled PET (rPET) bottle. The bottle is made from post-consumer recycled plastic and is infinitely recyclable. rPET generates 75% less of CO2 emissions, saves energy, resources, and most importantly it diverts over two million single-use plastic bottles from landfill per year.
Reduction in waste by landfill
Premier Inn is committed to reduce the waste by landfill by 50% in 2024. To help achieve this, the hotel group has appointed Dulsco Environment as its new waste management services provider. The contract covers Premier Inn-owned properties in Dubai, with new technology, training and targets in place to further reduce waste and promote recycling.
Other eco initiatives
In terms of energy efficiency, Premier Inn has implemented LED light installations across all hotels and uses solar energy to generate hot water and water recycling systems at several properties. The hotel group focuses on doing business with sustainable accredited suppliers to reduce its carbon footprint and plans to source sustainable cotton for 90 per cent by 2025.
Premier Inn has also set up a dedicated ‘green committee’ – comprising of team members from all departments – to further drive sustainability initiatives in its operations and to instill green thinking among the hotels’ guests.
World Vision Project 11
Linked to its community pillar, Premier Inn has collaborated with World Vision to support the world’s most vulnerable children to overcome poverty and experience the fullness of life. All 11 Premier Inn hotels in the Middle East sponsor one child in the province of Bohol in the Philippines – 11 children in total – giving them access to education, healthcare and child protection services. Each hotel is responsible for building a relationship with the child and the community by receiving and writing letters, sending gifts and setting up dedicated events.
