A Message on Earth Day

To Our 1 Hotels Community,

As millions of people around the world mobilize for the common goal of honoring our planet this Earth Day, we feel overwhelming gratitude for your unwavering support towards our mission to safeguard our world every day of the year. With your help and accountability, the last year has proven to be one of positive impact.

As we continue our journey to protect and uplify the most vulnerable places and communities around the globe, we understand the importance of celebrating everything we’ve accomplished to this day, together. I’d like to share a few inspiring updates and tenacious targets.

Achieving Carbon Neutrality Across All U.S. Operating Properties

We first achieved Carbon Neutrality in 2018, and we’ve furthered this commitment by supporting renewable energy and land conservation projects to offset over 15,000 tons of carbon emissions for 2021. We’re always working to reduce our emissions—from new carbon-saving technologies such as intelligent kitchen hoods that only turn on when they detect steam and smoke to cutting-edge energy tracking software that suggests efficiencies.

Targeting True Zero Waste by 2025

We’ve partnered with Foodprint Group to develop and implement a True Zero Waste program across all operations. The program targets waste from every angle with the mindset that no action to reduce waste is ever too small—from reclaiming construction materials to upcycling citrus rinds. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve already achieved nearly a 70% diversion rate across several properties, and we’re aiming for 90% by year end. While this target allows us to directly eliminate waste, we also have high hopes that it will propel the hospitality industry forward in its approach to material research and sustainability.

Seeking Mindful Materials

We always approach materials sourcing with circularity in mind. We’ve already eliminated many single-use plastics—in place of disposable cups and water bottles, you’ll find recycled glasses made from wine bottles and easy-access water filtration systems. When you wake up in sustainably sourced cotton sheets and ground your feet on salvaged-wood floors, you can breathe deeper knowing all our materials consider complex factors such as the impacts of sourcing and manufacturing on climate change, ozone depletion and pollution.

Nourishing with Intentional Ingredients

Sustainable food and beverage standards inform our sourcing methods, drive our offerings, hold us accountable, and remind us of our roots. It’s our passion and responsibility to procure local, seasonal, and intentional ingredients to pay homage to the lands and communities that graciously host us. We participate in food practices that not only nourish your mind, body, and spirit, but regenerate the soil, preserve biodiversity, mitigate climate change, promote equity and transparency, treat animals with care, and support community farmers. We’re especially grateful for our like-minded partners and local purveyors that allow us to maintain these strict standards.

Allowing Sustainability to Come Naturally

With nature as our true north, sustainability comes naturally. In everything we do, we care deeply about our gracious host, the natural world, and its astounding ability to transform our hotels into homes. We encourage you to explore the additional ways we nurture wellness for the planet, people, and places that sustain our operations—and we invite you to slow down, take a step back, and tune in to the rhythm of the natural world.

With endless gratitude and warranted optimism, the 1 Hotels team and I wish you a happy Earth Day.

Warmly,
Raul Leal
CEO, SH Hotels & Resorts