Monday, January 5, 2009

Scandic's New Bottled Water Program is a Smash

When Scandic realized what an impact transporting bottles of water around had on the environment, the hotel chain started developing its own smart design for a water bottle in recycled glass. Now, Scandic no longer sells bottled water in its bars and restaurants. Instead, it serves chilled and filtered water in an attractive bottle made from recycled glass.

"We used to have 3.6 million bottles of water a year transported to our hotels, which generated 160 tonnes of carbon dioxide," says Helena Nilsson, senior vice president corporate communications and head of sustainability issues at Scandic. "It's fantastic to be able to stop that now and instead focus on a modern alternative that is much more considerate to the environment."

With every bottle sold, a contribution goes to the Scandic Sustainability Fund. The fund will reward organizations or individuals who make an outstanding contribution to a better and more sustainable world.

"The response from guests has been overwhelming," says Thomas Fankl, food & beverage manager at Scandic. "The bottle attracts attention and when people get to know what it means in terms of less environmental impact, a simple and everyday decision like drinking water suddenly takes on a positive glow."

The water is now available at all of Scandic's hotels and is the latest example of the chain's long-term commitment to the environment. Read more about Scandic's environmental work.

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