There’s no doubt that one of the most talked out issues of the moment is the gross overuse of plastic in modern life and the subsequent disastrous consequences on the environment. Plastic is the most dangerous environmental pollutant of all and many hotels in Dubai have responded to consumer pressure to get rid of plastic straws within their properties. However, JA Resorts & Hotels are taking the issue to the next level and have pledged to replace all plastic water bottles in the rooms and suites of their 7 unique properties with environmentally-friendly and reusable glass bottles instead.
Over the course of one year in Dubai, the JA Resorts & Hotels group tracked the disposal of plastic water bottles, which amounted to a staggering 1.7 million pieces of various sizes. Top of the list were the widely used 500ml plastic bottles, totaling 1.4 million pieces. If this was the number of small plastic bottles used by guests across 5 Dubai hotels only, the quantities used by larger hotel groups and chains must be significant and in need of urgent attention.
JA Resorts & Hotels have pledged to install new water treatment systems, along with cleaning and bottling systems which will instantly make a huge reduction to the carbon footprint and environmental damage in terms of plastic. An investment of more than 1 million AED will be made to install systems in JA The Resort, JA Ocean View Hotel and JA Hatta Fort Hotel. 1 litre glass bottles will be placed in all rooms across these 3 hotels and in the luxury serviced apartments of JA Oasis Beach Tower.
Better still, JA Resorts & Hotels portfolio in Dubai will install 40 back-of-house digital water dispensers, serving fresh filtered water to customers free of charge, as well as all the JA associates. Many Dubai visitors and indeed residents, do not realise that Dubai water is very safe to drink and once filtered has a fresh and palatable taste. Water quality can vary from zone to zone in the UAE, so JA Resorts & Hotels is working with an experienced partner who analyse water quality and use state of the art technology to implement microfiltration, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, chemical free disinfection and activated carbon depending on the specific water requirements.
This bold move is the first of several social responsibility initiatives planned for 2019, where JA Resorts & Hotels will proactively tackle other issues such as food wastage and pollution while engaging guests and visitors on the topics, raising awareness and being an advocate for change.
CEO JA Resorts & Hotels, Anthony Ross said;
‘We rely on the beauty of nature for our hotels to be successful. Our properties are resorts and hotels on tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, in the incredible Hajar mountains of Hatta and along the pristine beaches of Dubai. It would be remiss if we didn’t do as much as possible to protect these natural attractions and our planet as a whole, for the sake of future generations’.