Savings in laundry costs funds AccorHotels tree planting programme

AccorHotels planted nearly 17,000 trees in the UK during 2016 as part of its global Plant for the Planet programme.

The planting was financed by the £233,000 saved by guests reusing towels rather than sending them to be washed.

The Plant for the Planet initiative has funded the planting of almost 61,000 trees across 41 farms since 2013. The UK programme - managed by the Woodland Trust with help from the Soil Association and Organic Research Centre - supports sustainable tree planting with the aim of promoting sustainable food production and nurturing links between hotels, guests and farms.

Globally, the programme has funded five million trees since its inception in 2009, through €19.5m of laundry savings.

Thomas Dubaere, managing director, AccorHotels UK & Ireland, said: "Our Plant for the Planet programme is helping to cut our energy and water consumption at the same time as supporting organic and low-impact farming. It is great to see the programme having a real impact. For example, some of the farmers we support are now producing fruit, which they can even sell back to our hotels in their local area."

Globally, the Plant for the Planet programme has included the planting of 500 urban vegetable gardens, the cutting of food waste by nearly 60% in 38 pilot hotels, and the slashing of energy consumption by 2.4% and CO2 emissions by 3%.

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