With 16 hotels & resorts as well as 31 spas in 21 countries, the Six Senses brand certainly boasts a positive impact among holidaymakers and leisure seekers. And, as this portfolio triples in size over the next five years thanks to planned openings from Singapore to Switzerland, things can only get better.
But what is the environmental impact of this development? Luckily, the Six Senses philosophy puts sustainability at the forefront of their activities, and the brand has been eco-minded since 2012. Going green needs to be measurable if it is to be meaningful, however. So Six Senses’ recent sustainability report made for happy reading. Kenwood Travel’s Product Team took a closer look.
Plentiful plants – homegrown organic produce
The Big Picture
Information on energy & water consumption, solid waste, waste diversion, and carbon footprint was collected from all Six Senses properties. The data for 2017 revealed: disposable plastic bottles were replaced with 1,093,950 glass water bottles; 45% of solid waste was diverted from landfills; 40,500 kilograms of organic fruit and vegetables were grown for guests and communities; 223,000 kilograms of compost and natural fertilizer was put back into the earth; 2,831 meaningful local jobs were created.
Added to this, for the past 15 years, Six Senses has bottled its own drinking water using onsite filtration equipment. This important practice eliminates both the transportation and use of plastic water bottles. Also, every resort has an Earth Lab, hosting workshops to promote eco learning for guests and community members.
Bye bye plastics – water bottled onsite
Fund management
Six Senses properties manage Sustainability Funds, adding direct sales from house-bottled water as well as the popular stuffed toys on sale. A total of $545,860 was raised by sponsored initiatives in 2017, and distributed thus: building public institutions – 168,474; disaster relief – 95,340; eco-tourism education – 89,434; health care in communities – 55,464; local schools – 47,890.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas president Bernhard Bohenberger provided his take on the company’s ecology efforts. “We’re not just passionate about sustainability; we want to lead the industry. Through the environmental performance of our resorts and hotels, through preserving the natural and cultural heritage around us, and through enhancing social and economic benefits to local communities. It’s motivating for everyone in the company that we can demonstrate our commitment to sustainability in this way.”
Eco education at Earth Lab
People and places
Thoughtful holidaymaking should consider not only the planet’s wellness, but individuals’ also. To ensure Six Senses remain attuned to the needs of both, they focus on three key areas:
Self-sustenance – Adding value to the local community while supporting the needs of the company.
Legacy – Decision-making based on appropriate action for the future, not just the present, as legacy-makers for tomorrow’s generation and beyond.
Social Equity – Recognising the shared earth concept, whereby we are equally responsible for the planet’s, and our own, wellbeing, as Bohenberger explains further “All of us – from our top management, to our sustainability champions who drive initiatives, to our hosts at each property, through to our guests – understand that sustainability is about making the most of our natural resources and celebrating what’s good in all the locations where we operate.”
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