ON THE ROAD TO ZERO WASTE

In 2021, Creta Maris Resort joined WWF’s “Hotel Kitchen: Here we value food” program. This program was launched in 2017 by WWF US in collaboration with the American Association of Hotels and Accommodation (AHLA) and aimed at reducing food waste in the hotel sector. In Greece, the program was launched by WWF Hellas with the support of Unilever food solutions in 11 hotels (including Creta Maris Resort) in Crete, Rhodes and Kos and will run until the end of September 2022.
This initiative is intertwined with the requirements of the new recycling law, according to which hotels with more than 100 beds are required to record and declare the quantity of food waste at their facilities.
The program aims to:
- Measure and record the resort’s food waste levels daily at points selected by each hotel
- Implement various food waste prevention strategies during the preparation, presentation and serving of the food
- Inform our guests of the initiative we are participating in
- Train all the departments on food waste issues and the importance of its minimization
Supporting the zero-waste-to-landfill production system, a significant initiative was implemented at Creta Maris Resort. Organic waste from its kitchens is transferred to Crete’s Bioenergy facilities to be converted into biogas for power generation. In 2021, Creta Maris Resort handled a total of ~ 126 tons.
Organic kitchen waste (other than oils) is transferred to our resort’s gardens where, together with garden waste, is composted. Natural composting is an inexpensive and effective way of reducing organic kitchen waste (food leftovers, paper towels, etc.) and garden waste (clippings, grass, etc.) by 70-80%. The compost produced from the decomposition of organic materials is of very good quality and can be used for any type of cultivation. In this context, Creta Maris Resort collaborates with Dandalis, the local coffee manufacturing company, from which it receives coffee waste to enrich the natural composting process and create quality fertilizer for the resort’s gardens.
Since 2016, the following has been implemented to reduce the use of plastic:
- Replacement of plastic straws and cups with paper products
- Replacement of disposable products at restaurants and bars with wooden products
- Replacement of plastic bottles at restaurants and bars with glass bottles
The following has been implemented to reduce the use of paper:
- Reduction of paper consumption by removing most printed information (indicatively: welcome card, room menus, notes page, envelopes, etc.) and creating electronic information programs via television
- Use of environmentally friendly paper (FSC) for all the Resort’s printouts. The FSC label states that wood products derived from forests are based on the principle of sustainable development and have been produced in accordance with precise environmental, social, and economic standards.