REUSABLE HOTELS - PLANNING
Good planning is key to the success of your reusable program. It keeps things organised and ensures no important steps are missed.
Through the planning stage, you will identify what needs to be done, how to do it, and who will be responsible. We'll help you to set clear goals, break them into smaller tasks, and create a timeline to stay on track.
PLANNING STEPS
- 01
Start by thinking about:
What is your hotel already doing to reduce plastic?
What is your hotel’s sustainability policy and goals? We have provided a 'Plastic Free Hotels Policy Template' in the 'Downloads' section below which specifically calls out single-use plastics, if your current policy doesn't already.
What do your customers think about sustainability?
Who would you need to work with to develop and implement a reusables plan?
- 02
Going plastic free is a team effort and having the right people onboard will be key to your success. Each department will have different roles when implementing reusable switches.
We recommend having a representative from each of the following departments on your project team:
Head office
Hotel management
Housekeeping
Food and beverage
Procurement
Communications and marketing
- 03
The Planning Meeting Checklist will assist you with topics to discuss to create your project action plan. You can use the Project Action Plan Template we have provided in the 'Downloads' section below.
Start your plan by setting clear goals. What are the reusable items you want to target? How many single-use plastic items would you like to avoid? Make sure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).
Add any other relevant items into your plan that came out of your initial planning meeting. You can continue to fill out this plan as you go through this guide.
Be sure to set up regular meetings as you roll-out your plan.
- 04
Budget
How much money do you have to dedicate towards purchasing reusables?
It is important to consider things like:
Quality of the reusable items - stainless steel, glass and ceramic items are higher quality but cost more than reusable plastic.
How many reusable items you need.
The size of the reusable items you need.
Whether you need to upgrade facilities - for example, will you need new dishwashers to accommodate cleaning your reusable items?
Identify the amount in your Project Action Plan's 'Budget' section. You can complete a budget breakdown later, but keep this amount in mind as you move forward towards costing out your program initiatives.
Timeline
How long will your project take?
When it comes to making reusable switches, it is best to approach a few at a time. You may like to stage your project over several months or possibly years.
Map out your timeline in the Project Action Plan's 'Timeline' section.
- 05
Obtain necessary approvals for your project action plan. Once you have approval, you can launch your program!
- 06
Track your program’s progress regularly and adjust as needed. Update your Project Action Plan whenever changes arise.
