Planet vs. Plastics: City Lodge Hotels’ eco-initiatives make sustainability easy

Did you know that staying at any City Lodge Hotels property makes you an eco-warrior? Let’s us unpack that bold claim:

• 41 out of our 59 hotels have solar renewable energy systems, with a total generating capacity of 2.6MW or 16.3% of the group's energy requirements, with the remainder of the hotels to follow
  
• Battery storage has been added to two hotels as part of a battery pilot program
  
• Our water supply resilience strategy has delivered a further three new boreholes and filtration plants, bringing the total number of such installations to seven, and a further 14 filtration plants are planned to existing boreholes
  
• We are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on nine priority goals
  
• Hydration Stations at all hotels offer free, filtered, magnesium-enriched still and sparkling water, reducing plastic water bottle waste.
  
• Responsible removal of waste from grease traps at all hotel restaurants by a Black-owned business that is part of our incubator programme together with SATSA, Organic Matters, owned by Siya Sigcau.

In the 2023 financial year, the group achieved

• Reduced average electricity used per occupied room: 19.5 kWh (2022: 22.5 kWh)
  
• Reduced average water used per occupied room: 0.35kl (2022: 0.39kl)
  
• Increased energy produced by solar/PV systems: 2.2 million kWh (2022: 2.1m kWh)
  
• Commitment to cage-free eggs by 2025: 65% currently (2022: 55%)

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, chief operating officer of City Lodge Hotels, says, “By proactively addressing the challenges of climate change, we can reduce our environmental footprint and attract a growing market of eco-conscious consumers. Our sustainability committee leads the action plan, which includes installing more solar panels, ongoing single-use plastic minimisation, environmental awareness training, and various initiatives improving water and energy-saving, waste management and recycling, and green buildings.”