WAILEA, HAWAII—The AAA Four Diamond award-winning Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa located in the luxurious Wailea Resort destination has recently been recognized with the ‘Aipono “Excellence in Sustainability Award”. The reader’s choice award, presented by Maui Magazine, acknowledges the resort’s accomplishment as a top sustainability performer and recognizes its role in environmental leadership.
“We are deeply honored with the ‘Aipono Award and applaud our associates for their exemplary environmental and resource conservation efforts,” said cluster General Manager John C. Tolbert of Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Maui and Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Hawaii island. “I am proud of our associates who invest their time to conserve and preserve our precious environment as part of our Marriott International’s Spirit to Preserve corporate program. The resort associates have truly made a commitment to be more ecologically friendly including: recycling, conserving energy and water, landscaping, and educating fellow associates. Director of Engineering Gerald Okamoto explains what actions the resort has taken in its efforts to go green.
Recycling
For the past five years, the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has been recycling bottles, plastic, aluminum, cardboard, paper, fryer oil, green waste and wet waste. Fryer oil is used to make biofuel, while wet waste from the resort’s kitchen is taken to local farms to feed their animals. In the first three months of 2014, Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa recycled: 8.2 tons of glass, 14,600 pounds of wet waste to pig farmers, 21.67 tons of green waste, 6.26 tons of cardboard, 1,125 gallons of fryer oil, and 4,372 pounds of white paper.
The hotel participates in the state’s HI-5 recycling program for beverage containers. The resort donates the money made from the recycling redemption to neighborhood schools, which use it to fund school programs. “Many of our associates have embraced the program,” said Okamoto. “Some of their children go to the school, so they see the benefits. And it’s a great way to give back to our Maui community.”
Conserving
Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has an energy conservation committee, which meets once a month to discuss conservation efforts and programs that include:
• Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in 75 percent of the resort and in every guest room;
New, more efficient chiller;
• Motion detectors in back-of-house areas;
• Sensors in guestrooms that turn off the air-conditioning when the lanai door opens; and
Tinted lanai doors in every guestroom.
Water conservation efforts include low flow toilets and shower heads and automatic sensors for toilets and sinks in public restrooms.
Landscaping/Housekeeping
Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa showcases a great use of Hawaii’s flora throughout the property. Okamoto points out the use of ginger flower in the landscaping. “We try to use drought tolerant plants such as ginger, palms and bougainvillea wherever we can,” said Okamoto.” In keeping with Marriott standards, the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa uses Ecolab commercial products for cleaning and sanitizing, including laundry and pest elimination services. Another area that reflects the resort’s environmentally friendly efforts is the pool and hot tub, which has a system that uses saline instead of the harsher chlorine.
Educating
All of the efforts are the result of Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa associates who have supported the programs. “It’s important that we educate our associates,” said Tolbert. “For example, we put up posters about energy conservation, and we instruct our kitchen associates against dumping grease down drains.” The associates also get involved in community activities. In the past, they have volunteered in an annual “Adopt-A-Beach” program, where associates and their families clean up nearby beaches. “The collective sustainability efforts by our resort associates reflect how incredibly inspiring they are, and they are deserving of the ‘Aipono Award,” said Tolbert.
Go to the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.
