UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced that it has fulfilled its commitment to eliminate the use of plastic straws from its UAE hotels. Plastic bottles used in meetings and events spaces have also been removed. As a result of adopting these new standards, approximately 3.5 million plastic straws and more than 2 million plastic water bottles will be removed each year from Hilton’s 25 hotels in the country.
In addition to carrying out these measures, Hilton properties in the UAE have continued to take additional steps to reduce consumption of single-use plastics. Move than 2.4 million plastic food and beverage products and 5 million plastic bags have been replaced with biodegradable alternatives.
William Costley, VP of Operations for the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey at Hilton said, “Last May, we made a promise to eliminate plastic straws as well as plastic bottled water from meetings and events, from all of our UAE hotels, and we are proud to have accomplished this goal. We will continue to work with suppliers to ensure that wherever possible, single-use plastic items are replaced with biodegradable and/or paper alternatives. These efforts support our global Travel with Purpose goal to cut our environmental footprint in half by 2030, to be better stewards of our natural resources and have a lighter environmental impact in our local communities.”
According to numbers revealed by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) in June 2018, the UAE consumes 13 billion bags of plastic and approximately 450 billion plastic bottles a year, with 8 million tonnes of plastic making its way into the oceans every year.
“These figures highlight why it is incumbent on all organizations to make sustainability a strategic priority,” added Costley.
Beyond the UAE, Hilton is taking steps to completely remove plastic water bottles from meetings and events in managed hotels across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. It has also committed to removing plastic straws, stir sticks and cocktail picks from all 5,600+ hotels globally this year.
About Travel with Purpose
Travel with Purpose is Hilton’s corporate responsibility strategy to redefine and advance sustainable travel globally. By 2030, we plan to double our social impact investment and cut our environmental footprint by half. We track, analyze and report our environmental and social impact at each of Hilton’s more than 5,600 hotels through LightStay, our award-winning performance measurement system. Travel with Purpose capitalizes on Hilton’s global scale to catalyze local economic growth; promote human rights; invest in people and local communities; and preserve our planet by reducing our impact on natural resources. Our strategy aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Visit cr.hilton.com to learn more.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 24 world-class brands comprising more than 8,300 properties and over 1.25 million rooms, in 138 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No.1 World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for seven consecutive years. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 200 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.