CSR and Sustainability

🎄 McKays Hotel in Pitlochry will provide 100 free Christmas meals for the local foodbank after the closure of its former venue. Meals will be served at a venue behind Pitlochry Baptist Church or delivered to homes. The hotel will donate £600 worth of food in January and plans further support. Demand for foodbanks in Scotland has doubled over 10 years due to living costs. Around 70 people have booked for the lunch so far.

🌳 Approximately 82,735 kg of CO₂e offset by GCSTIMES over the past year, equivalent to planting 3,760 trees. Focused on sustainable packaging, the company offers kraft paper boxes and PLA sample bags for high-end hotels and resorts. Since 2011, GCSTIMES has evolved into a global platform with five operational centers and services in over 140 countries, supporting over 100,000 hospitality groups in their sustainability efforts.

🥩 Sir Peter Rigby has donated £2 million to establish The Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub in Birmingham, tackling food waste and poverty. The hub, operated by FareShare Midlands, will redistribute up to 7 million meals annually across the West Midlands with surplus food from farms, manufacturers, and retailers. It aims to double food redistribution to 3,000 tonnes yearly and support 500 people with training. The initiative follows the King's call to address the UK's 10 billion wasted meals annually.

SCP Hotels launched Wild Wellness, a nature-based wellness program, spanning Costa Rica, California, Hawaii, Colorado, and Oregon. At Corcovado Wilderness Lodge, Costa Rica, guests experience Sonic Re-Wilding and whale bioacoustics. In Laguna Beach, California, cold-water plunges and surf sessions are featured. Mendocino, California, offers mushroom foraging and forest bathing. Monthly cacao ceremonies occur at Salishan Coastal Lodge, Oregon. Partnerships include Japa Health for long-term resilience and Anima Mundi Herbals for plant-based nourishment.

💸 AHLA joins the U.S. Food Waste Pact, aiming to reduce food waste by utilizing the "Target, Measure, Act" framework. In the U.S., 29% of food is wasted, with lodging contributing 10%. AHLA's 2017 Hotel Kitchen program, in partnership with WWF, reduced waste by up to 38% in 12 weeks. AHLA becomes the 30th Pact member alongside retailers like Walmart and restaurants like Starbucks. The goal is to divert food from landfills, increasing sustainability and supporting communities.

🍴 WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a ReFED and WWF initiative, to cut food waste. In the U.S., 29% of food is wasted; the foodservice sector accounts for 12.5 million tons, with lodging contributing 10%. AHLA's 2017 Hotel Kitchen program, with WWF, reduced hotel food waste by up to 38% in 12 weeks. Surplus lodging food equals two billion meals, valued at $17 billion.

💡 The Tawny hotel in Staffordshire is installing 250 solar panels as part of a sustainability initiative expected to go live in January 2026. This £105,000 project, partially funded by a government pilot program, aims to produce 175.91 megawatt hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon emissions by 33.96 tonnes—equivalent to planting 1,560 trees. The site includes 14 EV charging points and a battery system for energy storage. General Manager Josh Chadwick highlights the cost and emission benefits.

📝 Since 2011, GCSTIMES has led sustainable development from smart card R&D to material innovation, operating in 140 countries with 5 centers in China, the US, UAE, France, and Australia. Their eco pens crafted from bamboo and kraft paper symbolize their commitment to sustainability. Supporting over 100,000 hospitality groups, they aim for low-carbon goals, integrating sustainability into technology. This holiday season, their eco pens remind hoteliers to prioritize sustainability amidst the festive rush.

📖 Penn State's School of Hospitality Management (SHM) launched the Discover Hospitality in Senior Living Excellence Endowment with $25,000 gifts from Liberty Lutheran and Waverly Heights. This fund supports senior living management programming, including the HM 306 course, guest speakers, and student field trips. Since 2010, the initiative has engaged students with senior living careers. Waverly Heights, founded in 1986, and Liberty Lutheran, established in 1991, are key partners. SHM was established in 1937 and is a leading institution in hospitality education.