DUBAI, U.A.E.—Jumeirah Beach Hotel is saying goodbye to single-use plastic bottles by installing a top-of-the-range Nordaq glass bottling plant at the resort.
With roughly 300 million tons of plastic produced each year and nearly 8.8 million tons dumped directly into our oceans, the Dubai family resort is contributing to the fight against discarded plastic by replacing single-use water bottles in its rooms and suites with reusable glass bottles. The hotel’s in-house water treatment and bottling operations will eliminate single-use bottles and give guests an eco-friendly alternative. This is in-line with the Dubai Can initiative from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, which aims to create a culture of conscious living by raising awareness of plastic alternatives. Jumeirah Beach Hotel will also shrink its carbon footprint by eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels to transport bottled water from external sources.
Having launched earlier this month, all single-use plastic water bottles in rooms and suites have been removed, with plans to extend the initiative across the resort’s portfolio, including restaurants and wellness facilities, in due course. In parallel, all bottles by the pool and at the beach, almost 3,300 in total, have been replaced by Tritan reusables—plastic bottles that are free from all bisphenols (harmful chemicals used in various plastic products), making it both healthier for guests and better in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. They are also made from up to 50 percent recyclable materials thus reducing the volume of plastic waste.
Supports Guests Who Want to Travel More Responsibly
“Reducing plastic consumption is the most effective way to combat waste and positively impact our oceans and wildlife, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jason Harding, Managing Director at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. “The hospitality industry has a unique opportunity to make a real difference in this space, something that we’re embracing wholeheartedly here at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. By launching our own onsite water bottling plant, we move towards a meaningful change that will not only help preserve our planet but also support those guests who want to travel more responsibly.”
In-line with Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s focus on delivering exceptional service and signature dining with taste and flavor at the forefront, the property has partnered with Swedish firm, Nordaq, to provide the on-site bottling facilities. Described as the “purest tasting water” by the best chefs and sommeliers around the world, Nordaq’s patented water filtration system purifies tap water into crystal clear, drinkable water that retains the water’s natural salts and minerals to provide a natural taste. All bottles will be cleaned and refilled at the onsite water bottle plant, with more than 2,350 reusable glass bottles distributed across the hotel including four to six bottles placed in each room.
Lamia Murad, the Group’s first female Emirati Executive Housekeeper, who has been working on the project, added: “I am delighted that we are one of the first Jumeirah hotels in Dubai to sustainably bottle our drinking water on property. As a beach resort, we can see first-hand the impact of plastic on our surroundings and environment. It is an honor to be involved in such an important initiative and hope that our guests enjoy the new bottles during their stay with us.”
