LOS ANGELES—Washington, D.C. based nonprofit Green Seal announced that the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills has been awarded the Green Seal Silver Certification. This national, standardized certification is part of the nonprofit Green Seal initiative, created in 1989 to encourage companies to safeguard the environment by using environmentally responsible products and practices. The Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills Hotel is the sixth hotel in Los Angeles (and one of only nine hotels in all of Southern California) and the first of the worldwide Sofitel hotel group to achieve this distinction.
“By earning Green Seal certification, the Sofitel proves its sustainability excellence on many levels, including water and energy efficiency, waste minimization, and use of nontoxic products,” said Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “It joins seven other prominent hotels in the LA Green Lodging Program, and we are thrilled to recognize their achievements.”
Working in close conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Green Business Program/Green Lodging Program and Green Seal, the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills created numerous initiatives throughout the hotel to meet the standards set by the two organizations. The hotel is also a leader in following the sustainability action plan of the hotel’s parent company AccorHotels, whose Planet 21 program leads the way in the global hospitality sector in its dedication to environmentally sound practices. The Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills currently has a Planet 21 Gold Level certification.
Commitment to Purchasing from Local, Regional Vendors
Designed to prevent pollution, minimize waste, conserve resources and overall keep standards high for operating in a sustainable manner, the initiatives in place at the Sofitel include a commitment to purchasing and using products that minimize negative impacts on both the environment and human health. The hotel’s Green Team is dedicated to using sustainable, recyclable, energy efficient and non-toxic items throughout every aspect of the hotel’s day-to-day operations, from housekeeping with Green Seal certified products and recycling partially used guestroom toiletry products (as well as participating in the Global Soap Project recycling program) to ensuring that a minimum of 50 percent of the hotel’s food purchases are from local or regional vendors.
“Developed by LA Sanitation, our Green Business Certification Program recognizes and promotes businesses that operate in a more sustainable and environmentally responsible manner,” said Enrique Zaldivar, Director & General Manager of LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN). Sofitel Los Angeles was able to achieve this recognition through many different initiatives to benefit the environment, including composting and food recovery to help combat food waste.”
The hotel invested in an ORCA food waste management system, a machine that eats garbage (think discarded fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, baked goods, etc.), then “digests” it into environmentally safe water that flows into the city’s municipal sewage system. That ORCA processes 100 pounds of food waste per hour [the OG100], thus dramatically reducing the waste heading to landfills from the hotel’s room service and restaurant offerings. The hotel also features a “green corner” in its parking garage, where six Tesla charging stations are ready for guests who drive electric cars to plug in and juice back up.
“Here at the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, we believe that it is vitally important for every business—in Los Angeles and around the world—to institute sustainable practices that will help protect our planet,” explains Area General Manager for Sofitel Eric Lemaire. “We are proud to add the Green Seal Certification to our continuing list of initiatives that help make the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills a leader among our competitors and among our AccorHotels network in progressive environmental programs designed to make the world a better place for all of us.”
