Harlequin Hotels & Resorts has created a sustainability strategy which will be implemented first at Buccament Bay.
Construction
Where possible, construction materials will be sourced locally
Labour will be sourced locally - the construction of Buccament Bay currently employs 850 local people
Fixtures and fittings will be constructed on site, reducing transportation and providing employment for local craftsmen
Many materials will be from sustainable sources or made from recycled products:
Wood and cork from sustainable sources will be used; i.e. Monkey pod wood and Bamboo for tables and work surfaces; cork for ceilings
Countertops, bars and some flooring will be produced using recycled materials, i.e. Icestone and Enviroglass
Transport within each resort
Transport of goods to each resort will be kept to a minimum. We will strive to have goods produced locally to reduce the distance that they have to be transported
Vehicles will be kept to a minimum within each resort. Resorts will be pedestrianised as far as possible
Golf carts will be used for service requirements and will use alternative power
Energy
Power Generation
The resort will be powered by its own generators, which are highly efficient, and their proximity to the resort will reduce energy wastage. Our goal is to integrate these generators into the Combined Heat and Power Plant for energy generation within the resort itself (see Waste to Energy section)
Solar Panels will be mounted on the roofs of the hotels to provide hot water for the guestrooms.
Waste to Energy
Harlequin’s long term goal is to process all solid municipal waste including food waste and treated compressed sewage, via an e-clave steam driven treatment system into recyclables and a cellulose biomass fibre fuel which is a renewable fuel. This fuel will then be used in a Combined Heat and Power plant to generate electricity and heat which will be distributed via a local energy network to the resort. Any unused power generated can be offloaded to the island grid to provide extra capacity to the local community. The biochar residue (charcoal) resultant from the process will be used to fertilise soil
Lower Energy Systems and Components
The high temperature waste water (grey) resultant from the laundry service will be piped via high efficiency heat exchangers to heat hot water for public spaces, thus reducing the load on LPG fired water heaters
Instant water heaters will be employed, only heating water when actually needed
Water cooled chillers combined with dry-air coolers in lieu of air cooled chillers will typically achieve double the efficiency in terms of energy usage
Electrical Solutions
Exterior Lighting
Energy Efficient Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) fittings will be used
‘Smart’ control timers will reduce energy consumption
Interior Lighting and Air Conditioning
Controls will be installed to ensure that unoccupied rooms are not using power and air-conditioning
LED lights will be used throughout all interiors – these are long life, highly efficient and low on waste
Water
The resort will manage its water resources carefully so that the need to extract water or desalinate water is minimised
Rainwater will be harvested, treated and recycled for irrigation of landscaping, maintenance and cleaning purposes and for flushing WC’s and the fire fighting network
Reducing Waste
Each resort will implement storage and collection of recyclables
Disposable items, such as cups and napkins will be made from biodegradable materials
The use of plastic bags throughout each resort will be minimised, i.e. cloth laundry bags will be used
One of the options on the ‘Pillow Menu’ at each of the resorts will be ‘Environmentally Friendly Pillow’. These pillows are made from 100% recycled clear plastic soda bottles.
Landscaping
Ongoing gardening will involve using garden cuttings and kitchen green wastes which can all be processed through the waste to energy process
Plant nurseries within the resort will significantly reduce transportation
Fish stocks for ponds within the resort will be incubated locally to reduce transportation; varieties of fish have been selected because they eat mosquito larvae. Water features ensure that the water surface is constantly moving to discourage mosquitoes
The landscaping within each resort will create a sustainable eco-system
Gardens will include fruit trees, selected flowering plants and herbs which will contribute to food and flower arrangements for each resort
