The Ritz Becomes Eco-Conscious

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Prima Water Bottles
The Ritz' new Prima Water Bottles! Normally I'd feel odd plugging like this, but sustainabilty and eco-friendly get a freebie. Photo courtesy of Prima.

Water bottles can be devastating to the environment. If I have to buy bottled water, I try to reuse the bottle as much as I can before recycling. I’ve had the same reused water bottle for almost 6 months! It is possible!

But there are other eco-friendly water bottle options out there, just ask the Ritz! As part of it’s growing commitment to environmental friendly policies, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has taken an important next step- offering environmentally-friendly water bottles at its North American hotels and select properties in the Caribbean.

When estimates of five million 16 oz plastic water bottles being used and tossed each year at the properties, president and chief operating officer Simon F. Cooper challenged his sustainability programs team to find a better solution. He noted, “Plastic bottles are made from crude oil, take a significant amount of energy to produce, and less that 20% are sent to recycling facilities. Even when recycled, these bottles cannot be used to make the same quality of plastic.”

After 18 months of research, and working with a variety of vendors, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company developed a partnership with PrimaTM to create a co-branded bottle that is rich with sustainability opportunities. The 16oz bottles are made 100% from plants, are all natural, can decompose in 30 days in a commercial composting facility, or 100% of the bottles can be reprocessed and remade into new bottles.

Manufacturing the new bottle requires 49% less fossil fuels, 45% less energy, and 75% less greenhouse gases than a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) classic bottle. And it gets better, the bottle does not contain BPA (Bisphenol A), the harmful product found in many plastics. “This revolutionary new water bottle product reflects The Ritz-Carlton commitment to continuously seek opportunities to innovate and improve as we look to be the leaders in the hospitality industry’s efforts at sustainability and conservation,” Cooper commented.

The addition of PrimaTM water is expected to transition to all North American and select Caribbean properties within the next few weeks. “We believe our guests will be enthusiastic and enthused about this latest initiative from The Ritz-Carlton to do more than just talk about being eco-friendly, but to take concrete action steps that make a real difference,” Cooper concluded.