Other considerations
We are aware the perfect solution may not exist yet. This is an evolving industry where innovation is necessary. We are looking for the best solution that you can offer for now. Other considerations that we are making in regards to our purchasing include finding products which:
- Have a minimum impact on the environment as a result of the nature of the raw materials used
- Have sustainable production processes
- Ensure the safety and welfare of the people and community, and animals
- Give priority to products that are ethically and locally-sourced, fair-trade, biodegradable or recyclable and that have minimal packaging
- Give priority to products that are made by a workforce that encourages equality, diversity, inclusion and pays special attention to accessibility needs
As a guide, suppliers are NOT to supply goods that
- Contain hazardous chemicals and/or packaging
- Contain volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and or CFC’s chlorinated compounds
- Result in harmful by-products, either in use or disposal
- Are bio-accumulants (ability of a substance and or chemical to accumulate in the tissue of living organisms)
- Cannot be recycled but preferably can be recycled locally
- Have the ability to adversely affect, damage and or alter the integrity of the environment
- Have the ability to negatively alter and or impact water quality
- Partake in any form of Modern Slavery or do not demonstrate any form of ethical commitment to ensuring workers' rights are protected e.g minimum pay, ethical and moral standards are abided by i.e Free Trade Coffee
- Contain single-use plastic.
As our suppliers, you are in the position to help us make the change that we all want to see in the world. We are asking you to help us achieve our goals and make the planet a better place to live in. We are hoping to deliver innovative solutions to improve our customer experience. By eliminating the unnecessary components of procurement, we believe we can purchase better quality products that last longer and are less wasteful.
The Plastic Problem
Plastic is a problem that everyone in the world has had a negative experience with. While swimming in the ocean, or visiting some isolated beach, plastic is everywhere. Made from crude oil, shipped around the world to be transformed into different forms of plastic then shipped again amassing a massive carbon footprint, plastic is unsustainable.
When it comes to disposal, most plastic in New Zealand is collected and sent to South East Asia for recycling. But only if the economics makes sense at the time otherwise, it is landfilled. A lot of it is escaping the cycle and finding its way into our natural environment. It doesn’t biodegrade but breaks down into micro plastics which is ending up in our food and bodies. We do not yet fully know the effects of plastic on our systems and our natural environments.
What are we doing about it?
As a company, we have pledged to transform our operations and change our relationship with waste. Sudima Hotels is a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastic Initiative led by UN Environment Programme and UN World Tourism Organisation, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
As a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, we endorse the common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution.
We committed to eliminating the plastic items we don’t need; innovate so all plastics we do need are designed to be safely reused, recycled, or composted; and circulate everything we use to keep it in the economy and out of the environment. By 2025, we aim to
- Eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and items;
- Take action to move from single-use to reuse models or reusable alternatives;
- (Engage the value chain to) move towards 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable;
- Take action to increase the amount of recycled content across all plastic packaging and items used;
- Report annually on progress made towards these targets.
We have already started on this journey and have been rethinking what we offer and how we operate. We have transitioned all our Sudima Hotels away from small single-use amenities in the bathrooms. Switching to large refillable bottles in bathrooms saves approximately 400,000 small bottles of toiletries from going to landfill annually. From January 2018 to April 2019, Sudima Hotels used 102,153 small plastic containers of jam, butter, honey, marmite, tomato sauce etc. Now we offer spreads and condiments in large glass jars. We use only compostable or reusable packaging for takeaway containers. With your help we can transform New Zealand to a zero-waste society.
What are we asking you to do?
Please review everything you supply to us and ask yourself the questions we have outlined above. If you have an innovative solution that can replace something we already use, then let us know. We will be going through our suppliers and all our products to find out how to transform our supply chain, so we are choosing products which are better. If you don’t have a solution, we encourage you to get creative and think of solutions to help us transition to a waste free hotel. Even if your solution will affect our operations, please let us know as we are looking for the best solution, not the most convenient solution. We believe this transformation will cause a change in our status quo and we are willing to figure out how to make it happen.
We want to thank you for your continued support and engagement with our vision. We look forward to working with you to change the face of New Zealand.
In order to show your ongoing commitment to supporting us in achieving these goals please sign the form below.
Last Updated August 2022