Responsible Business - Let's take responsibility

Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of the Rezidor Hotel Group broader commitment to sustainable development for many years. In 2001, this commitment was fortified and placed within the scope of a programme called Responsible Business (RB). Each hotel has a unique RB Action Plan covering areas such as community outreach, environmental improvement, employee well-being and health and safety. To read more about the RB programme, please go to www.responsiblebusiness.rezidor.com.

The hotels are engaged with both local charity groups and Rezidor's corporate international charity organisation, the World Childhood Foundation. The mission of Childhood is to defend the rights of the child and to promote better living conditions for vulnerable and exploited children at risk all over the world.

Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel, Antwerp goes green
Radisson Blu Astrid hotel is the proud owner of Green Key certification. It is the official international quality label for environmentally friendly tourism attractions and accommodations. The hotel promotes and engages to work in a sustainable way, for example by treating the energy and water usage and the waste with care, without giving in to comfort. With this label, the hotel guests officially know that they stay at this hotel ecologically.

Some of the cost and energy consumption actions include:

• Classic lighting has been replaced with LED lights and energy-efficient lamps
• Water usage has been reduced by installing new water-saving shower heads and flow-restricting filters in taps
• Waste is separated and even hotel guests are encouraged to handle waste with care by utilising waste separation bins in the lobby
• The money being saved because of this sustainable management is being used to optimize all services for hotel guests

The Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel, Antwerp is very proud of receiving Green Key certification. Therefore, in the future, all investments will be analyzed and implemented in a sustainable and ecological way.

This hotel's Responsible Business activities and achievements include:

• Optimisation of the hotel's energy-consuming equipment
• Dedicated Responsible Business coordinator that oversees all activities and follows up on a daily basis
• Dedicated energy manager
• Investment in 2010 - 2011 to change all the traditional light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs
• Involvement with the local community throughout the year, including auctions for Mothers for Mothers, a local initiative to help young mothers and children in need
• Waste sorting system for glass, cardboard, hazardous material and organic waste
• Responsible Business Training for staff during introduction training and follow-up training to build awareness about the program
• Work with our suppliers to reduce their amount of waste and to re-use delivery materials where possible
• Increase awareness among guests to save water and towels, minimize consumption of energy, etc.
• Money collection activities for the World Childhood Foundation during September