Responsible Business - Let's take responsibility

Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of the broader commitment of the Rezidor Hotel Group 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. That commitment continues with Responsible Business at this green hotel in County Westmeath. To read more about the RB programme, please visit www.responsiblebusiness.rezidor.com.

The hotels are engaged with both local charity groups and the corporate international charity organisation of the Rezidor Hotel Group, the World Childhood Foundation. The mission of the World Childhood Foundation 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.

Responsible Business activities of the Radisson Blu EU Hotel, Brussels include:

Ecodynamic Enterprise
In the year 2007, The Radisson Blu EU Hotel was awarded for its environmental efforts with its first star as Enterprise Eco Dynamique by the Brussels’ government. Since then the hotel has continuously improved our actions and integrated environmental sustainability into daily operations. The hotel now holds two stars and is working toward the highest rating (three stars).

Green Key Eco-label
The Radisson Blu EU has been certified with The Green Key® Label since April 2011. The Green Key® is a worldwide eco-label awarded to leisure organisations such as hotels, conference and holiday centres, campsites and leisure facilities.

Green Key Information

Community involvement/charities
Responsible Business is not just about the environment. The hotel works diligently on social and economic issues that affect the local community, including:

• Annually, a full team runs 20 km for Childhood Donations to the local charity NASCI
• The hotel organizes several actions in benefit for Childhood: e.g. concerts, selling soup at the Christmas market
• Donations are made to orphanages

Waste generation control

• Reduce: Hotel suppliers are asked to decrease the amount of packaging in their deliveries
• Reuse: Corks for ‘bouchon de liege’ are recycled in both restaurants; papers are printed recto-verso; furniture/ bedding/equipment is donated to charity groups
• Recycle: Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, metal cans, oil, printer cartridges, fluorescent bulbs, used CD ROMs, magnetic cards, batteries and metal hangers

Energy efficiency

• The hotel uses energy-efficient light bulbs
• Elevators work with counterweight to reduce energy consumption
• General switch on/off switch in rooms

Security

• Formula TRIC: Threat Assessment, Risk Evaluation, Incident Response and Crisis Management & Communication
• Staff trained in first aid and Heart Start defibrillator
• Security Manager, Managers on Duty and regular security trainings

Other achievements

• Over 70% of the hotel’s staff use public transportation to help reduce urban air pollution
• Once a year, the hotel staff plant trees
• Responsible business is included in all job descriptions
• Monthly reporting of copies and prints

How guests can help

• Use public transport
• Deposit used batteries in one of the hotel’s battery boxes
• Bring corks to the hotel restaurant for recycling
• Reuse towels
• Save energy by switching off any appliances when they are not in use
• Donate unwanted items like toiletries, towels, and clothes; simply leave them for the housekeeping staff or drop them off at the reception.

Why Responsible Business is important
Preserving the environment has become more important as more species of plants and animals become endangered or extinct. Half of the world's population lives on less than 2 USD per day, and by 2025, it is expected that food production will have to double to be able to feed the growing population. Companies like ours have the resources to make a change... Yes we can!