Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som marks first anniversary with a host of sustainability initiatives
The Middle East’s largest and first full-immersion wellness destination, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, celebrated 365 days of holistic health and wellbeing by honouring its commitment to sustainability, one of the core philosophies at the pioneering destination retreat in northern Qatar.
Sustainable development is at the heart of Zulal’s ethos, whether that is through supporting guests in their pursuit of optimal wellbeing or boosting the local ecosystem. To mark our one-year anniversary, guests and colleagues gathered on Wednesday 29 March to plant 51 mangrove seedlings (Avicenna marina) as part of our Mangrove Conservation Programme. As part of its overall sustainability policy, Zulal is committed to improving air quality and fostering a favourable environment for local marine biodiversity, which includes blue crabs, flamingos, and sea turtles. One such initiative is the Mangrove Education Centre, found at the resort’s beachfront walkway overlooking the calm shallow waters of Qatar’s northern coast. Here, guests of all ages can learn how best to care for our precious marine wildlife through fun activities such as mangrove planting and beach clean ups.
Another birthday activity supporting sustainability included the planting of two new trees in the resort’s landscaped gardens. As Zulal mainly draws on homegrown and locally sourced produce, a neem tree (Azadirachta indica), known for its medicinal properties, was planted in the garden at Serenity Health Centre and a drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) was planted in the Chef’s Garden.
“Our goal is to inspire and support our guests as they transform their lives in a sustainable manner so that they may enjoy their journey towards lifelong wellness. An important part of this is to contribute to the future with social and environmental responsibility. Planting these trees on the one-year anniversary of Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som is symbolic of this and we look forward to watching their growth as the years go by”, said General Manager Heinrich Morio.
Located on the northern tip of Qatar overlooking the Arabian Gulf, Zulal is the Middle East’s largest first full-immersion wellness destination. Spread across 180 rooms and suites with state-of-the-art facilities, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som offers two unique yet interconnecting experiences, with the aim to inspire positive and sustainable lifestyle change for all its guests.
Activities & Engagements
No Food Waste Bin Day
The analysis of statistics presented at the January 2023 Sustainability Committee meeting revealed a significant increase in the overall quantity of food waste created by the resort. It was revealed that the Al Waha staff lunchroom was the source of a significant portion of this wastage. In response to this concern, it was agreed to work with the committee representative from the kitchen department to design a no food bin day to raise awareness among employees. After the implementation of our no food waste bin day, the kitchen team are well equipped and prepared with pre-planned menus containing food items that do not have any seeds, peels, or bones to ensure there is a less substantial amount of food wastage throughout the day. From January to April 2023 the reduction of food wastage has amounted to 20% with a reduction of 907 kg.
Qatar Environment Day
Every year on 26 February, the State of Qatar observes National Environment Day, with the motto ‘Our Earth, Our Legacy’ as a theme for 2023. The State of Qatar has implemented a balance between “development needs” and educating people about the importance of preserving the environment for addressing climate change and encouraging community members to adopt eco-friendly behaviour in the environment pillar of Qatar National Vision for 2030. The objective of The Zulal Sustainability team was to promote awareness about Sustainable Development Goals and to establish a knowledge of sustainability inside the resort. Zulal Wellness Resort organised an informative session and an interesting trivia quiz to educate our colleagues about the country’s pursuit of Sustainable Development Objectives to achieve its goals. Several individuals attended the class and scored 95% on the quiz at the end of each session.
Energy, Water & Waste Management Reductions
Consumption of energy was reduced by4%
In the first quarter of 2023, there was a total savings of 126,823 kw/hr of energy. Implementing many energy-saving strategies reduced overall expenses by 40% relative to the budget. Among the initiatives taken were turning off unnecessary lights, upgrading building management system monitoring, installing submetres to enable accurate and effective monitoring of resort areas, raising energy conservation awareness through staff training and using energy star certified equipment.
Consumption of water was reduced by 13%
In the first quarter of 2023, there was a decline of 2,742.79 cubic metres of water usage. One of the factors that enabled us to recycle 7,893 cubic metres of water was Zulal’s development of an on-site wastewater treatment facility. The perseverance of technical staff in locating and repairing leaks in swimming pools and other water features also contributed to the total savings. Water metres were placed in several areas to ensure proper data collecting.
Achieved 7% waste diversion rate
Zulal Wellness Resort devised a systematic waste management strategy in order to attain zero waste and were able to achieve a 7% waste diversion rate in the first quarter of 2023. Initiatives to decrease food waste and encourage recycling practises, as well as the distribution of various types of containers to promote source separation, are included. Furthermore, comprehensive monitoring methods for each sort of waste generated by the company’s activities were devised. The resort also launched a monthly event named “no food waste bin day” at the employee cafeteria – Al Waha, to raise awareness and prevent food waste.
Road map to a sustainable resort
Zulal Wellness Resort’s Sustainability Principles:
- Creating frameworks, guidelines, policies, and procedures to drive operational sustainability.
- Installing energy-efficient lighting systems, as well as educating and motivating guests, co-workers, and visitors, are among the energy saving initiatives being considered.
- To ensure desired results, effective communication strategies and objectives are being shared with all stakeholders.
- Carrying out simple measures or solutions such as installing LED lights, as well as encouraging guests to recycle towels and linens.
- Implementing water-saving strategies such as low-flow fixtures and savvy irrigation systems.
- Waste management: implementing a comprehensive recycling programme that includes separate bins for different types of garbage around the resort. Compost food waste and encourage tourists to generate as little rubbish as possible.
- Reducing the environmental impact of construction and upkeep, using ecologically friendly building materials such as recycled plastic, recovered wood, and low-VOC paints.
- Improving data gathering and measuring the impact of initiatives to get exact evaluation on environmental consequences.
- Sign up for sustainability-focused certification programmes like Travel Life to validate the adoption of sustainable practises.
The article Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som marks first anniversary with a host of sustainability initiatives first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.