FOUR hotels have signed up with local communities to plant trees during the annual Earth Guest Day or Planet 21 day.
The four hotels - properties of the world's leading business operators Accor - are Novotel Suva Lami Bay, Mercure Nadi, Novotel Nadi and Sofitel Resort and Spa in Nadi.
Novotel Suva Lami Bay general manager Simon Harper signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lami Town Council special administrator Jasper Singh yesterday.
"This MOU will ensure that the Novotel Suva Lami Bay will assist the council staff members in training the Lami Municipal Market vendors in recycling and create awareness with the council team on the benefits of reducing waste," Mr Harper said. Accor celebrates Earth Guest Day on the same day as International Earth Day, which is April 22. The MOU signing ceremony in Suva yesterday signals Novotel Suva Lami Bay hotel's commitment to provide temporary landscaping training to the council staff members as well as training to all council workers on the importance of recycling and composting.
"In addition, the Novotel will provide flowers for planting to the council based on what they have available in their nursery," Mr Harper said.
He said Planet 21 was a comprehensive sustainable development program that involved environmental, social and community support programs. He said Planet 21 covered the group's environmental, social and community investment actions.
Through Planet 21, the four hotels join Accor's international owned and leased properties to implement a 15 per cent reduction in water consumption, 10 per cent decrease in energy use and 85 per cent use of eco-labelled products.