Hotel brands all over the world have pushed for sustainability. For many, it began with reducing single-use plastics, like straws. InterContinental recently announced the end of in-room miniature toiletries.

Earlier this month, Shangri-La, Sydney announced plans to expand sustainability measures. The intended changes make the property one of the first in the city to adopt some initiatives.

The first change is a transition from plastic key cards to wooden ones. The keys are sourced from legally harvested, sustainable hardwood forest that maintains a grown-to-removed ratio of 2.4-1. The cards replace more than 52,000 plastic key cards thrown away each year.

Horizon Club guests also have Just Water in room, sustainable water presented in plant-produced cartons. One hundred per cent recyclable, the water will help to reduce plastic water bottles by 360,000 each year.

Finally, Shangri-La, Sydney introduced ORCA clean food waste recycling, which will result in 39.73 tons of hotel food waste getting diverted from landfills in just six months.

The hotel’s front desk operates with paperless check-in and -out and a reduction in internal paperwork through extensive DocuSign use.

What sustainability initiatives have you noticed on your travels recently? Do the changes make sense, or are hotel brands pushing a little too hard? Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.