There is no doubt that the hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing and flourishing industries in the world, serving and catering to millions of customers. Ever noticed how many plastic products are used in hotels like bottles, straws, plates, spoons, and others? Now, multiply it indefinitely to understand the global use of plastic in the hospitality industry; lies the root of the problem.
The World Economic Forum estimates that plastic production will quadruple by 2036, from 16.5 million tonnes in 1964 to 343 million tonnes in 2014. Additionally, a report from the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge suggests that the global hotel sector contributes significantly to the annual death toll of 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds by using 150 million tonnes of single-use plastic each year. It requires immediate correction, but more significantly, it necessitates understanding why packaged water is such a big issue, particularly when connected to the hospitality sector.
Why is packaged water a problem?
Plastic is the most common material used globally to make water bottles as it is cheap, affordable, and durable. Also, it is the most significant contributor to pollution in the entire process. But there are two problems with packaged water as follows:
● The plastic used in the creation of bottles is the central issue.
● Secondly, carbon emissions are caused by the production of the bottle, its transportation after filling, and further consumption, all of which consume a great deal of fuel.
As a result, it increases the rate of carbon emissions. It should be noted that the hospitality industry is highly linked to the scenario that deems it necessary to move towards sustainable practices.
How is the hospitality industry facing sustainability issues linked to water consumption?
This industry uses a range of plastic inputs, from single-use plastic to water bottles. Now, the sustainable issue is not just linked to plastic but also to the quality of water it offers to its customers. Being a complex industry where most brands have multiple branches, it’s challenging to keep track of the water purification system. This is majorly linked to two primary causes:
● As the purifier ages, it begins to waste a lot of water, requiring disposal as per NGT.
● It is exceedingly challenging to evaluate water quality constantly. Hence, the AI-based water purification system comes into play here.
How can an AI-based water purification system help hotels?
61% of people say the pandemic has motivated them to travel more responsibly in the future, and 83% believe sustainable travel is essential, as per Booking.com’s annual Sustainable Travel Report, 2021. Considering the same, shifting from packaged plastic water bottles to better glass water bottles can be seen as a significant transition. As of today, the majority of hotels use plastic bottles or packaged water for customers. To adopt the glass bottle service, hotels need to look for water purification technology that is smarter, friendlier, and ensures purity. This is where the hospitality industry needs to adopt the AI-enabled water purification system and partner with new-age companies like Boon (formerly known as Swajal) to offer better service and water quality. Boon provides novel and budget-friendly products like WaterCube and Water ATM, which are designed with bleeding-edge technologies to make drinking water equitable from sustainable options.
Here is how an AI-driven water purification system can act as a game changer:
● It enables enterprises to monitor water purification systems continuously.
● It allows a continued check on water quality in real-time.
● It accurately anticipates maintenance problems and filters health to decrease downtime.
● It enables prompt service to purifiers that might start to lose efficiency and become harmful.
The bottom line Hotels are required to sell water only in glass bottles with hotel information, according to the FSSAI notification published in September 2019. They must also install a drinking water bottling system on their property. This is where the hotels need to adopt a better and tech-friendly sustainable solution to meet the water needs. The system should ensure quality and transparency while fostering user confidence.
Implementing the AI IoT monitoring system, which can offer a zero-mile water system that safely packages the water in glass bottles, can help improve the green credentials globally. With the growth of awareness, various sustainable brands have revealed technologies that can help the hospitality sector remove harmful plastic and accept more sustainable solutions for a better tomorrow.
