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ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY PRACTICES

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Welcome to the Q1 Resort & Spa enviromently friendly practices information page.

 

Q1 Resort & Spa is dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint, by switching some core business processes we are able to reduce our impact on the environment.  Without change, the hospitality industry’s environmental footprint will only expand as international tourism is expected to grow 4 to 5 percent in 2019.   By 2030, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) anticipates the travel and tourism industry will need to sustainable manage 1.8 billion international tourists.  Effective waste management practices will become critical to reducing resource consumption. While hospitality industry recognises the need for change, it faces unique challenges, a transient workforce, multiple cultures, and a waste stream as diverse as a small city. But, with a little perseverance, gumption, and creativity, we find that that trash holds the key to opportunity

 

Our Goals

  • Embrace Recycling
  • Install Energy Saving Technologies
  • Encourage Guests To Be Green
  • Save Water
  • Support Local, Sustainable Businesses
  • Implement Alternative Energy Sources
  • Take Care Of Our Linens
  • Practice What Q1 Preaches

 

Embrace Recycling – National Recycling Week

Sponsored by PLANET ARK

 

Q1 Resort & Spa is proud to announce a partnership with ‘Close The Loop‘.

 

Close the Loop  turn your waste soft plastics and used toner cartridges into TonerPlas, an additive that can be used in road construction. TonerPlas is an asphalt additive that contains the equivalent of 530,000 recycled plastic bags and toner from more than 12,000 recycled cartridges in every 1km stretch of two-lane road. TonerPlas doesn’t just divert waste plastic from landfill, it creates a better-quality road and has a 65 percent increase in fatigue life meaning longer lasting roads than traditional asphalt. The Australian Government has recognised the sustainability value of TonerPlas and approved its commissioning into the M80 Upgrade and Monash Freeway Upgrade projects in Melbourne. The M80 project has been dubbed “the most sustainable freeway in Australia”

 

If you don’t know already Close the Loop is now collecting batteries from homes and offices and offer a convenient national service that’s safe, reliable and environmentally friendly. Q1 Resort & Spa have began recycling all batteries from the property, from the enormous amount of used batteries from  apartment TV remote controls, Wireless computer equipment and expired maintenance equipment to name a few. With the help of Close the Loop we are now ensuring that all staff and guests used batteries are recycled correctly and do not end up in landfills.

Visit Close The Loop and explore the amazing technologies they have created to save the planet. Join the Battery Program and close the loop on the way your household or business recycle batteries, Purchase a Battery Box and become part of the solution.

Another huge impact on the hospitality industry has on the environment is due to the amount of waste a hotel creates. Q1 embraces recycling, and we’re not just talking about using cloth napkins instead of paper.

 

  • Currently we purchase PEFC copy paper for admin use throughout Q1 Resort, PEFC supports ‘Forestry Sustainable Management’. Q1 Resort will adopt 100% recycled copy paper usage this financial year
  • Our administration offices have implemented procedures to minimise computer printing. All printing is recycled, printing on recycled paper and double sided has greatly reduced the amount of paper consumed.
  • E-Waste recycling methods adopted with cardboard separated from general waste and recycled
  • Admin offices recycle used copy paper, for internal print jobs
  • Q1 Resort has a recycled ink cartridge scheme, an ‘ink box’ is supplied to the offices and is collected when notified. These cartridges are then turned into new low impact printing products.
  • Household waste separation in refuse rooms consisting of glass cardboard and general waste in separate bins.
  • All Q1 footprint residential and retain users have access to the cardboard recycling bins including all 11 retail shops and SkyPoint Observation Deck Bistro & Bar
  • Level 2 conference & meeting space carpet replaced with Interface Nett Effect Black Sea carpet tiles, all made from recycled and discarded fish nets.
  • Q1 Maintenance department recycle all batteries from apartment remotes so they may be turned into new battery products.

 

Install Energy Saving Technologies

It has been estimated that up to 75% of a resorts environmental impacts can be directly related to excessive consumption, Q1 Resort has embraced energy efficient technologies such as:

 

  • LED low wattage lights installed in all common area hallways and lift foyers (over 1000x 50watt lights replaced with 9watt LED lights)
  • LED low wattage lights installed in 90% of Q1 Resort & Spa apartments, bathrooms and kitchens and 50% of Q1 Resort and Spa apartments lounges & bedrooms (ongoing project)
  • LED low wattage fluro lights being considered & trialed for residential and visitors car parks
  • Q1 Resort & Spa apartments air conditioning units rewired to run no colder than 22′ Celsius and auto shut down after 10 hours continual running, saving on energy usage
  • Energy usage data monitoring increased
  • International Earth Hour honored annually
  • Suggest and encourage Q1 building management group to adopt eco-friendly practices. Example: SkyPoint event management are retrofitting the level 2 Ballroom with low wattage LED lights and have recently upgraded the SkyPoint main entry watchman’s poles to LED floodlights
  • A full retrofit of all common area ceiling lights on 74 levels; all 50 watt dichroic halogen down lights replaced with 8 watt LED down lights. A total of 1,050 down lights have been replaced and offering an overall electricity usage of 76% in all Q1 Resort & Spa common areas.
  • Sensor lights have been installed to illuminate resort footpaths and automatically turn off when they are not required
  • Q1 Resort reception and pool areas lighting is set by tactical software to turn on at optimal operating times to ensure lighting is not wasted
  • All Resort computers monitors are set to energy saving modes and computers set to turn off after a period of inactivity.

 

Encourage Guests To Be Green

When our guests see that our resort is making an effort to help the environment they will want to do their part as well.

 

  • We encourage our guests to actively committed to the environment and reducing pollutants and recommend the re-use of bathroom towels, by hanging their bathroom towels on the rails to air dry if the choose to re-use.
  • We make recycling readily available to our guests and have signage in every apartment showing the guests where on the level the refuse room is so they may recycle their waste.
  • All apartment Air conditioning units are fitted with timers so they will turn off after a set amount of time.
  • We encourage our guests to leave their vehicles at the resort and use the GLINK: tram while they are here on holidays. G:Link boasts an objective to ” Sustain a zero harm environment for our people, public, passengers and local communities.” for more information please visit ridetheg.com.au.

 

Save Water

There are many ways a resort can save water. The Q1 Public Areas Department have reviewed there cleaning procedures, products and equipement to ensure they are reducing waste water whilst keeping cleaning to a high standard.

 

  • Environmentally friendly and natural chemicals are used.
  • By installing toilet tank fill diverts we are able to save up to 1.8 liters per flush.
  • Grey water from swimming pool back wash is captured in a 40,000L tank and used to water gardens

 

Support Local and Sustainable Businesses

A hotel can reduce waste generation by making an effort to only purchase environmentally-friendly products, and purchasing locally can also reduce the impact on the environment and benefit the community.

 

  • Our level 2 conference & meeting space carpet replaced with Interface Nett Effect Black Sea carpet tiles, all made from recycled and disgarded fish nets. Net-Works is an innovative, cross-segment initiative designed to tackle the growing environmental problem of discarded fishing nets in some of the world’s poorest coastal communities. At the same time, it supports Interface’s Mission Zero® goal to source 100% recycled material for our carpet tile and also aligns with the Live Zero goal of our larger Climate Take Back™ initiative. Interface.com
  • Our linen supplier was chosen for their commitment to the enviroment. “Through enviromentally sustainable, innovative business and practises and a commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable workplace, we will deliver sustained growth and security to all our stakeholders”

 

Implement Alternative Energy Sources

Fossil fuel refers to coal and petroleum based fuels. It is an important reason to develop and use more of alternative energy source is to control and reduce the pollution caused by burning of fossil fuel.

 

  • The Q1 Tower uses Australia Nautral Gas to heat the enormous amount of water to house the 500 + apartments in the Building, observation deck and shared common areas.
  • Natural Gas consists mainly of methane – a natural, non-toxic and non-carcinogenic by-product of animal digestion and vegetation decay.
  • Natural Gas is the cleanest burning of all fuels, natural gas produces the least amount of carbon dioxide – a major cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect.
  • Natural Gas is lighter than air and disperses easily in the event of a gas leak, making it a safer alternative to other combustible fuels, like coal.
  • Natural Gas is one of the lowest cost options on the market for fuel.

 

Take Care Of Our Linens

  • Q1 avoids linen made from cotton grown using high amounts of insecticides and pesticides where ever possible.
  • Repurposing linen, when linens reach the end of their lifespan we re-purpose them via a community program that turns them into cleaning rags and pocket lining for clothing.
  • It is vital for us to inform guests of the resorts environmental policies and ask for their cooperation when washing practices are place to understand when linen will be replaced.
  • “First time right” when linen is washed correctly the first time with the right wash programs and pre-spotting procedures it can reduce the need to rewash.
  •  Here at the Resort we change our bed linens every 4 days to reduce pollutants and save water usage.
  • The resort also propose accommodation packages with no additional House Keeping services to encourage our guests to be green by forfitting the services.

 

Practice What Q1 Preaches

Being sustainable is not just about the 9 till 5. We encourage our guests and staff to continue to be sustainable at their own homes by implementing the processes at the resort and creating some environmental awareness into their own homes we can fast track all of our hard work.

 

  • It’s amazing the amount of electrical products that can be left in standby mode! Be sure that all electrical equipment is fully shut down. All those little red lights left on for months and months can add up to your carbon footprint.
  • We encourage a bike to work scheme and provide safe place for our staff  to park their bikes up.
  • Encourage and help carpooling.
  • Promote walking to work and taking public transport
  • It’s a habit we are all guilty of but avoiding printing off documents when we don’t really need them, or better yet, go digital on them by using online services like google docs and sheets.
  • Get serious with you household waste stream, it is very easy to contaminate a whole bin of recyclable waste by placing the wrong item in the wrong bin, use colour codes bins or pictographs.
  • Eco Friendly food choices.

 

Fun facts about the importance of recycling

  • In Australia, approximately 345 million handheld batteries are consumed each year.  Only 4% of these are recycled.
  • Every day, Australian’s buy and use products made of plastic.  It is estimated that marine waste, mostly plastic, is killing more than a million sea birds and 100,000 mammals every year.  Recycling plastic saves energy, wildlife and the environment.
  • The energy saved by recycling one plastic drink bottle will power a computer for 25mins.
  • Australian households and businesses use millions of tonnes of paper every year. Australia has a 87% recycling rate of paper and cardboard, one of the highest in the world. Each tonne of recycled paper saves 13 trees.