In a land of many colours, we remain green: Jetwing Hotels on sustainability initiatives

The name ‘Jetwing’ has long been associated with caring, and a commitment to hospitality as well as the environment. For almost 40 years, the family owned company has grown tremendously, from humble beginnings in Negombo in 1963. Future projects, planned to bear fruit in the next three years, include the doubling of the current room inventory.

Amidst this rapid growth, many principles have not changed. The importance placed on remaining sustainable, through energy efficiency and education, has been heightened with many new initiatives in place. The soon to be unveiled Jetwing Lagoon in Talahena, Negombo, formerly known as the Blue Lagoon and honoured with the distinction of being Sri Lanka’s first resort hotel as well as the maestro Geoffrey Bawa’s first hotel project will feature a central chilling system powered by a biomass boiler, as well as 100% illumination through energy saving lighting.

The latter feature is one that has been implemented at Jetwing properties, with most using only LED and CFL lighting. Other initiatives include room lighting being powered by solar panels, as well as hot water generated through biomass boilers; excess and waste water being recycled and used within the hotel grounds.

Using the latest in technology to achieve such aims, the latest innovation to be used at Jetwing is indeed a novel one: a completely self-sustaining mobile water purification and bottling plant. Powered by solar power, and depending on city water supply, the plant purifies the water and prepares bottles (which are made of 30% recycled glass). Initial plans for the plant are for operations to begin in Negombo, to supply the four Jetwing hotels in the area, and to be implemented within the other hotels as well.  The process of innovative measures doesn’t stop there however; with the recent implementation of an enhanced composting process utilising technology from Norway’s Agro Nova. The final product from the process can either be directly used as compost, or pelletised to be consumed as fuel for the bio-mass boilers. The raw materials used are kitchen waste or garden sweepings however hard materials (bones, etc) cannot be used. Even though kitchen waste is ‘wet’, Agro Nova’s patented product “Fibral” combats such high moisture content, and enhances the entire process as well. The general composting process takes 30-40 days; Agro Nova’s enhanced composting process takes 14+ days.

The unit consists of a shredder for the input raw material, and after shredding goes to Chamber 1 for pre-composting, and after post- composing in Chamber two the final product is created. This process has been in use at Jetwing Blue since the end of February.

With the Jetwing Eternal Earth Program (JEEP), Jetwing has turned things around through the implementation of many initiatives and projects coming under the umbrella of this program. Determined on changing the future for the better, the company has believed in educating the generations to come as well as visitors through ‘Trees for Life’. Through replanting of trees to offset carbon emissions at St. Anne’s Shrine, Talawila, as well as regular interactive sessions conducted at foster schools adopted by each hotel, Trees for Life seeks to create change through those who will benefit from it the most.  The project also won the PATA Gold Award for Corporate Environmental Program in 2009, and the same Award for the year 2012 was received by Jetwing Sea for its practices and measures initiated during its re-visioning. In other areas, the Jetwing Youth Development Project (JYDP) has been a huge success in rural communities; offering education in skills to unemployed youth in such areas beginning with Jetwing Vil Uyana, where 50% of the youth trained were eventually absorbed into the Jetwing Family. The current iteration of JYDP is being held simultaneously at Jetwing Lagoon and Jetwing Vil Uyana, and is a PATA Grand Award winner in recognition of its focus on community and personal development.

“With the self-sustaining water bottling plant, and the Agro – Nova initiative, we feel that at Jetwing hotels we have achieved the highest in energy efficiency as well as sustainable practices. There is room for improvement; at the moment on the technology side we feel we have the highest compared any other hotel chain in the country. The focus will remain on our associates, and through constant and regular training and informative sessions we will keep them educated on the issues facing our environment,” said Jetwing Hotels Head of Engineering Jude Kasturi Arachchi.

Jetwing’s commitment was first brought out into the public spotlight through Paradise Exorcised by renowned author Juliet Coombe, Sri Lanka’s first guidebook to responsible travel which was launched in January this year. The book seeks to educate travellers on the effects of global tourism, as well as tips on how to minimise such impact.