Reduce Waste

Our Approach

Banyan Group’s waste reduction efforts focus on the 5Rs—reduce, refuse, reuse, recycle, and remove.

We monitor waste and track our progress using the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenview (2021) methodologies.

We donate food waste to local farms for use as feed or compost, and partner NGOs that rescue and serve surplus food to communities.

We partner with suppliers to reduce waste in production and packaging, and to avoid food loss during transportation.

We involve local residents and our associates in community clean-ups to foster a sense of stewardship.

And as a hospitality company, we create opportunities for our guests to discover how they can visit a place and leave it better than when they arrived—hoping to influence them to adopt environmentally responsible lifestyles at home and engage in regenerative tourism when they travel.

Our Target

We set a target to achieve:

50% of waste diverted from landfill by 2030

Our Progress

In 2024, through continued recycling and repurposing activities:

28% of our total waste was diverted from landfill

Our Stories

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Sustainable Food Supply

As part of Banyan Group's efforts towards a sustainable food supply, an increasing number of our hotels grow their own produce.

Banyan Tree Lijiang has its own organic farm with a planted area of 1,500 square metres. In 2024, about 5,000 kg of composted fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen and fallen leaves from the resort grounds were turned into fertiliser, helping the farm to produce 1,800 kg of vegetables.

Kitchen Waste to Good Use

Banyan Tree Anji grows organic vegetables in the hotel garden for use in its restaurant and for guests to harvest for free. Coffee grounds and kitchen waste from the hotel’s operations are also composted and mixed in with the organic fertiliser that is used to maintain the plants.

Feeding the Community

Since 2021, Banyan Tree Mayakoba has been participating in the Al Rescate (meaning “to the rescue”) programme by the non-profit Banco de Alimentos de México. Twice a week, the resort donates surplus fresh fruits to participating NGOs within a 20 km radius of the resort, helping to supplement the food supply for about 40 families in the community. In 2024, over 2,000 kg of fruits were diverted to the programme.

Turning Waste into Purposeful Products

The retail arm of Banyan Group plays a key role in advocating for the conversion of waste into beautiful, purposeful products. In 2024, Banyan Gallery worked with a craft brand in Thailand to transform plastic waste into gifts commemorating Banyan Group’s 30th anniversary.

These include a Foldable Turtle Bag made from recycled plastic bottles that were gifted to hotel guests for turndown, and a leaf-shaped tag for bags that contributed to the upcycling of 35,000 plastic bottle caps.

Next Steps

Many of our hotels and resorts have implemented successful waste reduction initiatives, and we intend to expand these across the Group systematically.

In 2025 and beyond, we will:

Reduce single-use water bottles (glass and plastic) by expanding water bottling facilities across our hotels and resorts, to reduce the use of and emissions from the transportation of single-use bottles.

Ensure that all associates have a comprehensive understanding of our mission to reduce waste by translating the Group’s waste management guidelines and related training programmes into more local languages.

Increase recovery of organic waste by introducing on-site food digesters and organic composters across more locations.

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Conserve Water

Water is a precious resource and safeguarding it for local communities is our priority. We are therefore committed to using water efficiently, and capturing and recycling as much of it as we can.

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Respect Biodiversity

How we choose our locations, design, build, and operate our business all have the potential to impact nature. We are determined to make our impact a positive one, especially on the land and sea surrounding our hotels and resorts.

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Uplift Communities

Our host communities share their culture, craft, and spirit with our guests—so we give back through volunteering, charitable giving, and community programmes that build strong individuals.

Our focus on 3 Es—Education, Engagement, and Employment—helps us maximise our impact on local communities and support disadvantaged groups.

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Support Wellbeing and Development

We believe that when our associates are well cared for, they in turn can care for our guests. So we take measures to ensure that our work environment is nurturing, inclusive, and supportive.

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Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and championing the importance of diversity—creating opportunities for our associates, guests, and host communities to thrive as their authentic selves.

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Take Climate Action

Climate change has far-reaching impacts on our destinations including on weather conditions, water security, and biodiversity. Because we want a future where everyone can thrive, we are playing our part in making hospitality a low-carbon industry.

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