Good practice:

Demonstration project for establishing a waste reduction model within hotels and lodging places

The successful implementation of the Project will result in establishing a national eco-certification model for responsible waste management in hotels and lodging places. The model will enable hotels to have an environmental image stimulus to expand the range of their eco-practices as well as get access to comprehensive information and a competent team of experts to guide them through the needs and requirements of the certification process.
The eco-certification model provides four levels of progression- bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Naturally, the requirements for achieving higher levels of certification are stricter. In general, the project aims for overall waste reduction practices, plastic waste being a big contributor to the general waste stream.
When it comes to plastic waste specifically, hotels at all levels of certification will be expected to collect plastic waste separately, levels above bronze will be expected to establish waste reduction practices, levels above silver will even be expected to achieve certain quantitative criteria for waste reduction.
We believe that the hotel industry has tremendous potential for positive change. A medium-sized hotel for example uses approximately 150 000 tiny bottles of just shampoo yearly. Substituting these toiletries with dispensers, using eco alternatives to amenities like corn starch combs, cardboard earbuds, etc. are just a number of suitable waste reduction alternative policies for hotels.

The project is funded by the EU through the ERDF and by the State Budget of Bulgaria through Operational Programme “Environment 2014- 2020”. The overall funding is 188 598,40 EUR, of which 160 308,64 EUR from the EERDF and 28 289,76 EUR national co-financing.

The specific amount of municipal waste that will be prevented, prepared for reuse, separately collected and/or recycled as a result of the project is 29 t / year.
The indicator should take into account the actual results achieved for the year following the year of completion of the project (after final payment to the beneficiary).

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The project is primarily focused on getting the model established on the national level as it aims to answer the needs of hotels and lodging places in Bulgaria when it comes to responsible waste management. However, the model is also built with regard to successful international models of certification and widely applicable environmental practices. Potentially widening our scope on the international level can be considered in the course of time.
The certification mark has already been successfully reviewed by the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria and is in the final stages of registration. The fundamental documentation like criteria for assessment, methodology and assessment forms is all in place. The Project is heading toward the planned demonstrative assessment of two hotels:
• one sea resort- Royal Bay Resort in Kavarna, Bulgaria
• one mountain resort- Cornelia Deluxe Residence in Bansko, Bulgaria