As part of the local and international community The George understands that its actions impact those around us as well as the larger environment. As such, we have made a commitment to Caring Luxury which involves initiatives to reduce our impact on the natural environment, help charitable organisations where possible, and support local artists and suppliers. Some of our actions developed naturally, for example, The George has been involved in helping various charitable organisations for numerous years. Other actions are driven by a desire to protect what we hold dear. For example, our ongoing commitment to reducing our impact on the natural environment has triggered management and employees to develop many initiatives to ensure we do our part in helping New Zealand remain the clean and green country we are proud of. Furthermore, as evident by our New Zealand Art collection The George has for many years been a keen supporter of local artists. What is perhaps less known is that we also strive to source local products and utilise the skills of local craftspeople for our furniture and refurbishments.
Many of our Caring Luxury initiatives and actions are listed below, however we are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our footprint and to help the wider community.
We follow these actions to reduce our carbon footprint:
• Where possible New Zealand goods are procured
• We recommend Green Cabs who use Hybrid cars
• We recommend Corporate Cabs who offset carbon emissions with carbon credits
• We are replacing our executive vehicle with a hybrid vehicle
• We shut down 1 of 2 generators significantly reduced the diesel consumed
• Our people mover vehicle is a hybrid and also offers wheelchair access
• We monitor carbon emissions against occupancy and have improved by 5%
The reduction in landfill has been achieved by consciously considering ways to limit our waste including:
• We recycle paper, cardboard, glass, cans, plastic, polystyrene & garden waste
• Cooking oil and fat is collected and converted to bio-fuel
• Recycling bins are offered in guest rooms for waste separation
• We collect unused guest soap so it can be converted in to bio-fuel
• We use sustainable paper for our printed collateral
• Where possible we do not print out emails and we encourage others not to print
out our emails
• We reuse printed paper for staff note paper
• We use refillable recyclable containers for guest toiletries to eliminate
unnecessary packaging
• The complimentary daily newspaper delivered on request not automatically
• We are currently negotiating with living earth to have all food scraps composted
rather than added to landfill
• Staff dry cleaning is delivered with out plastic wrapping
• We have greatly reduced our paper marketing materials and our information
PDF is now electronic rather than printed
• Our guest welcome messages are on the TV screen not printed
• We monitor landfill waste and have reduced it by 20%
• We try to reduce waste by not purchasing products with excessive packaging
• We have joined the Target Sustainability Programme run by The Christchurch
City Council
The George is aware of its energy use and has initiated the following steps:
• The use of energy saver bulbs where possible
• Heat pumps were installed in guest rooms as they are more efficient than other
air conditioning systems
• The air-conditioning systems in non-public areas are on timers and do not
operate when unoccupied
• LCD television screens were selected for guests rooms because they are
more energy efficient than plasma.
• The windows are double glazed to increase energy efficiency
• Electricity is supplied from a carbon-neutral renewable electricity supplier
• If quiet we shut down unused rooms to save energy
• Our fountain is on a timer so it switches off at night
• Bathroom extractors are on timers so they switch off at night
• Lights are dimmed or turned off overnight
• Lights are dimmed in restaurants and public areas in the evening
• For the past 2 years we have taken part in Earth Hour
• We offer incentives to employees that come up with ways to save energy
• Lamps have been converted to energy saving type fittings where possible
• Out-dated air-conditioning has been replaced with more efficient heat-pumps
• We have joined The Tourism Energy Efficiency Program
• We offer guests the use of complimentary bicycles for local touring and walking
maps of attractions in our area
• We have installed dual flush toilets in the guest rooms
• Water-saving shower heads are installed in guest rooms
• Guest linen is replaced on guest demand, rather than automatically, cutting
down on water waste and detergents in our waterways
• We have trained our team to only run dishwashers when they are full thereby
saving water, energy and detergents
• We use water efficient dishwashers that retain washing water
• We regulate garden watering by using sensible planting and investing in garden
irrigation that is on a timer but can sense if water is required or not
• The roof top water cooler was decommissioned eliminating water used for
air conditioning
• Our windows are double glazed to minimise noise pollution
• Our vehicles are regularly serviced to maintain efficient running
• We have purchased one hybrid vehicle and have ordered another to reduce
fleet carbon emissions
• Vegetable based inks are used for in house printed material
• Our laundry bags are made of degradable plastic
• We limit the finish time of functions to reduce noise pollution to our neighbours
• Our guests toiletries with the following attributes:
- GE Free
- 100% biodegradable
- 100% vegetable based
- Not tested on animals
- Reusable and recyclable bottles
- Water based inks used on labels
• The George supports numerous local, national and international charities
mostly by the donation of goods and services. Below is a list of recent charitable
events and organisations The George has contributed to:
- Win a Wish Competition - The Breeze Radio
- Autism Australia Charity Event
- Mark Leslie Benefit Dinner
- Canterbury Down Syndrome Association
- Stop Cancer 2006 Live Auction
- Koru Care Fundraising
- In Support of South Island Bone Marrow Cancer Trust - Rotary Club of Lincoln
- Friends of Christchurch Cathedral
- Bone Marrow Cancer Trust
- In Support of Cure Kids - KPMG
- In Support of The Family Help Trust - Harcourts Real Estate
- Koru Care Charity Auction
- In Support of Child Cancer Australia - Red Kite Charity
- In Support of Hospice NZ - ORBIT / House of Travel
- The Canterbury Down Syndrome Association
- In Support of Breast and Prostrate Cancer - Rockonz
• The George is an accommodation sponsor for The Christchurch Arts Festival
• The George has made a 3 year commitment to sponsor The Southern Opera
• The George has initiated an employee volunteer scheme so all non-casual
employees spend 2 paid working days a year helping nominated charities and
organisations by working on their choice of various projects
• We train our team to commit to our environmental practices as well as education
on how to be more energy conscious in there own homes
• Where possible, The George sources local products and enlists the skills of
local craftspeople for its furniture and refurbishments, for example:
- Warren & Mahoney Architects
- Dalman Architects
- David Shaw Furniture
- Dilana Rugs (designed by J.S.Parker using local materials)
• The hotel is proud to feature the work of the following New Zealand
artists
- Ralph Hotere
- Bill Hammond
- John Pule
- Stephen Gleeson
- Stephen Goodenough
• We have made a commitment where possible to purchase goods & services
locally which reduces carbon emissions and helps the local economy
• We use a local printer who only uses sustainable paper and vegetable ink for
our marketing materials
• We buy in bulk to reduce packaging
• Our key cards are made of recyclable plastic
• The majority of the wine we purchase is either local or from New Zealand
• 50% of the projects available for the employee volunteer scheme involve
planting trees and shrubs in the Canterbury area
