In the first of a series of articles, GreenSpa Africa’s Charne le Roux provides a grassroots perspective of what leading spas around the world are doing in terms of sustainable practices

W e know that implementing sustainability is how we should be doing business and that pro environmental actions are the markers of today’s successful, modern businesses.

Furthermore, we should know that, to many of our guests, the real meaning of luxury is spending time in beautiful and protected environments, where their presence also has a positive impact on the people who work and live there. has been a slow and reluctant endeavour. This is so despite our knowledge of the resulting broad based benefits to our businesses, from lower operational costs, to higher market value, improved investor, customer and employee buy in, and more resilient communities and natural spaces. Our tardiness is blamed on our view of sustainability as an abstract and imprecise science, that we don’t always have easy access to implementation protocols, and that sustainability attracts high costs.

“Granted,” I hear you say, so let’s take another approach to the challenge by looking at sustainability in action, right here in our own industry and let’s meet some of the people who are driving green in their spa & wellness businesses and so be inspired to follow in their footsteps.

The power of social influencing is real. What others do successfully has always been an important decision-driver and none of us want to stand out, especially not in a bad way.

I invite you to be stirred by the stories, philosophies and projects of the following three admirable businesses. They are each leaders in the hospitality, sustainability and wellness industries. The concepts of wellness and sustainability are inseparable twins, as The Datai Langkawi Resort, the Six Senses Spa Group and Lefay Resorts so beautifully demonstrate.

Datai Langkawi

Datai Langkawi received the World Spa & Wellness Sustainable Spa of the Year Award 2022, one in a long line of over 190 prestigious awards. More importantly, Datai Langkawi is a global example of sustainability, being a cornerstone of this spa and wellbeing resort.

With a strong commitment to preserve the delicate beauty of the coastline, the hotel is set within a rainforest off the shoreline of Datai Bay, a beautiful natural bay of Langkawi island, Malaysia. Langkawi Island was declared as Southeast Asia’s first UNESCO Geopark in 2007. Consequently, a completely green approach was taken to the construction of the hotel. Timber was harvested by trained elephants as opposed to heavy machinery, all the wood was reused in the construction process and where a clearing had to be made, new trees were planted immediately. The building itself celebrates the local Malay, Chinese and Indian cultural heritage.

These first steps evolved, in 2021, into The Datai Pledge, which is a robust programme designed to benefit the natural environment, as well as to enrich the lives of guests, team members and the local community. The programme looks specifically at conserving coral reefs, marine life, Langkawi’s wildlife, regenerating the rainforests and nurturing youngsters’ appreciation of nature through environmental education.

A few really great programmes include in-house water bottling; banning the use of single-use plastics; transforming food waste into soil to cultivate plants and herbs; recycling candles and upcycling materials like plastic and glass into bricks. Local micro-businesses are nurtured in skill-swap initiatives, whereby artisans teach guests to create batik and are themselves instructed in soap- and brickmaking, for example, and glass blowing using recycled glass.

The power of SOCIAL INFLUENCING IS REAL. What others DO SUCCESSFULLY has always been an IMPORTANT DECISION-DRIVER and none of us WANT TO STAND OUT, especially not in a bad way.

Unique initiatives

I was particularly inspired by the following unique initiatives that The Datai created.

• Artificial coral reefs onto which coral nubbins (babies) were transplanted to boost the coral population.

• Special nesting boxes just for hornbills, known as ‘Nature’s Gardeners’, because they help spread the seeds of fruits over wide distances. (These birds are under threat due to poaching activities as well as deforestation, which has resulted in the reduction of trees with natural cavities in which hornbills nest).

• Arboreal corridors – by actively planting trees on either side of the roadsides when, once mature, their canopies will create a wildlife corridor to connect fragmented pockets of land. These corridors enable the safe passage of tree-based animals over roads, so that they can forage for food and propagate over a wider area.

‟THE TR ANSLATION from knowing WHAT WE MUST DO, to actually TAKING ACTION, however, has been a SLOW AND RELUCTANT endeavour. ″

The whole notion of ‘waste’ is turned upside down at The Datai, by demonstrating that it can be used to create other essential items for the resort’s operations, from building materials, compost and works of art. By doing just that, The Datai achieved zero waste-to-landfill in December 2021.

Spa

The Datai’s strong conservation, regeneration and community practices peak in its spa, a space where, after all, one cannot hope to transfer wellness without, in the first place, creating it. Spa signature treatments incorporate the healing plants and herbs found in the rainforest and adopt age-old traditions and philosophies of the Malay culture. Manicures and pedicures, for example, focus on the health and natural beauty of nails, hands and feet. Restorative practices include a visit to The Nature Centre, where there is a specially curated tea, herb and spice corner, walks along the resort’s trails, and cooking classes where guests are guided to create wonderful dishes with freshly picked herbs.

The Datai Langkawi was the first organisation in the world to be awarded the coveted EarthCheck ECO Certification (Silver) for land-based tourism projects in 2019. It has subsequently been re-certified with the recognition.

Remi Girodella

Insight

One of the leaders of The Datai’s sustainability programme is Remi Girodella, who was initiated into the science and philosophy of sustainability at the property.

While heading up the Quality Control & Improvement department, he started working with local artists and artisans and found himself inspired by their work and way of life. Girodella now has ownership of The Datai’s Pledge dedicated to Preserve Local Cultures, aiming to improve the living conditions of the Langkawi communities and conserving the environment.

I asked Girodella some questions so as to share insight into his daily work.

What are the sustainability challenges that you faced at The Datai Langkawi?

Conservation also means sharing. At The Datai, this means that wildlife enjoys the hotel’s permaculture garden too! We collaborate daily with our good friends, the monkeys, and monitor the lizards and wild boars that are constantly looking to have lunch and dinner in our herb garden.

How do you integrate the sustainability message across all executive and non-executive levels?

Sustainability requires teamwork and The Datai has developed a very strong sustainability training programme, starting out with three sustainability experts who shared their knowledge with the operational and management teams. It has since become mandatory for all new staff to go through sustainability awareness induction. Existing staff members have to be exposed to all the sustainability initiatives and they report regularly on highlights via the staff notice report. Sustainability awareness is maintained during regular meetings known as ‘town halls’.

What would you say are Datai Langkawi’s greatest sustainability successes?

I am extremely proud of the resort’s zero waste-to-landfill achievement for 120 days running, as well as all the waste saved from the landfill over the last three years. Being acutely aware that in the tourism and spa industries, waste is one of the greatest challenges, I have huge admiration for how great the reduction and repurposing effort at The Datai has been.

Two further outstanding achievements include the integration of sustainability within all aspects of our operations and the strong collaboration The Datai has developed with local schools, community, artists and artisans, as well as local NGOs.

‟A few really GREAT PROGR AMMES INCLUDE in-house WATER BOTTLING; banning the use of single-use plastics; TR ANSFORMING FOOD WASTE into soil to CULTIVATE PLANTS and herbs; RECYCLING CANDLES and UPCYCLING MATERIALS like plastic and glass into bricks. ″

Which sustainability projects will Datai Langkawi focus on in 2023?

Where sustainability is a way of doing business, an all-round and comprehensive focus has to be maintained on all operations, but the green projects that will attract special attention next year specifically include the following.

• Continuing the work to maintain zero waste-to-landfill throughout next year.

• Strengthening collaborations with local Langkawi artists/ artisans.

• Developing a partnership with a new social enterprise, KanshaLife, based in Langkawi to embrace regenerative initiatives within the local community by taking a closer look at recycling and upcycling goods.

• Enhancing the resort’s farm-to-table initiatives with an increase of gardening programmes.

Another project that is also receiving increasing focus at The Datai is to become a carbon neutral destination.

Look out for Parts II and III of the ‘Sustainability in action’ series of articles in upcoming issues of Professional Beauty, focusing on the Six Senses Spa Group and Lefay Resorts.

As turnkey sustainability practitioner, Charné le Roux advocates and influences sustainability in the wellness industry. Her work includes creating the Sustainable Spa Practitioner Course, GreenSpa Guide and GreenSpa Calculator. Email charne@greenspa.africa