Text by Corina Tan
The Hari is a global beacon of modern luxury situated within the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong. Offering unique local experiences and a high standard of comfort and service, The Hari Hong Kong is committed to sustainable practices and achieving positive change on the environment. As the hotel embarks on an eco-journey through local community partnerships, it continues to educate and provide guests with an energy conscious and environmentally friendly stay.
Recognised for its sustainable design, construction and energy efficient performance, The Hari Hong Kong has earned several certifications – LEED (Silver), BEAM Plus (Silver), and BEEO. The hotel is also a member of the NOW Force for Good Alliance and Food Made Good HK in efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
In support of the United Nations Sustainability Goals, The Hari Hong Kong has implemented the following initiatives within the hotel:
For the Planet:
Clean Water & Sanitation
By working with NORDAQ, the leading provider of sustainable and automated refilling solutions for bottled water from Sweden, The Hari Hong Kong eliminates single-use plastic and transportation of glass bottles from one part of the world to another. Guests have access to NORDAQ water throughout the hotel. These efforts eliminated over 180,000 plastic bottles (500ml) in 2021.
Climate Action
The hotel also partners with ORCA, an innovative food waste solution that simply mimics a natural digestion process using the same principles as the human body and other living organisms to digest food waste into a liquid. Food waste at The Hari Hong Kong is turned into an environmentally safe liquid that is captured or repurposed by a wastewater treatment plant. This process significantly reduces the harmful emissions from the traditional truck and bin collection process.
Responsible Consumption and Production
The Hari Hong Kong supports Nespresso and Eco-Greenergy sustainability programmes. Coffee capsules and coffee grounds throughout the property are used to transform into farm compost and other upcycling products such as scrubbing soaps and planting pots.
The hotel also avoids using single-use plastic in guestrooms by offering bespoke refillable dispensers filled with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion instead. Made with The Hari’s signature scent, the delicate formulation is free of parabens and other harmful ingredients. With this, use of over 124,000 bottles were eliminated in 2021.
For the Community:
Zero Hunger
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The Hari Hong Kong organises regular volunteer services with Food Angel to help prepare food ingredients and meal boxes for the community. Hotel employees are encouraged to participate in the activities during their working hours and staff who volunteer on their own time will get an extra day off work.
Good Health & Well-Being
The Hari Hong Kong supports the Karen Leung Foundation, the only charity dedicated to gynaecological cancers in Hong Kong. In 2021, the hotel sponsored “The ExtraOrdinary Exhibition” with an opening event at the property to raise funds for a community-wide health awareness programme leveraging art to raise public awareness on Women’s Health.
Quality Education
The Hari Hong Kong wholeheartedly supports the Heep Hong Society, a leading education and rehabilitation organisation that regularly organizes fundraising activities including “GOAL for SEN” Sports Game and a silent auction on a collaborative art piece with a Hong Kong-based Italian artist. HK$20,000 were raised through the events in 2021 to support the “Children and Youth Training Fund” that offers training for special needs children and youth from low income families.
Gender Equality
The Hari Hong Kong advocates gender equality for a sustainable future. The hotel demonstrated its support by sponsoring the Prestige’s Women of Power Inaugural Event at Zoku Restaurant and The Terrace. The event hosted 72 of the city’s most influential women, partners, and supporters for an evening of sisterly celebration.
Life on Land
The Hari Hong Kong has financially contributed to WWF to become a Tiger Protector and raise awareness of wildlife conservation to their guests. Guests are invited to make contributions through purchasing one of the adorable tiger souvenirs to support the symbolic tiger adoption programme.
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
The Hari Hong Kong works closely with Mother’s Choice, a local charity serving the many children without families and pregnant teenagers in Hong Kong. The hotel’s beverage team also created a dedicated cocktail named “Mamma Mia” in May to celebrate Mother’s Day. A portion of the amount of each cocktail and Mother’s Day set dinner menu sold was donated to Mother’s Choice to make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable children and girls in Hong Kong.
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More information on the hotel’s sustainability efforts can be found here.
