The challenge of ‘eco’ demands on spas
By Caroline Brien
Published: April 18 2009 01:24 | Last updated: April 18 2009 01:24
On an indulgent eco spa break, it’s only natural that you would want to leave the worries of the world behind. But what if the term “eco” doesn’t live up to expectations?
Your luxury paradise may recycle waste into fuel or use water from ancient boreholes, but hot showers and piles of fluffy towels are two energy-guzzling eco-crimes that spas commit daily.
“If you define ‘green’ as being carbon-free, then no business on earth is [green],” says Patrick Wahlberg, sustainability and project manager for Raison d’Etre, a leading spa management and development company that has set up more than 50 spas worldwide. “The label is often used where it’s not warranted. We’re really talking about shades of green.”
SpaFinder, the world’s largest spa marketing company, predicted in 2005 that forward-thinking wellbeing businesses would be going green and have found that, four years on, customers are pushing for more.
“Consumers expect that social and environmental commitments are being made, so they aren’t solely indulging themselves,” says SpaFinder’s european executive director, Cassandra Cavanah.
There’s no denying that self-styled eco spas such as Titanic in Huddersfield in west Yorkshire, Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa in Australia, Natura Park Beach Eco Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic and the Six Senses resorts across Asia and Europe (including Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, which claims it will be carbon-free by 2010) are tackling environmental wastage by using sustainable trees to power energy, ensuring buildings are carbon neutral and sourcing food and building materials locally.
Yet the definition of “eco” is so open to interpretation that some spas put their own spin on it. And meeting the exact demands of the term “eco” can prove challenging.
“Spas have a natural affinity with the environment, but I’ve struggled with the concept,” says Susan Harmsworth, CEO of international spa empire ESPA. “Thermal suites and hot showers can be eco-friendly in new buildings, but it’s the electrical elements that are the real culprits. We still need air conditioning in the Middle East and heating in Russia; it’s in those extreme climates where we face real challenges.”
What’s more, although clientele are increasingly looking for buzz-words like “sustainability” and “locally sourced”, that doesn’t mean that they demand any less luxury when they arrive.
“Consumers are very savvy,” adds Harmsworth. “They will put social responsibility high on their list of priorities, but when you’re paying lots of money, you don’t want to suffer. Spotless treatment rooms can mean flushing cleaning chemicals back into the ocean, as could treating the water to ensure the hydrotherapy pool is exceptionally hygienic.”
“It’s tricky,” agrees Cavanah. “A commitment to sourcing food and employment locally, rather than shipping them in, is the area that’s having the most positive impact, because it’s what the guests get to see.”
In the hope of clearing up this conundrum, Green Globe, an organisation that benchmarks environmentally responsible hotel and resort development, is now aiming to give the green seal of approval to spas.
“The Green Globe certification is a good step forward in making eco spas more credible,” says Wahlberg. “But a small independent spa in a developing country might not be able to afford the official stamp of approval [$3,800 (£2,548) for a hotel with over 100 rooms].”
Where real progress can be made is in building spas from scratch. “The industry needs visionaries,” explains Harmsworth. “It’s hugely expensive to create a true eco spa, but responsible developers, great architects and excellent engineers are the starting point.”
Do any new spas yet meet those criteria? “Ask me in a couple of years,” says Wahlberg. “It takes a long time to get this kind of complex project just right.”
Sean Harrington, managing director of Elemis, agrees. “I’m not convinced that eco spas exist as yet – but they are coming.”
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