SANDALS Dunn’s River recently became the third property in the Sandals family to receive Green Globe certification, having met the Green Globe 21 Standards.

Green Globe certification is used by hotels, tour operators, cruise lines, hotels and suppliers as an index of a resort’s adherence to sound environmental practices.

Sandals Negril was the first in the Sandals chain, as well as the first all-inclusive property to receive the certification in November 1998 Last year, Sandals Montego Bay also met the Green Globe 21 Standards.

According to Sandals Dunn’s River public relations manager, Lindsay Isaacs, the Environmental Management System (EMS) was officially launched in January 2001 with the appointment of the hotel’s EMS manager, Leone Henry.

“The programme started with staff sensitisation on basic everyday environmental issues and then went more specific into actual departments practices where the property intends to go with the EMS,” she said.

She said departmental practices were audited to investigate areas in which changes could be made in environmental performance and best practice programmes were implemented where practical, for example composting; water pouring in restaurants; serving straws at bars; the implementation of a herb garden and a compost heap.

“On the standardisation of departmental practices the hotel then went into guest awareness where orientations addressed the properties environmental practices,” she added.

Community involvement, she said — such as monthly health clinics in rural St Ann — also played an important role in the social and cultural development aspect of the programmes.

In addition, alliances were formed with other environmental organisations for example, Recycle for Life, Friends of the Sea and NEPA.

“Success in environmental initiatives is as a result of the resort’s team work,” she added.