Going green is serious business for the Caribbean’s leading resort brand. So much so, all 20 properties in the Sandals and Beaches resort chains are recipients of Green Globe Awards. In fact, the Sandals Negril property bears the unique distinction of being the only establishment of its kind in the world to be awarded the Green Globe Platinum certification.

Sandals’ regional environment, health and safety manager Craig Clarke told SO that being Green Globe-certified “means the programmes we have implemented minimise the negative impact the activities of the hotels would have on the environment.” While Sandals is known primarily for its all-inclusive, couples-only image, what’s not trumpeted with much fanfare is the environmentally friendly projects the hotel chain has introduced. Clarke said these projects include water management, water conservation and energy management programmess. To this end, Sandals has introduced the latest technologies to foster a culture of recycling that sees water being reused for landscaping purposes, linen being repurposed, and timers installed on electrical equipment such as jacuzzis, refrigerators and outdoor lights. “Our commitment to regulatory requirements are scrutinised by international third party auditors who at the end decide that we met or exceeded the standards which we seek to be in conformance with,” Clarke said, adding an earnest reminder that the company is keen on reducing its carbon footprint.

Not content however for Sandals to merely rest on its laurels, the environmental manager noted: “We continuously conduct internal audits to determine areas where we see opportunities for improvement when benchmarked to best technologies that are available.”

The decision for Sandals to be more environmentally focused — or ‘going green’ as deemed by today’s generation — was made close to 15 years ago, Clarke shared with SO.

“At the time, we recognised that we had a duty to reduce our negative impact on the environment, to protect it for the future generations both for natural beauty and providing income and livelihood for thousands of persons involved in the industry,” he said. The eco-friendly programmes introduced on the resort properties were extended to surrounding communities and towns, over which Clarke had direct and indirect influences which saw individuals and companies making changes to their lifestyles and operations. “The positive attitudes to the physical and the social environment we have helped to mould is crucial to the continuation of this most important journey,” the Sandals manager stated. And what of other eco-friendly projects in the Sandals pipeline?

“We continuously implement programmes and technologies geared towards reducing environmental impact … from refrigeration and air-conditioning upgrades to lighting efficiency upgrades.”

Sandals’ environmental consciousness has already borne fruit by way of the work of the Sandals Foundation, which Clarke told SO has established marine sanctuaries, planted trees towards reforestation, and organised beach clean-ups.