Our Environmental Commitment
Environmental issues in Zanzibar are both crucial and challenging. We live on a small and beautiful island that we need to maintain as naturally as possible and yet the addition of many large resorts and their accompanying consumption and waste has a substantial impact. A lack of recycling facilities only makes the challenge more difficult. Many items are recycled automatically and naturally, due to need and design, the best example being soda bottles. Coca Cola and Pepsi both still use glass bottles and we are required to provide empty for full so that they can reuse. Unfortunately however, the beer companies do not recycle theirs and there are no other facilities available to recycle glass on the island. So we do what we can as a hotel to behave well on these issues, but have also looked at other ways that we can be “responsible citizens”. Below are just a few of our initiatives.
*Consumption of Electricity*
You will have been informed on check in that you need to put your key fob in the switch at the entrance to turn on the air conditioner. AC’s are HUGE consumers of electricity and we ask that you not play with the switch to get around this system. The large capacity AC units we use will cool the room in a very short time as soon as you turn them on. We respectfully ask the same of the lights, kindly turn them off when you leave the room and be particularly careful to turn off the balcony light as these are often left on all day and night until someone notices them.
*Water*
You will notice that we offer the option to hang up your towels after use, if you do so, we will not wash them until you leave them on the floor.
Sheets are also changed every three days unless you request otherwise. We minimize watering the grounds by planting Pemba Grass, a hearty specimen that stays green for much longer than normal grass, even without constant rainfall. Our pond water is a closed system and our pools are a mix of fresh and salt water, chemically treated each evening to ensure they are safe for guests to use.
Sheets are also changed every three days unless you request otherwise. We minimize watering the grounds by planting Pemba Grass, a hearty specimen that stays green for much longer than normal grass, even without constant rainfall. Our pond water is a closed system and our pools are a mix of fresh and salt water, chemically treated each evening to ensure they are safe for guests to use.
*Our Gardens*
Aside from ensuring lots of greenery to have a beautiful looking environment, we are also ensuring lots of oxygen giving leaves in our planting. Additionally, we are working on expanding our vegetable gardens in the back of the property so that the basil, mint and some of the vegetables we use are fresh from our own gardens to your table, or in the case of the mint… your mojito!
*Our Breakfast Buffet Jams*
You will find a number of jams available in bowls instead of small plastic packets on the breakfast buffet. These are produced by another local women’s group and all of the ingredients are also locally grown. We provide this group with our used Nutella jars (more recycling) and they fill them with wonderful tropical jams made from the fruits and spices of Zanzibar.
Of course, we’re also happy not to be putting all those little plastic packets into the garbage.
Of course, we’re also happy not to be putting all those little plastic packets into the garbage.
*Our Food Stuffs*
Virtually all of our fruits, vegetables and meats are produced and purchased locally. Many of our fruits and vegetables arrive every other day in the bicycle baskets of the local sellers and the fish suppliers bring the fish and seafood directly from the boats on days that Chef doesn’t go to the fish market in Nungwi himself. We like knowing that not only are we getting our foods in as fresh a condition as possible but we’re also supporting the local economy.
*Our Garbage Men*
No kidding, we followed them to ensure that they’re dumping in a government approved dump site.
*Composting*
The unfortunate offshoot of feeding 150 to 200 guests each day, and about the same number of staff, is a lot of kitchen waste. Therefore, we started composting to not only use all that waste effectively, but also to provide us with a safe and natural fertilizer for our gardens.
*Tea Bag Fire Starters*
We began this project at the suggestion of one of our guests. We separate the used tea bags from the rest of the waste and lay them out to dry in the sun. Once they’re baked dry, we douse them in kerosene and store them in a container. They make terrific firestarters for our barbeques!
*Our Holiday Decorations*
Makuti Christmas Trees? Our Gardeners and our Housekeeping Team work hard to ensure that all of our decorations for the Holiday Season are locally produced. If you have the opportunity to come stay with us during late December and early January, we hope that you will enjoy trees made out of woven palm fronds, spray painted gourds to hang on the trees, yards and yards of chains made from palm leaves and coming up next…. Beer can and beer bottle trees for the bars! Good use of locally available products AND some recycling too!
*Our Staff*
Zanzibar has not been involved in the tourism industry long enough to have senior managers available locally, hence our expatriate management team.
However, although we have a few Kenyans and Tanzanians in our junior staff, the majority of them are from the island and many are from nearby Nungwi and the surrounding villages. We’re proud of their development and continue working with them at all levels to ensure that one day, even the senior management team is local.
However, although we have a few Kenyans and Tanzanians in our junior staff, the majority of them are from the island and many are from nearby Nungwi and the surrounding villages. We’re proud of their development and continue working with them at all levels to ensure that one day, even the senior management team is local.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning a little about our efforts to be responsible corporate citizens of Zanzibar. Should you have any suggestions for other initiatives, we’d be delighted to hear them!
The Management and Staff of Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort