Comwell Care – for people and the environment
Comwell is Denmark's most sustainable hotel chain and recipient of the Sustainable Brand Index Awards for the third year in a row.
Sustainable Brand Index™ is Europe’s largest independent brand study focused on sustainability. It measures and analyses how sustainability affects branding, communication and business development. With the help of more than 60 000 consumers and 1 000 decision-makers across 8 countries, the study measures and analyses over 1 400 brands across 34 industries on sustainability.
We base this concept on three key parameters:
- We take responsibility for our resource consumption and minimise and reuse as much as we can
- We focus on creating a balance and taking people and the environment into consideration every single day
- We acquire new knowledge and new skills to carry out a sustainable conversion without compromising our guests' good experience.
We meet over a cup of coffee
We are the first Danish hotel chain in Denmark to develop our own barista education in collaboration with the Hotel & Restaurant School – a kind of sommelier education – just within coffee/tea. We train baristas in all our hotels, who ensure a consistent concept and quality every day, all day.
So when you're a guest at Comwell, whether you're staying overnight, attending meetings and conferences, enjoying a good dinner, at a party or other events, you can always be sure that the coffee and tea you are served is carefully selected and organic.
Ingredients and Beverage Policy
Our policy regarding the choice of ingredients and beverages is key to our sustainable conversion.
For this reason, we prioritise as much as possible:
- Danish organic produce in season
- Fish and shellfish caught in Danish waters
- Organic beverages
We also focus on:
- Animal welfare and avoiding endangered species of fish
- Closer cooperation and stricter demands from our suppliers
- Partnerships concerning delivery of e.g. organic pigs and free-range cows from the Danish countryside.
In our Kitchen
In our kitchens we have kicked off a number of initiatives and set goals for our daily work:
- We have been awarded the Organic Cuisine Label in bronze in all our hotels
- We have the REFOOD label, where we have committed to complying with three self-selected food saving initiatives
- We have increased the amount of vegetables, and use less – but better meat
- We bake, pickle and produce more food from scratch
- In collaboration with the Hotel and Restaurant School, ambassadors from each kitchen have implemented a Comwell Food Coordinator training to learn better ways of utilising the ingredients, and thereby reducing food waste
Restaurant and bar
When we set up for everyday use and parties in our restaurants, we have special focus on:
- Offering organic beverages
- Prioritising the use of biodegradable disposable tableware
- Minimising tablecloth consumption
- Ensuring environmentally friendly washing of tablecloths, fabric napkins, uniforms, etc.
- Our suppliers of napkins and tissues are environmentally certified
- Explaining about sustainability and the importance of how the menus and buffets are composed.
Spa
At our spa hotels, we are very conscious of which products we use for treatments.
We use sustainable, paraben-free products, with up to 70% ecology in certain products, as well as natural and essential oils.
In addition, we focus on our bathrobe and towel consumption, just as we increasingly use soya candles with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, instead of scented candles and fragrance sticks.
Housekeeping
In our housekeeping procedures, we consider our guests, employees and the environment.
We strive to use fragrance-free products for washing bedlinen, duvets, pillows and towels, as well as working towards offering environmentally friendly, non-allergenic room products that are free of parabens.
Our goal is to ensure the products we use for cleaning also feature the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Therefore, we make demands on the suppliers we work with now and in the future.
Energy resources
Over the last six years, our hotels have collectively reduced electricity, water and heat consumption by over 20%. Looking forward, we have a goal of reducing it with a further 2% every year.
We will therefore focus on:
- Indoor climate, energy use and resource consumption
- Increased cooperation regarding energy consulting with EWII
- Change to low-energy light sources
- Optimised heat management
- Reduce our water consumption
- Material selection in connection with new construction and renovation projects
- Only buying environmentally certified Danish wind turbines.
Everything else
Comwell's sustainability initiatives also include our receptions and conference departments, where we will:
- Purchase environmentally friendly office supplies – wherever possible
- Phase out regular paper and go over to recyclable and biodegradable types of paper
- Reduce the amount of printed material and use digital solutions to a greater extent
- Focus on an environmentally friendly profile in all aspects of interior design and choices of furniture and fixtures.
The Organic Cuisine Label
The Organic Cuisine Label is a state-run labelling scheme for dining establishments. It is comparable to Denmark’s red Ø label. The only difference is that the Organic Cuisine Label comes in three versions: gold, silver and bronze.
In Comwell, we have been awarded the Organic Cuisine Label in bronze in all our hotels This means that 30-60% of all our food and beverage purchases are organic.
We believe that the Organic Cuisine Label will improve the quality and taste experience that our kitchens provide our guests.
Did you know that in August 2017 we received the Year's Organic Prize 2017, awarded by Organic Denmark as a tribute to people who invest a large amount of work and commitment on a daily basis to spread ecology in industrial kitchens in Denmark?
The REFOOD label
The REFOOD label is a trust-based scheme for companies and organisations in the food and services sector, who actively take action against food waste and to improve recycling.
To become a member, you have to demonstrate your commitment by choosing three food-saving initiatives from among REFOOD's numerous suggestions, as well as having a scheme for reusing food waste.
In Comwell, we believe it sends a strong signal that all hotels are committed to the REFOOD label. It is a way of supporting the vision of a sustainable food and services sector, defined by less waste of resources and more recycling.
Waste sorting
The potential for sorting and minimising waste is great. We increase the amount we reuse, to ensure the environment is less impacted.
This is why all Comwell hotels have a Daka REFOOD solution, where organic waste and frying oil are collected and reused for biogas and second-generation biodiesel.
Concerning other waste, one of our main areas of action is to sort in more fractions to improve our recycling processes and minimise the amount of waste.
The Green Key label
All Comwell's hotels have been awarded the Green Key label, which is the eco-label for international tourism. It is awarded to businesses in the tourism industry that make an extra effort to protect the environment.
The label reflects Comwell's compliance with a number of specific and relevant environmental requirements across the entire hotel operation.
The requirements include everything from energy, water and cleaning to organic ingredients, which we regularly document and are checked on.
CSR Policy
Precision and presence create value. These are the values Comwell work from in its day-to-day operations – also when it comes to our corporate social responsibility, where healthy environmental, economic and social aspects pervade the decisions in the daily management.
Comwell's sustainability efforts are part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy and are a significant part of Comwell's everyday operation.
Through the work with our social responsibility, we are precise in our communication and at the same time present to the people and the surrounding society we wish to improve. Through precision and presence, we believe that we can create a company and a society that exist in harmony.