sustainability

Fairmont Pacific Rim is committed to reducing our environmental impact and combating plastic pollution of the world’s oceans and other natural environments. In our first year of operation, we were proudly awarded the 5-Green Key rating and have continued to make positive environmental impacts to our operation in every department since.

As part of our continued mission for sustainability, we are thrilled to announce that we have eliminated all non-essential single-use plastics from our guest journey, including throughout our guestrooms, dining venues, spa, and public spaces, verified by British Columbia-based GreenStep Solutions Inc.

Fairmont Pacific Rim recently adopted the Orbisk Food Waste System, a revolutionary technology that will transform our approach to food waste management.

At Fairmont Pacific Rim, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the un-ceded and traditional homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh) and Coast Salish peoples.

GUESTROOMS

Sustainable innovations in our guestrooms

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    soak it in

    We have removed over 1,600 single-use amenity bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, and have opted for large format, reusable versions.

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    CHECK IT OUT

    Plastic is not fantastic. We have replaced over ⁠36,000 plastic key cards with reusable FSC Certified cherry wood cards.

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    stay hydrated

    We have replaced the plastic water bottles in our rooms with reusable glass bottles, which has taken out more than 650 kgs of plastic from our operation annually.

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    KEEP IT CLEAN

    Our razors, toothbrushes, cotton buds and shower caps have been replaced with environmentally friendly versions and are available upon request. We’ve also swapped our laundry bags in favour of reusable linen versions.

DINING

Sustainable innovations in our dining outlets

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    LET’S ROLL

    We seek out the freshest, most sustainably-sourced fish in all of our dining outlets, including 100% sustainable seafood at The Lobby Lounge & RawBar.

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    PLASTIC WHO?

    Enjoy your meal plastic-free. All food and beverage take-away containers and cutlery have been replaced with fiber-based solutions.

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    WASTE NOT

    Our bartenders aim for as close to zero waste as possible while thinking about the entire life cycle of ingredients that make up each cocktail. This includes saving fruit trimmings to create cocktail syrups, utilizing alternative acids instead of fresh imported citruses for a lower carbon footprint, and sourcing as locally as possible.

OPERATIONS

Sustainable innovations throughout our hotel

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    IT’S ELECTRICFYING

    Our fleet of Mercedes-Benz cruise and electric bicycles are readily available for guests to explore Vancouver while reducing their carbon footprint. We also have charging stations for electric vehicles, encouraging eco-friendly transportation.

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    LEAD THE WAY

    The journey doesn’t stop with us. We choose to work with suppliers, partners and vendors that also look to eliminate plastics within their operations, while continuing to provide the high level of services and amenities we have become renowned for.

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    JOURNEY ON

    We pride ourselves on being leaders in sustainable innovation across the Accor family. While we celebrate this current achievement, we know that it is only one step on the journey of environmental stewardship. We are resolute in our commitment to the planet and will continue to hit new benchmarks in sustainability each and every year.

see you soon

Help combat ocean plastic pollution by choosing a $20 donation to your next booking, and enjoy a $20 food & beverage credit as our way of saying thank you. 100% of the value of the add-on will be donated to Ocean Legacy Foundation, a Canadian based non-profit organization that aims to end ocean plastic waste.

 

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FAQs

What do you mean by ‘non-essential’? Can you give examples of items that were deemed essential?

Single-use plastic is traditionally used in food storage, as it prevents contamination and spoilage. For some of this packaging, a safe alternative is not currently available. We will continue to search for emerging eco-friendly solutions and we are also open to creating our own solutions. A good example of this is our sous vide bags. Typically we would use one bag per item but we’re now taking one bag and dividing it into smaller and smaller versions so that we’re truly maximizing its use and minimizing our amount of plastic waste.

We are committed to ongoing audits from GreenStep to not only ensure that we are maintaining our commitments, but also to improve upon each year. Our procurement department is continuously on the lookout for emerging products that will help us in this space and we will continue to seek consult from GreenStep and their vast network of likeminded organizations.

Furthermore, GreenStep have worked with hundreds of companies in other key areas of sustainability, such as energy, water and waste assessments, carbon footprint measurement and product life cycle analysis; our intention is to continue our relationship with GreenStep to assess and address other critical areas of sustainability.

In 2021, Fairmont Pacific Rim introduced multiple innovations within its food and beverage operations including composting across the outlets and ‘closed-loop oriented cocktail and ingredient creation’ for bartenders. Closed-loop oriented cocktail and ingredient creation aims for as close to zero waste as possible, while thinking about the entire life cycle of ingredients that make up each cocktail. Specific practices include saving waste trimmings for citrus, fruit and vegetable garnishes to create cocktail syrups; repurposing used bottles to incorporate into regular use; utilizing alternative acids instead of fresh imported citruses for a lower carbon footprint; and sourcing as locally as possible. In addition, bartenders have connected with teams within the hotel and have created cocktails using their waste products – such as whey from the kitchen and pineapple husks from our pastry team.

A fleet of BMW cruise and electric bicycles are readily available for guests to explore Vancouver while reducing their carbon footprint. We also have charging stations for electric vehicles to encourage eco-friendly transportation.

In 2018, we made waves by becoming the first restaurant in Vancouver to serve 100% Ocean Wise certified sushi in The Lobby Lounge & RawBar, and continue to seek out the freshest, most sustainably-sourced fish in all of our dining outlets.

Fairmont Pacific Rim prides itself on being leaders in sustainable innovation across the Accor family. While we celebrate this current achievement, we know that it is only one step on the journey of environmental stewardship. We are resolute in our commitment to the planet and will continue to hit new benchmarks in sustainability each and every year.

LEARN MORE

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    Culture

    Sustainability at Fairmont Pacific Rim

    In the spirit of sustainability, we’re proud to say we have made some serious strides to the guest experience and our operation over the past few years.

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  • Five Ways to Reduce Your Traveling Carbon Footprint
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    FOUR Ways to Reduce Your Traveling Carbon Footprint

    According to Green Key Global, 68% of tourists prefer to book eco-friendly accommodations while traveling, but what exactly is sustainably-conscious travel? Follow along for four ways you can reduce your carbon footprint while traveling.

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  • Minimizing Food Waste at Fairmont Pacific Rim
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    Minimizing Food Waste at Fairmont Pacific Rim

    On Sunday, October 16, World Food Day brings awareness to a global issue surrounding world hunger and food waste.

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