Now more than ever, thinking about future generations is a priority for Heritage Resorts. Recycling, protecting our biodiversity, saving energy and partnering with NGOs are among the many strategic measures they have undertaken to realise their ambitions. We offer you a glimpse of how the Group is moving toward sustainable development!
Goal 1 : Reduce
Like many other local players, Heritage Resorts is committed to drastically reducing its plastic consumption. By investing in its very own water bottling plant, the Group has managed to banish the use of plastic bottles in favor of reusable glass bottles.
Ever since it set up its water bottling factory, Heritage Resorts has reduced its plastic consumption by no less than 3.8 tons.
Alexandre Piat, Sustainable Development Executive, emphasises that a rigorous monitoring of energy consumption makes it possible to not only easily identify overconsumption, but also to implement adequate solutions as quickly as possible. Heritage Resorts has implemented a number of other measures to reduce its carbon footprint: air conditioning in the rooms switches off automatically when a door or window is opened, and water is heated through ‘green’ mechanisms: solar energy and energy recovery from the ventilation system at Heritage Awali.
Goal 2 : Recycle
Since April 1st, Heritage Resorts has made great strides in improving its waste management by setting up on-site sorting centers, managed by a dedicated team of employees. The waste that cannot be reused within the hotels are sent to a certified recycler. Even the cooking oils used in restaurants are recycled into second generation biofuels!
Meanwhile, the gardens are watered with collected rainwater and treated wastewater, while green waste is composted to produce fertilizer. Heritage Resorts will also soon be collaborating with a local NGO to redistribute its food surpluses to disadvantaged communities, thereby minimising waste.
For the third consecutive year, Heritage Resorts was awarded the Green Key accreditation: the leading international standard in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry.
Goal 3 : Protect
Heritage Bel Ombre is nestled in the heart of 2,500 hectares of nature. Driven by a desire to preserve this exceptional heritage, the Group has dedicated itself to abolishing the use of toxic chemical products. In the rooms, all soaps and personal care products are stamped with eco-labels, and outdoors, the use of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides has been significantly reduced in favor of organic products.
As part of a long-term beach and lagoon rehabilitation project, a basalt dam was built at the mouth of Citronniers river, and four submerged breakwaters with artificial reefs were set up in the lagoon. The objective: curb erosion by protecting the beach from the impact of waves, and recreate a marine ecosystem.
Goal 4 : Collaborate
Heritage Resorts and two other hotels in the region, Outrigger and Tamassa, have partnered with the Reef Conservation NGO in a shared effort to protect the lagoon. This collaboration entails a study on the marine life prevalent in the area. A directory containing information about Bel Ombre’s lagoon and its species was compiled by the NGO and is now available to Heritage Resorts guests. Now, they have all the guidance they need to help preserve it. “Everything we do, we do out of love and respect for our country,” shares Alexandre, “and the commitment of our employees and clients pushes us to do better every day.”
Did you know? Cycling and pedestrian paths have been established across the estate in order to reduce automobile pollution!
Goal 5 : Educate
Beach clean ups, raising awareness on sustainable practices, trainings… There is no shortage of remarkable ideas to make sustainable development a common endeavor for all players in Bel Ombre.
Since 2015, ‘Bis Lamer’ has been shuttling across the island to raise public awareness of the major challenges in preserving our marine ecosystem. This mobile training center, created by Reef Conservation, has made several pit stops at Heritage Resorts to host training sessions for employees and guests. The topics cover the importance of mangroves, wetlands, seagrass beds and coral reefs in the ecosystem, the impact of human activity on each one of them, as well as the vital role of plankton and the many consequences of climate change on our island.
For the younger generation, education is best achieved through play . Last February, Heritage Awali’s Timomo Kids Club inaugurated its Yellow Submarine: a terrestrial ‘submarine’ put in place by Reef Conservation, and available to all children visiting Heritage Bel Ombre. Here, children engage in sensory, artistic and fun activities designed to help them discover the riches of Mauritius’ marine life, and the dangers of water pollution. The submarine and ‘Bis Lamer’ share a common goal of educating younger generations, early in their childhood, about the challenges of preserving our lagoons.
