Author: bianlijun

Sustainability is a hot topic these days, and for good reason.
It works better for you, your business, your clients, and the world

Is the spa and wellness industry doing its part? Yes and no. Of course there are many amazing businesses out there working hard to limit their impact on the planet, but we could all do better.

Green is good for business

It isn’t just about our shared responsibility, however. Going green can also be great for business and have long-term cost benefits. It’s a common perception that sustainable practices are expensive or will bring less to bottom line income, but the reality is that unsustainable practices can cost you more in the long run and actively live up to their name by being just that: unsustainable.

Younger consumers have big buying power and high expectations now, in China and all around the world. And consumers in general are more aware of the impact of their purchasing decisions now than we have been in the past.

Consumers are showing increased interest in not only product features, but in business operations and company values as well. More and more, people want to buy from businesses they trust. Most prominently, millennials have the highest expectations for environmental and social responsibility in businesses, and they are also reported to be becoming the biggest buyers in the beauty and skincare industries.

What it all means is that going green is about staying competitive and not adopting green practices means missing out on a key strategy for growth, just as renewable energy and resources become the norm.

Investors also want sustainable businesses

Investors, not just consumers, are targeting green-minded, socially responsible companies and shying away from companies with bad practices.

In the United States, sustainable businesses can also benefit by taking advantage of State and Federal tax programs for companies that invest in renewable energy and green technology. These tax-related benefits are in the form of credits or deductions.

Reusing and recycling also save money, as does cutting energy costs.

What are the barriers?

The connection between spa and wellness with sustainability seems like a natural one to make, but that doesn’t mean everyone is immediately on board.

Not nearly enough spas and companies have decided to make a deep commitment to sustainable practices and conservation efforts. Many recognize it is a worthwhile message that can have a positive impact, but so far only a select few are willing to make sustainability a core value or practice upon which their lifestyle or business is based.

Start with the basics

When asked where businesses can begin, in fact there are many starting points. But a good place to focus is on reducing waste and opting for renewable materials and energies.

Reduce harmful ingredients along the whole chain of interactions, including nutrition, beauty, and cleaning products. Also of great importance is spending time with nature. This is one of the most fundamental ways to promote personal health and, as a byproduct, begin to understand how important the natural environment is for all wellbeing.

Single-use plastics are one of the biggest issues. Each year, more than eight million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans and approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. Spas contribute to the problem with product packaging, water bottles, plastic cups and more.

Moving towards recycled paper and plastic, and reusable containers, is going to become not just good practice, but a necessity, as more places move towards implementing bans on single-use plastics.

It’s just better for everyone

In the end, going sustainable is going to become a necessity to stay competitive. Consumers are starting to consider sustainable practices a basic cost of entry, rather than a market differentiator.

Wellness businesses must take a long-term approach to heralding the environment as a source for health, and to protecting communities and ecosystems as part of their stakeholders.

The industry will benefit by beginning to invest in the future as part of the present.

In its early days, sustainability was adopted by the industry in response to increased pressure by stakeholders such as consumers, employees, governments and communities. Now, the spa sector is strategic in approaching this issue, and sustainability is often embedded in the corporate goals of 21st century businesses. A simple online search reveals detailed sustainability policies of major players such as The Peninsula, Jiva by Taj and Canyon Ranch.

Interestingly, independently operated properties such as Rancho Le Puerta (Mexico), Gayana Eco Resort (Malaysia) and The Scarlet (Cornwall, UK) are equally enthusiastic about sustainability. In China, The Temple House Chengdu has always shown concern for sustainability as a key part of their purpose. And many other spa businesses have gone a step further and branded themselves as ‘eco-spa’, or ‘eco-spa product’, as a business concept is built on the principles of sustainability.

Reconsider every aspects of spa operations to see how you can make a difference on sustainability,
and probably save money too

If you are planning to open a new spa now in China, especially in big cities, we highly recommend you to look into “Sustainability points”. First, it is great for the environment and social responsibility, and of course the future of the world. Second, you can gain lots of well-educated young customers and followers. And third, it is a great marketing concept.  What can we do? Let’s look into the details below.

General facility

• Undertake an energy audit of your business with your local power company. You may not be aware of how much energy you are losing through energy inefficiencies. Companies will often provide free checklists for energy self-assessments.
• Keep your spa stocked with eco-friendly laundry and cleaning supplies.
• Invest in a high-efficiency washer, dryer and water heater.
• Install and use programs, such as energy management systems that automatically turn off idle equipment.
• Program energy-saving standby settings on monitors and printers to the minimum time interval.
• Create a policy that all electronic devices and lighting be turned off in unoccupied rooms or offices.
• Replace all incandescent lighting with LED lightbulbs.

Reducing waste

• Make double-sided printing and copying a standard practice.
• Use the backs of printed sheets you would normally discard for printing drafts or for notepads.
• Use e-mail for memos and newsletters.
• Use direct deposit for payroll.
• Design mailings that do not require an envelope, such as a fold-and-mail option.
• Order supplies by e-mail or telephone.
• Select products with the least amount of packaging or that have recyclable packaging.
• Purchase products in bulk or in refillable containers to reduce, minimize or eliminate plastic bag use in retail operations.
• Practice “just in time” buying – buying inventory just as you are about to run out – and track material usage to optimize ordering.
• Donate unwanted items to local charities or other organizations for reuse, such as office furniture, supplies and equipment; food; unwanted testers; old robes; and old sheets. Anything that you replace can be donated.
• Participate in a waste exchange with another business that can use your discarded materials. Look into nonprofits that may need your discarded items, such as a local women’s shelter.
• Purchase reusable products rather than disposables, such as mugs or glasses, rechargeable batteries and refillable pens.

Employee involvement

• Communicate your sustainability values to team members via policies, posters, staff meetings and e-mail memos. Educate your employees about recycling and other green business efforts.
• Post signage to remind employees to switch off equipment, lights and faucets.
• Reward team members who contribute to the business’ cost- and resource-saving efforts with perks, prizes, extra pay or internal recognition at employee meetings.
• Nominate green champions to monitor and promote your sustaina­bility progress internally.

Lighting

• Use compact fluorescents or low-voltage track lighting instead of incandescent bulbs.
• Use fluorescent lighting with T-8 or T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts. T-8 systems consume up to 40% less energy than conventional T-12 systems.
• Use LED, compact fluorescents or electrol­uminescent exit signs, or replace them with Energy Star-rated exit signs.
• Use lighting controls, such as occupancy sensors, photocells or time clocks.
• Design for increased natural lighting when remodeling.

Water heaters, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators

• Install timers on water heaters.
• Insulate all major hot water pipes and storage tanks.
• Install a booster heater for hot water use.
• Install dryer dampness sensors in clothes dryers.
• Drain and flush hot water tanks every six months to prevent scale buildup and deposits, which can reduce heating efficiency.
• Set hot water heaters to standard 125–130ºF.
• If you have a dishwasher, set the hot water temperature to 180º F, or the lowest allowable temperature, depending on the use of sanitizing solutions.
• If you use a clothes dryer, clean the lint filter after each drying load.
• If you have refrigeration units, set refrigerator temperature between 38–41ºF, and freezer temperature no lower than 0ºF.

Heating and cooling

• Use an automatically controlled thermostat for your HVAC system.
• Use high-efficiency filters in your HVAC system.
• Replace inefficient or broken windows with double-pane, energy-efficient windows.
• Apply window film to sun-exposed windows, or shade them with awnings, sunscreens, shade trees or shrubbery.
• Use weather-stripping and caulking to close air gaps around doors and windows.
• Provide shade for your HVAC condenser.
• Use ceiling fans for air circulation.
• Set and program the thermostat to 78ºF for cooling and 68ºF for heating.
• See if your electric company has an on-call program, which allows it to cycle off your air conditioning unit for brief periods of time when absolutely necessary. In return, you receive a credit on your monthly bill—even if the electric company never does it.

Managing your resources

• Position photocopiers, printers and similar equipment in spaces with good natural ventilation to minimize the heat that accumulates from their use, reducing the amount of air conditioning needed for cooling.
• Review business-related car trips and travel; look for more efficient ways to meet that may include virtual meetings. Many companies now perform online training or telephone conferences for new hires to help limit travel. Webinars have become extremely popular with many professional skin care suppliers.
• Use glassware for drinking; reuse plastic cups when impossible to avoid; and eliminate the use of plastic water bottles and styrofoam materials, especially in your relaxation rooms.
• Offer a 5% discount for clients who bring back their empty products so you can recycle the containers.

Water

• Use low-flow toilets (1.6 gallons/flush or less).
• Use low-flow water urinals or water-free (chemical) urinals.
• Use low-flow faucet aerators (1.5 gallons/minute on lavatory sinks and 2.2 gallons/minute or less on kitchen sinks).
• Use low-flow showerheads (2.5 gallons/minute or less).
• Install automatic turn-off faucets (i.e. infrared or spring-loaded).
• Use water-efficient clothes washers or dishwashers.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or dishes.

Products

More and more spas have started to be concerned about having eco-friendly skin care products and body products. This is a new trend and will continue far into the future.