Environmental standards worthy of imitation
XIMA EXCLUSIVE – CUSCO, FIRST ECO-SUSTAINABLE HOTEL IN PERU
The XIMA EXCLUSIVE in the city of Cusco has been characterized since its opening, more than 10 years ago, as an “Eco Friendly” hotel, with a great amount and variety of live plants, including its iconic fig tree in the main lobby, and its colorful fish in the Dining Room stream.
XIMA EXCLUSIVE – CUSCO is currently certified by MINCETUR’s Program for the Adaptation of Environmental Management (PAMA) and holds the DIRCETUR Environmental Quality Seal. The PAMA highlights the ecological management of Xima Hotels’ operation, which is framed within the environmental practices of the SEIA (National System of Environmental Impact Assessment).
NEW SOLAR PANELS
In statements to T News, Alexander Castillo, general manager of Xima Hotels, said that for a month Xima Exclusive in the city of Cusco has 200 solar panels, thus becoming the first hotel in Peru to produce more than 40% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy (solar energy).
With this action it is expected that the hotel company will stop emitting 21 tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to planting 4,410 trees annually, becoming the first eco sustainable hotel in the country and the first to obtain the ecological certification of EnergyBat consulting
The chain’s manager revealed that the installation of these Swiss technology panels was carried out during the recent remodelling of the hotel. The investment in the solar panels exceeded 400,000 soles. Alexander Castillo stressed that the return on investment in solar panels will be long term, but stressed that the satisfaction lies in the impact that there will be in the short term on the ecological issue. The excess energy produced by the solar panels will be used for public lighting as an additional contribution of the company.
LESS USE OF PLASTIC
Previously, two bottles of water were placed in each of the hotel’s 167 rooms, but in November 2019 a filtered water dispenser with antimicrobial protection was installed in the hotel lobby, which meets international standards and certifications for drinking water quality. This reduces the use of plastic by not placing more than 330 bottles of water in the rooms each day.
GARBAGE RECYCLING
Plastic, glass, paper, cardboard and organic waste are properly separated. Plastic cartons and bottles go to a non-profit organization that recycles them to sustain itself.
RECYCLING OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
Once a year, Xima participates in the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) campaign. All electronic equipment (fluorescent lights, batteries, heating, etc.) is not discarded, since Xima has an agreement with the company Electro Sur Este, which receives these products to recycle them properly by removing the cables, copper and other waste that is contaminating.
REUSE OF OIL
Xima recycles used oil, which is then used for fuel production. The company has grease traps in the kitchen and laundry, which capture this harmful waste and send it to large containers of specialized and certified companies, where it does not cause environmental damage.
LAUNDRY
Currently, ecological inputs are used in the hotel laundry, no chemicals are used that cause a negative impact on the environment. The sheets that are discharged are not discarded, as they are reused to make bags for depositing laundry.
There are no solar panels in the other Xima hotels, but the same environmental management procedures are applied, just as in the Cusco hotel.
XIMA STARTS ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION PROCESS
With the series of Eco-friendly practices mentioned above, XIMA EXCLUSIVE-CUSCO is initiating the processes for an ISO 14001 Certification, an international standard of environmental management that will allow it to be one of the first hotels in Peru to practice this standard of environmental protection.
TOURISTS LOOKING FOR ECO-FRIENDLY HOTELS
More and more tourists are asking about the hotels they are going to and prefer those that are committed to the environment. In this regard, Xima has made presentations to tour operators abroad about their good ecological practices.
