Conscious
Every organisation, in fact, every human being, has an impact on the world. For Travelodge, being conscious means being aware of the impact we make and increasing the positive.
Our long-term goal is to become a net-zero business by 2050, and throughout 2023 we’ll set out to deliver this plan.
Energy management and carbon emissions
By the end of 2023 we aim to Reduce energy use by a further 1.5%.
Building new hotels and refurbishing our existing hotels
Growth through our new hotels is key to Travelodge and in 2022 we opened 5 new hotels and plan to open a further 8 hotels this year.
Water, Waste Management & Recycling
As a business we have a responsibility to recycle and use water wisely. We have set targets in place to reduce our water consumption and improve our recycling.
Responsible sourcing & supply chain management
We are constantly working with suppliers on responsible sourcing.
Energy management and carbon emissions
At Travelodge, we recognise the part we play in reducing carbon emissions and managing energy consumption. In our first report in 2022, we set an objective to confirm our plans for our hotels to operate on a net zero basis by 2050.
Our hotels mainly use electricity for lighting, heating and cooling. During 2022 we have focused on our objective to reduce carbon emissions and will achieve this through a reduction of energy consumption by using technology such as:
• Efficient LED lighting in both common areas and guestrooms
• Smart Heating and Cooling controls
• Solar panels
• Replacing old, inefficient, electrically powered boilers for hot water, with new technology such as air-to-water heat pumps
Case Study:
Emission reduction in preparation for our Net Zero Plan
During 2022 we spent time pivoting our energy programme, which was initially focused on financial value, to a more balanced plan which gives greater weight to carbon reduction. This involved refreshing the various opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, with a detailed review of the complexity and cost to deliver this, in light of our operating model.
Case Study:
Electric vehicle charging
In addition to our route to reduce our direct energy consumption, we also want to ensure we can support our customers to arrive at our hotels more sustainably, without the need to do this using a fossil fuel vehicle.
During 2022 we started a project to partner with an electric vehicle charging specialist with a view to installing chargers in all of our locations where it is possible to do so. We are well on our way to choosing a partner in the first half of 2023 and commencing installations thereafter.
Building new hotels and refurbishing our existing hotels
Expansion is key for Travelodge and in 2022 we opened 5 new hotels with 8 more planned in 2023.
During 2022 we reviewed our new hotel construction specification and identified areas of change to ensure future hotel deals that are signed will always achieve A-rated EPC and a BREEAM performance level of at least Very Good.
Changes include:
• Extending the use of efficient lighting
• Smart heating and cooling control
• Requirements for material sourcing
• Undertaking site preparation and ecology planning
• Enhanced landscaping and water attenuation
• Completion of life cycle costing
Travelodge already develops new hotels with sustainability in mind, featuring:
• Low energy lighting and motion sensing controls
• Aerated showers and taps
• Full insulation
• Windows and external fixtures fitted accurately for minimum energy leakage
• Smart meters installed
• Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heating and cooling system
• Dual flush toilets
Our hotel refurbishment plan is an ongoing activity and we’re conscious to use products that have sustainable credentials, use as little CO2 as possible to make and generate little waste for landfill. We also want to make sure that we reuse or recycle as many of the things we replace in this process as possible.
During our refurbishment in 2022, our partner contractors made big strides in reducing waste to landfills with 35% of projects being completed without sending any waste to landfill. In 2023 we will continue working with our partners to make further reductions in waste to landfill and further improve the reuse or recycling of items we replace in the course of a refurbishment.
Case Study:
2022 refurbishment programme
The refurbishment programme involves the replacement of a high volume of items such as mattresses, where the old items being removed can potentially be utilised in other sites. All such items are now subject to a condition-based check post removal from the site to assess whether they are fit to be repurposed back into another room as opposed to disposal. During 2022 this included 6,500 mattresses, 3,000 bedroom chairs and 6,500 sets of curtains.
Case Study:
New hotel build – London Wimbledon
Our new London Wimbledon hotel opened in November 2022. This hotel was designed and constructed with an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating and achieved an EPC rating of A.
This hotel is equipped with air-to-water heat pumps as the primary source for heating hot water. Areas of green roofing work as part of the water attenuation system that mitigates the impact of the development on the local drainage infrastructure.
One of the planning conditions for the hotel required the design to be enhanced to achieve 35% betterment against energy efficiency requirements of Building Regulations.
The completed design exceeds this condition by achieving 44% betterment over and above the Building Regulation requirements.
During 2023 we will redraft our Construction Specification for new hotels to incorporate the changes identified to enable us to deliver new hotels to the standard of at least BREEAM Very Good. We will introduce the updated specification to new development agreements entered into from the second half of 2023 onwards. We will also review existing development agreements and will look to introduce the updated specification where possible.
We expect to start discussions with our three key refurbishment suppliers during 2023 as part of our sustainable procurement drive.
Water, Waste Management & Recycling
With over 580 hotels and more than 40,000 rooms, we have big plans for water conservation, reducing waste and improving our recycling credentials.
Water is a vital resource, however, around 40% of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity. The challenge isn’t just global. The supply of water in the UK is becoming more unpredictable and issues around taking water from surface sources alongside water infrastructure mean that within the next 20 years, demand for water in parts of southern England will probably outstrip supply.
Travelodge mainly uses water in our bedrooms, through our showers, toilets and sinks, and also within our Bar Cafés and for cleaning in our hotels. So ensuring we are using it wisely is the right thing to do. Installing aerated shower heads and taps helps reduce water consumption by up to 50%,
Our waste comes not just from our business but also from our supply chain and guests. It can be anything from plastics, e-waste and leftover food – everything no longer needed has to go somewhere and in 2022 we identified opportunities to increase customer recycling.
This year we will be trialling increasing customer recycling across our hotels to understand and set realistic targets and to ensure waste management procedures are easy for our Colleagues and Customers.
Responsible sourcing & supply chain management
We rely on our supply chain, so we are constantly working with suppliers on responsible sourcing.
From mattresses to energy to carpets to laundry services, companies within our supply chain are a key part of the Travelodge ecosystem. Responsible sourcing and supply chain management looks at how we select our suppliers in a fair and ethical way as well as their approach to sustainability practices.
Last year we targeted 15 business critical suppliers and conducted a sustainability assessment of their businesses using a questionnaire; developed jointly with Simply Sustainable and during 2023 we plan to expand our supplier discussions to a further 32 key suppliers.
By 2025 we aim to have:
• Established supply chain KPIs and target improvement areas to report on
• Included sustainability themed questions into all formal supplier tender processes, with agreed weighting criteria within evaluation scorecards
• Established a sustainability governance model for Travelodge’s supply chain
• Embedded carbon targets into an agreed level of our supply chain activities KPIs
Case Study:
Nestle down beds (Sleepeezee)
Our mattress and bed base provider have installed 591 energy saving solar panels which support 25% of plant requirements with the remainder sourced via renewable energy suppliers.
• A reduction of c.46 tonnes of CO2 p.a.
• 0% waste to landfill (since 2012)
• First UK Bed supplier to be awarded the Planet Mark Accreditation
Samsung
Our provider of TV’s, mobile phones and air conditioning. have achieved 100% renewable energy used in production.
• Winner of Gold Tier from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
• Reduction to date of c.301 million tons of
CO2 emissions through financial investments
in initiatives such as solar & wind projects
• 95% of all waste from manufacturing plants is
reused in onward production
• 100% RMAP (responsible minerals assurance
process) compliance across the entire supply
chain