Page 70 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021

HOW WE MAKE AN IMPACT

Conserving scarce water resources Responsible waste management
Namibia’s green energy future The proof of our success
Water is a precious resource. We educate guests on the importance of using water The ultimate aim is to recycle, repurpose or
Namibia’s President launched the Harambee Prosperity sparingly, and 82% of our lodges are equipped with wastewater recycling plants. biodegrade all our waste and send no waste to
Plan II (HPPII) in March. The HPPII, covering the period landfills. As with any good waste management WASTE SENT TO LANDFILL
from 2021 to 2025, builds on the solid foundation of the Although water recycling plants are costly and not commonplace in Namibia, plan, waste prevention is the best solution,
inaugural plan from 2016 to 2020. The plan prioritises we knew they were the right solution for us. Recycled water is used to create with the reuse and recycling of waste being 35% 2019 2020 2021
targeted policy programmes to enhance service delivery, gardens and nurture indigenous trees. We have cut overall water consumption secondary.
contribute to economic recovery and engender inclusive by more than half by using wastewater recycling. 2020: 35% Waste sent to landfill 35% 35% 35%
growth. HPPII aims to ensure that Namibia is poised to In 2021, we increased the efficiency of the recycled water at Palmwag Lodge As a rule, we use as few non-recyclable materials
respond to global opportunities. & Camp by increasing its usage in the gardens and pumping it back into the and single-use plastics as possible. We plan to We partner with Oiltech to recycle used engine oil from our We recycled 40 printer cartridges and 100kg of E-waste with
eliminate all single-use plastics from restaurants,
The HPPII focuses on the country’s potential as a green aquifer via a natural reed bed filtering system. We also installed an information bars and lodge rooms by 2022. Some lodges lodges. NamiGreen, an e-waste recycling business in Windhoek.
hydrogen exporter. The first phase of this project includes board at the lodge to educate guests on how the water treatment plant works have already reduced plastic bottle waste by WE RECYCLED Reducing single-use plastic:
installing and producing up to one gigawatt of solar and and how the recycled water is used. installing filter-water dispensers. Our curio shops
wind energy in southern Namibia to supply electricity to also sell reusable bottles and Silistraws. ○ No mini foil or plastic butter portions
the green hydrogen plant which will be based in Lüderitz. 600 litres ○ Paper straws at all lodges
This offers exiting opportunities for the group and a The proof of our success Every lodge has a waste management facility ○ Lunch packs use eco-friendly packaging and wax paper
possibility to participate in the economic opportunities to sort and store waste for transportation to of engine oil. wrapping
created by renewable energy. We planned to have fully functioning water recycling plants installed at all lodges by 2021. We unfortunately missed this recycling centres. We work with Rent-A-Drum
target as budget constraints over the last two years prevented us from installing the last three plants. We aim to fulfil this to dispose of waste responsibly. In 2021, we 2020: 1 100 litres ○ Glass coffee jars and stainless-steel plungers instead of coffee
goal as soon as funds allow. Our water usage target for 2022 is 200 litres per person per day. Current water efficiency recycled more than 32 000kg of waste, with the From this year on, we also recycle our old oil filters with Oiltech. sachets
makes this an audacious goal. Our aim is to continue decreasing water usage per person. bulk of this used to generate fuel. They turn them into firelighters. We have bought 24kg of ○ Guests are provided with stainless steel sugar canisters.
Pre-Covid, our water usage was generally lower due to higher occupancies, and thus greater efficiency levels. Most of our The transport of waste to waste management recycled firelighters from Oiltech. Considering the potential to spread Covid-19, we issue one
lodges were built to accommodate higher guest numbers, but were able to maintain water usage during lower occupancies. facilities continues to be a challenge. While we canister to each family or group travelling together.
Water management includes the watering of gardens, wastewater treatment plants and sewerage systems. In 2021, we have secured commitments from suppliers to We partner with BEE Biofuel Manufacturing Namibia to recycle
adopted stricter water management practices and focused on training. This resulted in a 20% drop in our total water remove waste, inconsistent logistics schedules all used cooking oil from our lodges.
consumption compared to 2020, despite the higher occupancies. (due to low demand for goods) makes it difficult WE MANAGED TO RECYCLE Related SDGs and targets
In 2021, we also added Etosha King Nehale, Omarunga Epupa-Falls Camp and Zambezi Mubala Lodge to the water to transport waste to the waste management
recording and calculation. The per person usage (efficiency), although still high, is better compared to 2020. facilities in Windhoek, Swakopmund and Rundu. 495 litres
Food waste is a significant issue in the
hospitality industry. Most of our lodges have pigs
WATER USAGE WATER RECYCLED of used cooking oil
that consume left-over food. Once mature, these
818 litres 75% pigs are processed at our butchery in Stampriet. 2020: 449 litres
In 2021, we purchased 335 litres of BEE degreaser and 150
We partner with Oiltech to recycle used engine
oil from our lodge vehicles. In 2021, we recycled litres of BEE wood oil (for treating wood exposed to the sun),
per person per day of all water used by employees and guests 600 litres. made from recycled oil. We received a special price for this in
2020: 901 litres per person per day 2020: 75% exchange for the cooking oil that we recycled.

Water 2019 2020 2021

Total consumption (m ) 360 539 341 593 264 096
3
Efficiency (litres per person per day) 309 901 818 Sustainable construction methods
We use environmentally friendly construction methods to complete construction projects and renovations. Our newest The proof of our success
Related SDGs and targets accommodations, The Desert Grace and Etosha King Nehale, as well as the Palmwag Camping2Go site, are good examples of this.
All buildings at The Desert Grace and Etosha King Nehale were built with sandbags filled on site. This natural building material has 100% of our lodges have Environmental Clearance
exceptional sound and thermal insulation. Certificates from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
We did not complete any construction projects in 2021.

66 VALUE CREATION REPORT 2021 GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA 67