A more sustainable future

STEP BY STEP

“Step by step” is our mantra for sustainability. It explains to guests, employees, partners and the wider world that our approach to sustainability is characterised by two pillars:

A commitment to innovation and sustainability

We know the journey to sustainability is a long process, but it’s one that we’re committed to. While we don’t yet have all the initiatives we’d like in place, we’re continually working to improve.

Our belief that, collectively, small initiatives make a big difference

Aerated shower heads, recycled duvet- and pillow-fillings, refillable, plant-based bathroom products, and many, many local hotel initiatives that might seem small – but collectively they add up. And step by step, we are working hard to ensure that every day and every stay at voco hotels bring us closer to a more sustainable future.

 

What you can expect from a voco™ sustainable stay

 

 

BEDDING

The luxurious filling for our duvets and pillows is made from 100% recycled materials, and has GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified. Our supplier, Fine Bedding Company, estimates that the filling for a 10.5 tog king duvet and four standard pillows is the equivalent of 230 recycled 0.5l PET bottles.

 

 

BATHROOMS

The plant-based, vegan-friendly ingredients of our refillable bathroom amenities are sourced to ensure that they do not negatively impact their ecosystem; and the refillable bottles help reduce plastic waste. We’ve also installed aerated shower heads in every guest room, reducing water usage by mixing it with air. An equivalent, same-sized but non-aerated shower head uses 30-50% more water per minute, according to manufacturer tests.

 

WATER BOTTLES

The water is our meeting areas and guest rooms is filtered and served in refillable glass bottles, which saves an estimated 300+ plastic bottles per hotel room per annum (based on average consumption and 80% occupancy).

 

 

 

What we do at voco® Oxford Thames to go the extra mile

 

CONDIMENTS

Instead of using little containers of jam, honey and nutella, we’ve changed to large-format dispensers at breakfast, to reduce waste and plastic. So far, this has reduced our use by over 2000 little pots a month!

 

 

Bumblebees making delicious honey at Oxford Thames by the river

BEEHIVES

Britain’s bees are in trouble! Here at voco® Oxford Thames, we want to lend a hand to our buzzing friends. That’s why our expert beekeepers keep their very own hives here on our grounds.

 

 

ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING

Fully embracing the electrified future, we have an entire area of our car park reserved for electric vehicles featuring a bank of 22kw fast chargers.  Plenty of space and no pesky idling charge so you can rest easy as your car charges up. Powered by the VIRTA app, or use contactless payment when you get here. 

 

 

 

RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY

100% of our hotel’s electric is now being supplied through renewable sources. LED and high-performance lighting has been installed within our guest rooms, public areas and back of house

 

SOLAR PANELS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

We recently installed an ambitious 23Kw Solar Array to power our kitchen with onsite, clean energy. They produce over 1,000 kilowatts of electricity every month, reducing our demand on the energy grid and allowing our kitchen to transition away from gas. Plus we have ambitions to add even more and remove carbon fuels completely in the coming years!

 

TREE PLANTING

Set in 32 acres of pristine Oxfordshire greenbelt we are also working to rewild areas of our land, letting them go back to nature while also setting areas for tree planting. We specialise in planting native species of trees on as large a scale as possible to help remove carbon from the atmosphere. If you want to help you can join in too and even plant your own tree, ask at reception for details.

 

 

 

 

We are Green Key Accredited

 

Our Green Key accreditation shows that our establishment is committed to reducing our environmental impact.

Green Key is an international eco-label for tourism facilities. Since 1994, Green Key has been a leading standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. The Green Key programme is run internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education. In England it is managed by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. Green Key provides a well-proven framework for an establishment to work with its environmental management on sustainability issues, including awareness raising. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent on-site audits.

The Green Key programme is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 addressed by the United Nations.

 

IHG® Green Engage

At IHG®, part of creating Great Hotels Guests Love®, is designing, building and running more sustainable hotels. We know that more and more of our guests want a greener hotel stay and that’s why we’ve made it easier for you to choose a hotel which matches with your sustainable values. You can book our Green Engage Hotel today and enjoy a visit that benefits the environment, the community and society where you are staying.