Interview with Sian Sutherland

Why should hospitality businesses seek to become more environmentally friendly?

Hospitality businesses play a vital role in the communities they serve. They’re social epicentres – especially now things have opened up in the UK. So, when environmentalism plays a key role in a hospitality business, it plays a role in the community too. 

We’re all being exposed to new things via visits to our favourite cafe, pub or restaurant. In the early days, it was paper straws instead of plastic, now there’s a big focus on vegetarianism and veganism to help stem climate change, and zero waste restaurants and cafes are on the rise. When whole communities see that it works, and enjoy it, there’s a good chance they’ll start to emulate it. From a business perspective, there’s a growing customer-base that actively seeks out hospitality that is sustainably led, so there are commercial advantages too.

What are your top tips for the best way to communicate sustainability initiatives to the wider public – how do you make people care?

I’ve always found that people are much more receptive to environmental initiatives when you focus on the solutions, not the problems. It can be demotivating if you dwell too much on the crisis here and now, but your customers and team will love to know about the innovations you’ve brought in that will make a difference, especially if they’re actions they can take in their own lives too! 

You should share your successes and ideas on social media, your website and even just in conversation. Also, try and stay ahead of the curve so the changes you make really stand out and it doesn’t look like you’re making token gestures. You can do this by asking your customer-base what their biggest concerns are and taking meaningful action to show them that there’s an answer out there and you’re willing to get behind it.  

Lastly, be prepared to collaborate with others, even your competitors. The environmental crisis is a shared crisis, and we need to be willing to offer insights to anyone who needs them.