45% of hospitality businesses leave equipment on overnight
Across the next five years, two thirds (66%) of businesses will actively be trying to reduce energy usage, the report from the water filtration and dispenser brand revealed. What’s more, it showed nearly 40% are looking to train their teams in sustainable workplace practices.
With UK hospitality operators facing an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis as well as soaring energy prices, 92% of decision makers are concerned, according to the research.
The sector’s energy and sustainability concerns add to the many issues pubs are already tackling like staff shortages and the availability of raw materials and ingredients.
Nearly three-quarters of decision makers (72%) said they had goals and targets in place to decrease their energy usage and overall environmental impact. Yet, 85% believed their business could be doing more to achieve this.
How to save energy
In light of this research, BRITA partnered with sustainability experts to create the Invisible Waste report, which gives operators tips on saving energy.
It encourages businesses to think about their habits. For instance, multiple items could be moved at once from a drinks fridge rather than constantly dipping in and out of it to reduce the power needed to battle the hot air outside.
Technology should also be invested in. Sanremo UK brand manager Ben Lewis advised to invest in a coffee machine with an eco-mode, which reduced the temperature of it when dormant but allows it to heat up more quickly than if it was off.
BRITA UK managing director David Hall commented: “With hospitality operators feeling the pressure to improve their sustainability in an authentic way that avoids ‘greenwashing’ their processes, they cannot ignore the impact of the waste they produce on the environment."
Invisible waste
He continued: “We’re all too aware of food and plastic waste, but what about the invisible waste that we cannot see, such as the volume of energy businesses consume each day and night unnecessarily?
“It’s vital that we collaborate with companies to tackle the sources of invisible waste together, and there are simple, energy-efficient steps that can be taken to contribute to real change.”
Though some venues such as hotels operate 24/7, equipment including ovens, commercial washers, microwaves and hobs are all examples of equipment left on overnight, with a quarter (25%) letting these appliances go into standby mode.
Some 18% said it was easier to just leave equipment on and, for one in 10 businesses, equipment remains on simply because there is nobody responsible for turning it off.
