June is World Environment Month and Royal Resorts staff will be observing it with seminars, conferences given by guest speakers, beach cleaning and other activities. In addition to recycling, water and energy conservation, using energy-efficient technology, reducing the use of chlorine and other chemicals, switching to biodegradable products, and other ongoing green initiatives, Royal Resorts places great emphasis on environmental education. Read on for examples of its work to raise awareness.
Raising Environmental Awareness
At Royal Resorts, the environmental education program has the goal of turning staff into conservation crusaders in the workplace, at home and in their community. Workshops, documentaries and seminars given by guest speakers form part of the program and departments regularly meet to discuss additional eco-friendly policies that they can implement in their area. Our efforts have gone one step further with the creation of a Sustainability Team comprised of staff from across the organization to spread the message of conservation, social and corporate responsibility.
The Sustainability Team was founded in 2013 and the 15 employees who volunteered were given in-depth training on a range of topics to qualify them to give workshops. In 2014, the team gave 134 seminars – the equivalent of 268 hours of training – on 10 topics during the year:
- Environmental education
- Saving water and electricity
- Mental health
- Gender equality in the workplace
- Importance of a good education
- Green shopping
- How to be a good citizen
- Developing a career plan
- The quest for quality in the workplace
- Using new technology
The overall attendance rate for the seminars was 3,500 people and the feedback from employees was overwhelmingly positive. Many staff made their own pledges to put what they had learned into practice by saving energy and recycling at home and looking for more ways to protect the planet. Here are some of them:
“I built a solar-powered stove and planted an orchard at home and after taking the Developing a Career Plan seminar, I am working on a personal project I had been thinking about for years.”
“I now separate plastics, and aluminum cans at home and I have shown my family how to do the same. We give all our recycled trash to a woman who sells it.”
“I make my own compost at home now, and I have started a new business distributing organic coffee.”
“After the Environmental Education seminar, I decided to grow tomatoes and corn in my garden.”
“I now separate my trash at home as a matter of routine and I have become much more conscious of the need to save electricity and water. For example, using a glass of water when cleaning my teeth instead of leaving the faucet running.”
In addition to the core seminars, the Sustainability Team shares information with staff on important environmental topics through email campaigns, a Google community and posters on staff notice boards. Team members have become dedicated researchers in their spare time, looking for interesting articles and tips to reinforce the message, and they often attend conferences and workshops given by local authorities, universities, biologists and recycling companies.
The Sustainability Team organizes conservation activities at the resorts during the year such as tree planting, and attends community events such as beach cleaning and blue crab protection. Some of its members are currently studying ways to become involved in community park projects in Cancun to help green the urban landscape.
The seminar program continues this year with topics including:
- The state of Quintana Roo, its landscape, history, economy and population
- Women in situations of domestic violence
- The road to better health
- Flora and fauna in the region
- Separating waste
- Ways to reduce your environmental footprint
Guest speakers are also being invited to the resorts to talk to staff on a range of issues and a special awareness campaign is underway in June to highlight Environment Month.
