Hilton Properties in Fiji Partner with Fiji Chemicals for a a Waste Reduction Initiative

Hilton properties in Fiji, Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa and DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Fiji, Sonaisali Island, have partnered with Fiji Chemicals to launch Glass Crushing for Bricks that will directly tackle shared social environmental challenges.

Launched on Denarau Island in recognition of Earth Week, Hilton Fiji properties organized activities during the week that entailed several eco-friendly initiatives, including recycling, reducing wastage, promoting sustainability and giving back to the community.

Glass Crushing for Bricks as the name suggests, utilises glass crushings to make bricks. The goal of the program is to reduce waste and environmental impact while creating an eco-friendly building material. The process of glass crushing for bricks involves finely crushing waste glass and mixing it into a cement mixture for use in construction. The resulting material is durable, cost-effective, and provides a unique design aesthetic.

Under this partnership, Hilton properties in Fiji will work with Fiji Chemicals to collect and transport waste glass from its resorts to Fiji Chemicals' facility for processing. The processed and refined glass bricks will then be distributed to identified communities for use in construction and other projects.

"We are thrilled to partner with Fiji Chemicals on this innovative waste reduction initiative and be the first hotel company in Fiji to launch this program," said Carey Osborne, cluster general manager – Hilton Fiji. "As leaders in the tourism industry, it is our responsibility to take a proactive approach towards sustainability. This project demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental impact while also giving back a unique and eco-friendly brick material to our communities for community projects."

Fiji Chemicals, a leading local manufacturer and supplier of quality cleaning products in Fiji, is proud to be part of this initiative. "We are always excited to have the opportunity to work with Hilton properties in Fiji by reducing waste and contributing to a more sustainable future," said Darren Bentley-Fisher, managing director of Fiji Chemicals. "This initiative is another huge win, not only for Hilton Fiji properties and Fiji Chemicals but more importantly for the environment and our local community."

Glass Crushing for Bricks will now join a list of Travel with Purpose sustainability efforts underway at Hilton properties in Fiji, which includes Diversey's Soap for Hope™, Linens for Life™ and Coffee Briques™ programs. In celebrating Earth Week, the properties reduced wastage and promoted sustainable practices with activities such as a ‘no bin day’ at the resorts’ cafeterias to target zero wastage in meals, kids club activities’ with recycled materials for arts and crafts, and a team member ‘Master Chef mystery box competition’ using local produce. Additionally, the resorts also ran a departmental 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) decoration competition to encourage team members to reduce wastage, recycle products, and re-use items. The week-long activities ended with a ‘meals on wheels’ initiative where volunteers from each resort distributed cooked meals to the displaced along the Nadi town to Lautoka corridor.