Many of Ibiza and Formentera's hotels are actively pursuing environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Your choice of accommodation has an important impact on the islands' environment. In this article, we’ll be looking at the innovative measures taken by several establishments at the forefront of change that might help shape your decision.
Energy Use
The introduction of energy-saving practices is rapidly gaining ground thanks to changes in company ethos, regional and national regulations, technological advances, and public demand. Installing solar panels and using energy-efficient lighting systems are two of the ways hotels can reduce their energy consumption.
Installing almost 300 photovoltaic (PV) panels at Six Senses Ibiza near Portinatx has enabled it to cover 10% of its energy needs. At Hotel Torre Del Mar, near Playa d'en Bossa, 100% of their hot water is produced by recycling the hot air from its air-conditioning. Can Salia, in San Antonio Bay, and Nobu Ibiza Bay, in Talamanca, have made good use of the latest technology by installing systems that switch off lights and air-conditioning automatically when not in use or when windows are opened.
e-bikes are the perfect way to explore the islands
Bless Hotel, in Cala Nova, and Can Salia even offer sustainable transportation alternatives such as e-bikes and recharging points for electric vehicles. Towel and bed linen laundry services are two other areas where many hotels have implemented vital energy-saving solutions.
On an island like Ibiza, efficient use of water resources is critical. At Can Salia, they reuse grey water in the toilets and for the watering of exterior green zones. Bless Hotel insists on biodegradable cleaning products and practices highly selective waste and recycling management.
Architectural Design
Recycled wood and thermal insulation cladding at Can Salia
The use of natural building materials is another effective way in which hotels can reduce their environmental impact. Can Salia went as far as replacing its entire façade with Sate, a cutting-edge external thermal insulation cladding, and using recycled wood.
From the outset, Six Senses Ibiza was purposely designed to ensure its integration into the local surroundings and make the most of natural ventilation. Planting over 250 trees and 30,000 plants adapted to the island’s climate has also contributed to its successful blending into the landscape.
Bless Hotel has also been a pioneer in eco-design and construction and the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Natural materials and indigenous plants at Six Senses
Single-Use Plastics & Waste Recycling
The Balearic Islands’ campaign to reduce and ultimately eliminate single-use plastic products by 2030 is making great headway. At Six Senses Ibiza, the decision to do away with single-use plastics and its efficient recycling of plastic waste has allowed it to reduce its carbon footprint by an impressive 40%.
Avoiding plastic altogether is the easiest solution. To this end, over 12,000 litres of drinking water has been produced on-site at Six Senses and used to fill reusable bottles.
Similarly, Nobu Ibiza and Can Salia have instituted an outright ban on such plastics while Hotel Torre Del Mar has cut down on plastic use in both its rooms and the buffet.
Increasing Environmental Awareness, Giving Back To The Local Community
Many hotels now make significant efforts to develop public awareness. This extends not only to their guests who - it must be said - are also key drivers of change but to their choice of suppliers and business partners. Hoteliers now seek out collaborators who share the same values in terms of sustainable development and run their own businesses along those same principles.
Beyond such improvements, several hotels have deepened their commitment to local organisations devoted to social, cultural, and environmental causes. An example of this is Six Senses Ibiza’s Sustainability Fund, which devotes 0,5% of the resort’s earnings to support local projects. Similarly, Can Salia – whose efforts recently earned it no less than two sustainability awards – places emphasis on protecting native flora and fauna and promoting Ibiza’s rich heritage and tourism based on intercultural exchange.
As we enter 2023, and the worldwide energy crunch deepens, it’s encouraging to see the above hotels spearheading change on Ibiza. Once critical mass is achieved, the island’s other hotels will quickly follow suit, meaning holidaymakers will soon be able to enjoy the island’s matchless wonders safe in the knowledge that their stay will have less impact on our environment
