Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Life in the Jungle is not quite as luxurious as it sounds. The energy and materials required to keep this business running are not free and come at the expense of the environment. The problem though, is that not every scrap of material and food is used or composted. Through thorough examination and exhaustive conversation with management, We found some solutions to the areas of excess waste to be mitigated and up cycled. First up on the chopping block is the wine bottle corks from happy hour drinks. It seems small and insignificant, but it is often the little things that get pushed aside in businesses. Discussion behind those tiny bits of garbage turned to a the set up of a collection system to construct a cork-board for guests to hang pictures or hang up a map and have guests pin where they’re from. This provides an interactive way for guests to see materials being reused instead of being tossed into a bag that goes away to a dump. The kitchen is a prime source for waste and majority is concentrated around food or the kitchen materials. At the sound of the breakfast bell, a platter of fresh fruit from the garden is served. Any breakfast buffet yields an excess of this fruit. The sad truth is that not all of it gets eaten. There is a silver lining though; it gets composted! But wouldn’t it be better to set up a stand off the balcony to invite butterflies and wildlife to snack on the remains? We agree. Furthermore, hundreds of dainty white napkins are expensed fro meals each quarter. Unlike the paper towels purchased, these napkins are bleached white and cannot be added to the compost. Solution: cut spending on these napkins and redirect those funds to purchase cloth napkins and rings. This is a larger upfront cost, but the savings will arise in the long run.