THAT Bermuda is becoming more environmentally aware is a fact. The Government has launched recycling initiatives and public education programmes. Grocers are offering customers reusable bags to cut down on waste and the sustainable development charity Greenrock, not so long ago a fledgling group, has developed into a respected voice in the community. In essence, the profile of the three R's - reduce, reuse and recycle - has risen. And residents and businesses are responding. A leader is the Fairmont Southampton. A founding member of Government's Recycle Bermuda Partnership, the resort was recently named "Evergreen Environmental Hotel of the Year" by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts."

Jason Pick joined the Fairmont Southampton's Green Team four years ago, in 2004. In 2005, as part of an annual competition, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts named him "Environmental Star of the Year" for the success the group achieved with Mr. Pick as chairman.

Under his leadership, the hotel streamlined its waste management with new recycling and composting programmes, and also initiated the "Leave it Green" scheme, which allows guests to plant a commemorative Bermuda cedar tree in honour of their visit.

In 2007, the local group - comprised of volunteers from the Fairmont Southampton - decided to up the ante for the contest. Pitted against employees from 56 Fairmont properties around the world, the team hired a waste management consultant and devised state-of-the-art systems for water collection and management of wastewater.

Such ingenuity saw the local group lauded by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as the 'Evergreen Environmental Hotel of the Year', their projects having racked up a total of 128 points and besting the efforts of their competitors.

"Through determination, leadership, and colleague commitment, the Fairmont Southampton is a perfect example of environmental stewardship throughout the portfolio," stated the corporation in announcing the award to the local property. "The Fairmont Southampton has made significant strides in the conservation of natural resources and decreased utilities consumption with projects focusing on water and energy conservation. This includes the implementation of a UV system for the treatment of potable water on the property that minimises chlorine usage by 30 per cent and provides an annual cost savings of $30,000.

"Additionally, the (resort) excels in overcoming waste management challenges and recently completed a comprehensive composting feasibility study. Recommendations in the study have identified a potential annual savings of $70,000 for the hotel while diverting 30 per cent of materials from landfill."

The hotel also received praise for its "Leave it Green" programme and its work with local conservation organisations and community environmental groups.

"The award was based on a consolidated effort of all initiatives undertaken in 2007," said Mr. Pick who is employed at the Fairmont Southampton as the assistant golf course superintendent. "We competed against 56 Fairmont hotels worldwide and quarterly, all efforts were consolidated into a snapshot format."

He listed several achievements the hotel had made over the past three years, all of which have a significant impact on the environment.

"One of the bigger ones was achieving Audubon certification of the golf course. As far as water collection we have installed a state of the art system. Rainwater goes into our one million gallon storage tank, which is subsidised with a reverse osmosis tank. The used water goes to a sewage treatment plant and once it's in an almost potable state, is used to irrigate the golf course grounds."

Participating hotels must champion a 'signature programme'. Fairmont Southampton selected one likely to balance harmful environmental effects. Its 'Leave it Green' programme encourages guests who marry here, to plant a Bermuda cedar tree. Growth progress can be checked on subsequent visits.

"We've propagated about 190," Mr. Pick said. "Over its lifetime, a cedar tree will take about 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air. Therefore, having planted 190 cedars already, we will theoretically remove 380,000 pounds of carbon dioxide over their lifetimes."

The programme has an added benefit; such efforts will also assist in the recovery of the species whose numbers began to fall off in the 1940s due to disease.

"We offer eco-meetings (to conference organisers) where we have a waste-free service - no paper napkins or bottled water, jugs of water with glasses. It minimises waste.

"The laundry was upgraded in 2006 to a state of the art system. The old would take four gallons of water to clean one pound of laundry. Four gallons of water now cleans 14 pounds of laundry - we reuse wastewater from one of the cycles of the washing system. It's been so successful we've consolidated both Hamilton and Southampton to come directly out of Southampton."

Every member of the Fairmont Green Team is a volunteer, Mr. Pick added. It is comprised of 11 core individuals who represent all 11 departments within the hotel.

Department substitutes lend a hand during holidays, illness or staff departures and added assistance is provided by Fairmont's partnerships with various organisations including Dolphin Quest and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo.

"I have a personal commitment to the environment," said the superintendent of his involvement. "The hotel does sponsor time to do projects in working hours if necessary but basically, this is a volunteer position, something not done just by myself, but all the Green Team in their off time to try and make a difference.

"We had a 46-person turnout at the last coastal cleanup of Horseshoe Beach. As an island that depends on tourism keeping the island clean is very important. As far as recycling and wastewater, it's not just a sound business deal it's based on necessity - we'd have a difficult time trying to afford bottled water for 250,000 guests."

The Fairmont environmental committee meets once a month, examining areas in each department for change or improvement.

"For example, we didn't have a system in place for housekeeping to ask guests whether they wanted their linen to be cleaned or if it could be reused," said Mr. Pick. "The air conditioning is computer-controlled and so, the Mid Ocean Ampitheatre, if there's no one in the room for a week, we will turn the air conditioning off in order to save power. Housekeeping was leaving lights on in rooms as part of the 'turn-down service'."

Through the meetings it was decided that cards could be left by which guests could indicate whether or not they preferred a linen change and it was deemed there was sufficient natural light during the 'turn-down service' to leave the electricity off. Key to such decision-making was the involvement of the entire team.

"Even such small changes make a huge difference when you consider the size of our property," the chairman added. "Our committee members are representative of all our different departments. Participation of each of the committee members is essential as there's not one person, except the general manager and maybe a couple of executives, that understands (every aspect of the hotel)."

Asked how a Bermuda property had managed to win the award when competing against hotels operating in countries light years ahead of the island's environmental efforts, Mr. Pick again raised the issue of 'teamwork'.

"From a hotel perspective, it could be lucrative for business. Eco-travel is big business. There are many people planning trips based on the environmental efforts of the property and in fact, we have a few hotels in Canada that are very cutting edge. Canada is very environmentally conscious to begin with - in Bermuda we're a little behind. The fact that we don't recycle paper and plastic, the infrastructure, when we first started, was not even there.

"Now the Government has opened the recycling plant and we've become one of its partners. We hired a waste management consultant who did a feasibility study to determine the potential savings of (recycling) and really streamlined our waste efforts.

"With his conclusions, we were able to be even more environmentally friendly - and save money by doing so. We now have recycling in our guest rooms, in our outlets and otherwise.

"We have a big property - 750 employees, 593 guestrooms and eight outlets. We have approximately 260,000 guests annually. When the hotel was built, recycling was never a component.

"So when we talk about recycling out, we've got to create a place where bottles and cans can be dumped at night without disturbing guests. We've got to integrate education into every department and build an area for storage.

"That's the reason why we hired a consultant. For a project this size, we needed someone to jump the hurdles we don't see. Recycling is widely accepted in other countries. In Bermuda it's just begun.

"I think we need to embrace and be proactive and supportive of the Government's direction. We're all going to the same goal - environmental stewardship, reducing the carbon footprint worldwide - however the (Fairmont Hotels & Resorts) competition makes great fun."