PROTECTING the environment is Moine Kandil’s mission – and as a result the general manager of the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi and his team are constantly striving for increased environmental awareness.
Earlier this year the hotel took the silver award in The Best Environment Hotel category at the Mena Travel Awards and it has now launched green weddings.
Kandil said: “Holding a wedding that isn’t wasteful or polluting is nowadays appealing to more and more couples.
“And because this event is very important in a couple’s life, they can integrate their principles without any compromises into their big day; they can move beyond the usual decadence and consumption to create a celebration that people will remember for years by giving them a range of options to choose from.”
His green tips include limiting the number of guests, serving a sit-down dinner, as a lot of food is wasted with buffet style receptions, using local and seasonal organic food, as they require less processing, refrigeration, packaging and even transportation, and having fewer meat items.
“The meat-processing industry emits plenty of toxins and consumes energy,” said Kandil.
He added that if seafood is the menu choice, it is best to use locally sourced items not threatened by over-fishing.
“In addition, we can donate the leftovers from the wedding to the needy and the homeless,” he said.
Other eco-friendly suggestions include: using left-over bottles of water on the hotel plants; making table and venue décor from wire and beaded crafts, potted plants, silk flowers or organically grown herbs; using balloons made of 100 per cent natural biodegradable latex and choosing a central venue to cut down on transport and fuel usage.
Kandil added that the hotel is always looking for new ways to promote its green agenda.
“Education is the key, it all starts from home, where parents teach their children to grow up green, there are plenty of things they can do on a daily basis to save energy and keep the world cleaner,” he said.
“Our guests take pride in staying in our hotel because they feel our strong commitment to the environment without compromising five-star service. You just cannot take things away from the guests to go green yet you can implement them without sacrificing taste and style.”