HO CHI MINH CITY (Oct. 22, 2019) – The diet of a typical fish shouldn’t include plastic, that is unless it’s one of the oversized guppies that have found a home on the beach fronts of Fusion Resort Cam Ranh and Fusion Resort Phu Quoc, in Vietnam.
The two new versatile installations not only act as a plastic collection facility, used by both staff and guests. They also remind visitors to be responsible with their waste and warn of how sea creatures and their environment are increasingly being exposed to litter. Each day the trash collected by the guppies is taken to a local recycling plant.
In Phu Quoc the giant plastic eating fish was launched in partnership with WWF Vietnam. The Fusion property on the popular island also hosted the first meeting of Phu Quoc Pioneering Business in Plastic Waste Reduction, with WWF. The symposium of like-minded, eco-friendly hotels and businesses are taking a hard line on reducing plastics and raising awareness of the issue.
The latest endeavor by Fusion is one of several initiatives the hospitality company has undertaken to protect the environment. Last month the Vietnam-based, wellness-focused hospitality group joined forces with Adopt A Spot Vietnam, a social business founded by one of the country’s leading anti-litter groups, Clean Up Vietnam.
“As Vietnam comes to terms with a chronic litter problem, the country’s tourism sector has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce the impact of trash on the environment,” said Samir Wildemann, Fusion’s vice president of operations. “With Fusion resorts and hotels located in areas of pristine natural beauty, Fusion is committed to hosting regular community clean-ups at our locations in Sai Gon, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Hue, with the help of Adopt A Spot.”
Earlier this year the group’s Hue property, Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion, removed all single-use plastic bottles from the resort and replaced them with glass alternatives.
This has resulted in a daily reduction of at least four plastic water bottles per guest room. Over the course of a month at least 7,000 plastic bottles have been removed from guest rooms alone.
Other Fusion properties are also working towards a general reduction of waste, especially in single use plastics. This includes the training of F&B staff in waste reduction and classification, the introduction of eco-friendly cleaning products, replacing plastic food containers with eco-friendly products, and swapping plastic straws with suitable eco-friendly alternatives.
“It’s essential to Fusion that we work in ways that are sustainable,” added Wildemann. “While our ambitions go far beyond holding clean-ups and stopping the use of plastic straws at our resorts, these are the obvious first steps, that we will continue to expand upon.”
