150th Open: St Andrews hotel and resort shows bottle in drive for sustainability

Employing close to 600 staff, the resort’s hotel – alongside the Old Course in St Andrews – is giving all employees refillable bottles as part of their drive for improved sustainability.

Claire Cregan, HR Director at the resort, said: “We are always striving to improve. The planet-positive actions we take stem from our belief that our best can, and must, always be better.”

The resort is owned by Kohler, the manufacturing company based in Wisconsin, USA. Its goal is to reach a net-zero environmental impact by 2035.

Claire added: “Across the company, we are developing energy and water-saving products. The Open celebrates its 150th anniversary with its return to St Andrews this month. The easy option would be to provide all our team with bottled water. Instead, we have invested in refillable bottles – bottles that may well last for another 150 years!”

Daphne Biliouri-Grant, founder of Sustainable St Andrews, a project run by the St Andrews Environmental Network, and chair of Tourism St Andrews, welcomed the resort’s initiative.

She said: “It is important that sustainability takes centre stage in the rebuilding of the tourism industry after the last two years. As the business community is re-emerging from the impact of the pandemic crisis, it is essential to do this in a sustainable and responsible manner that takes into consideration the welfare of our environment, communities and businesses.

“Sustainable St Andrews has introduced a Sustainability Pledge to showcase the commitment demonstrated by the businesses and organisations in our town, such as the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa and Tourism St Andrews.

“We believe that such commitment will play a vital role in helping our local businesses through their journey to economic recovery, while at the same time promote a sustainable way of operating. This project is just one example of how businesses are leading the way by adopting sustainable practices.”

Claire concluded: “It’s essential all take the steps they can to save energy, cut waste and reduce our impact on the environment.”