Highlights of the year

Innovation

Premier Inn opened its innovative green hotel in Tamworth. This hotel was used as a test-bed to trial the best green technologies currently available, to see which are viable for future use within the estate. We believe that Tamworth is the UK's first truly green hotel because the combination of technologies we have implemented is not matched anywhere else in the country. Compared to a standard Premier Inn of the same size, its carbon footprint is circa 81% smaller.

Rainforest Alliance

At least 30% of the beans that make up Costa's Mocha Italia coffee or circa 1,500 tonnes per annum are now sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms. These farms are taking action to reduce the negative impact of coffee-growing on the environment and to protect biodiversity, together with improving social well-being and business practices.

Bronze rating

Whitbread benchmarks its performance against other companies by participating in the Business in the Community (BiTC) Corporate Responsibility Index and has achieved the rating of Bronze.

Packaging award

Costa's new sustainable hot food packaging has received the Food Service Packaging Association's product innovation award.

Waste & recycling

Cardboard recycling up by 24%
Glass recycling up by 12%
General Waste down by 5%

Low energy light bulbs

Whitbread is phasing out all non-energy efficient incandescent bulbs and now only supplies low energy bulbs to its estate.