CJ BIO, a division of South Korean food company CJ CheilJedang, and France-based hospitality company Accor have agreed to work together to replace single-use plastic hotel amenities.
As part of the collaboration, CJ BIO will develop hotel amenities using polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable material designed to be more environmentally friendly.
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The PHA-based products will replace single-use plastic products such as cups, plastic bags, combs, stationery and various amenity containers at Accor-affiliated hotels in Korea.
CJ BIO has received TUV OK Certification for industrial and home-composting and can biodegrade in soil and marine environments.
It can be home-composted without the need for any specialised equipment or increased temperatures.
AccorHotels Korea operations vice-president Vincent Lelay said: “We are committed to a sustainable future, and we actively investigate and implement solutions that help to address the environmental challenges that we all face.
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By GlobalData“We believe PHA is the right solution to help us achieve our goal.”
The partnership is in line with Accor’s commitment to eliminating single-use plastic guest experience items from its hotels by the end of this year.
The two companies will expand the use of PHA-based products to hotels in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide depending on the outcome in Korea.
CJ BIO biomaterial business head Seung Jin Lee said: “We are pleased to enter into this collaboration, which is mutually beneficial for Accor and CJ BIO.
“This will serve as an opportunity for CJ BIO to demonstrate that eco-friendly biodegradable materials, like our PHA, can replace the petroleum-based plastics that are deeply present in our lives, and offer the same level of performance.
“For Accor, this relationship will allow them to provide sustainable services to their customers and to meet their environmental commitments. We look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Accor operates a network of more than 5,000 hotels in 110 countries under various brands, including Fairmont, Pullman, Novotel, the Delano and Swissotel.
