Accra City Hotel, one of Ghana’s most prestigious 4-star hotel located in the City Centre of Accra will in principle eliminate the use of plastic straws and replace them with paper straws effective from August 1st, 2019.

Guests will be provided with biodegradable straws upon request. The hotel expects this initiative to eliminate waste from more than 45,000 plastic straws a year.

This move reflects the Hotel’s concern for the global movement to reduce the amount of plastics which ends up polluting the oceans. Eliminating the use of plastic straws is one of the various efforts by Accra City Hotel to protect the environment.

"We are always on the lookout for more sustainable alternatives to plastics and are dedicated to improving wherever possible." To quote Mr. Jeffrey M. Ashiamah the ISO Coordinator of the Hotel, “Plastic straws are one of the worst offenders in terms of plastic pollution”. He added that, by eliminating their use, we are doing our bit to keep plastic out of the oceans.

The General Manager of the Hotel Roman Krabel added, “Most people just don’t think about how this simple act of reaching or accepting plastic straw impacts negatively on their lives and that of generations to come.”

The hospitality and restaurant industry in Ghana has an obligation to begin reducing the amount of plastic waste it generates as a contribution to minimizing the volume of plastics damaging our environment and wildlife.

Accra City Hotel has put in some efforts over the years to conserve the environment, notably the Segregation of biodegradable waste for composting and the acquisition of a compactor which has reduced the amount of waste sent to the landfill by a third.

The Hotel has also introduced energy conserving equipment in the air conditioning systems to reduce carbon dioxide output and become an even more environmentally friendly hotel operator. Accra City Hotel also became the first high rise hotel in West Africa to be ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System) certified.