Sustainability
At COMO The Halkin, we are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact. We actively promote sustainability throughout our hotel, while also supporting initiatives that uplift the local community and vibrant city we call home.
Awards
We are proud to have been awarded a prestigious Silver certification from EarthCheck in February 2025. This award recognises not only our current sustainability successes, but also our ongoing commitment to protecting the planet long into the future.
ARRIVAL
Your sustainable journey with COMO The Halkin begins the moment you arrive, from paperless check-in and concierge services, to our eco-friendly keycards made from recycled wood.
PAPERLESS CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT
At COMO The Halkin, guests have the option to pre-register prior to arrival, eliminating the need to print and sign a registration card.
Additionally, we offer paperless check-out by sending invoices to guests via email. In 2023, 80 per cent of guests chose this option, saving 7,382 pages and envelopes and keeping 78 kilograms of paper waste out of landfill.
CONCIERGE SERVICES
All concierge services are paperless – maps, dining confirmations, and experience booking paperwork are all available digitally via iPad.
LED LIGHT BULBS
COMO The Halkin uses 100 per cent LED light bulbs across guest and staff areas. LED light bulbs are highly energy-efficient, exceptionally long-lasting, and free from harmful substances, making them a sustainable choice that reduces waste while also conserving energy.
WOODEN KEYCARDS
Our guest room key cards are crafted from recycled wood, while key card holders are fully recyclable.
IN-ROOM
As our guest, you play a vital role in COMO The Halkin’s sustainability journey, whether by reusing towels and linens to conserve water, or by enjoying our refillable COMO Shambhala products in your room.
TOWELS AND LINENS
We encourage guests to reuse linens and towels during their stay, supporting our energy and water-saving efforts. Our standard practice is to change linens and towels every other day, reducing water usage by more than 50 per cent. We also inform guests of this initiative in our pre-arrival email.
Water Efficiency
By introducing water filters and reusable glass bottles, COMO The Halkin has significantly reduced the need for bottled water, saving 21,758 bottles from landfill each year and preventing 8,703 kilograms of glass waste.
COMO SHAMBHALA PRODUCTS AND AMENITIES
We provide refillable bottles for our in-room COMO Shambhala toiletry products – shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion – saving more than 40,620 single-use plastic bottles annually.
DINING
At COMO The Halkin, we are committed to reducing our waste impact by implementing innovative waste management systems and sourcing from local suppliers. Purchasing ingredients locally not only supports economic growth within our community, it minimises transport emissions, reducing our carbon footprint.
FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT
In September 2024, COMO The Halkin introduced a new waste management system and an additional recycling stream, diverting an average of 20 kilograms of food from general waste daily. In just four months, this digester system has enabled us to recycle 3,000 kilograms of food waste.
Certain recycling processes convert food waste into biogas through anaerobic digestion, generating renewable energy that can power homes and businesses.
REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE
By resurfacing chopping boards in the kitchen, we have saved 78 kilograms worth of plastic from landfill while also reducing our annual costs.
CONDIMENTS
At COMO The Halkin, we have eliminated all mini condiment glass jars from our breakfast service, saving an average of 6,120 jars (the equivalent of total of 190 kilograms of glass) each year.
HOUSE-MADE SPREADS
Our chefs prepare seasonal jams and marmalades in-house, reducing the need for pre-packaged spreads. This approach reduces glass waste and minimises the carbon footprint associated with transporting packaged goods. It also allows us to use locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, providing a more interesting dining experience for our guests.
BACK OF HOUSE
We actively collaborate with our suppliers to reuse and repurpose materials, from returning our laundry hangers, to implementing proper recycling technology throughout the hotel.
LAUNDRY
COMO The Halkin recycles all staff laundry hangers by returning them to the dry-cleaning company. In 2024, this initiative saved 10,856 hangers and 380 kilograms of metal waste from going to landfill.
The Housekeeping team has eliminated all plastic use for guest and staff dry cleaning. Garments are now sent in recycled linen and returned in linen bags with biodegradable sleeves, saving a total of 5,100 plastic bags each year.
PAPER REDUCTION
In October 2024, we reduced paper usage for automated night audit printing, ensuring that only essential documents are printed. All internal forms and supplier contracts are completed digitally through Eversign. This initiative prevents 20 pages from ending up in landfill each day.
RECYCLING ELECTRONICS
COMO The Halkin has partnered with Revive IT Recycling Ltd to recycle electronic goods. To date, we have prevented 600 kilograms of electronic waste from ending up in landfill.
100 PER CENT RENEWABLE ENERGY
We purchase 100 per cent renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and promote cleaner, more sustainable energy sources.
RESPONSIBLE SOURCING
From creating fertiliser with used coffee pods, to working with local businesses, we’re working hard behind the scenes to minimise, recycle or repurpose the waste we generate.
SUPPLIER WASTE
We recycle all plastic cages used for food deliveries by returning them to the suppliers. On average, we receive 12 plastic cages per week, saving 218 kilograms of plastic from landfill each year.
We have also partnered with a new high-end greengrocer, Natoora, who provides fresh produce in recycled cardboard trays.
COFFEE PODS
In May 2024, we partnered with Podback, a UK-based coffee pod recycling company. Aluminium coffee pods are collected and repurposed by shredding the pods to extract remaining coffee. The coffee is then converted into renewable energy and compost. We have sent 22 kilograms of coffee pods for recycling, preventing 3,560 pods from ending up in landfill and reducing CO2 emissions by 11 kilograms.
MATTRESS RECYCLING
In 2024, COMO The Halkin sent 82 single mattresses to be recycled, saving 2870 kilograms of waste from landfill.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
At COMO The Halkin, our dedication to sustainability extends beyond environmental care – it’s about uplifting and empowering the generous local community that we are proud to call our own.
COMO CHALLENGE GRANT
In 2023 and 2024, we raised a total of US$11,910 for Hospitality Action through various initiatives across our London hotels, including bake sales, raffles and other fundraising activities.
In 2023, we participated in the Walk for Wellbeing, completing a half-marathon walk around Battersea Park alongside fellow hoteliers. In 2024, we organised an internal raffle across our London hotels and joined together as a large group to once again take part in the Walk for Wellbeing.
GIVING TREE
In 2024 we introduced our Christmas Giving Tree in partnership with KidsOut, aimed at spreading joy to children in need for the holiday season.
The tree — located in the staff canteen — is decorated with tags, each representing a child’s gift wish. By joining together, we aimed to create a magical holiday season for those who need it most.
STAFF ENGAGEMENT
Across our London hotels, we support the wellbeing of our teams and foster connections through annual events such as World Wellness Day. These events focus on promoting healthy lifestyles, with activities including healthy eating workshops, meditation sessions, yoga practices, recipe sharing, healthy dish demonstrations, and massages. We also commemorate International Women’s Day and host regular events to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our team members.
For more information on our sustainability initiatives, please reach out to como.approach@comohotels.com.