At COMO Maalifushi, we are always striving to minimise our environmental impact. As custodians of our Maldivian island’s flourishing reefs and rich biodiversity, we actively champion sustainability efforts across our resort. Our commitment to supporting local suppliers and projects ensures we protect the generous community we call home.
We were certified Silver by EarthCheck in November 2024, celebrating not only our current achievements, but our promise to keep striving for a greener and more sustainable world long into the future.
From paperless check-in to locally-sourced welcome refreshments, your sustainability journey at COMO Maalifushi begins the moment you set foot on our pristine white-sand shores.
We have introduced paperless check-in to enhance sustainability and convenience. Guests can now check in online before arrival or choose to complete paperless check-in at the front desk. Here, they only need to present your passport for verification and to finalise the deposit guarantee before being shown to their room.
Upon check-out, guests are issued digital departure letters and zero balance bill copies by email. By transitioning to a paperless system, we save approximately 80 pages per day, totalling around 28,000 pages a year.
Fresh coconuts are harvested directly from the coconut trees at COMO Maalifushi and served to guests upon arrival. Naturally hydrating and rich in electrolytes, this welcome drink embodies COMO’s commitment to sustainability, reducing transport needs while offering a pure taste of the Maldives.
We invite our guests to join us in protecting our beautiful island home by making use of our recycling facilities and water-efficient amenities.
We provide refillable bottles for our in-room COMO Shambhala toiletry products – shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion – saving more than 14,700 50ml single-use plastic bottles annually.
We have low flow taps installed in all guest areas and in our team village, as well as dual flush tanks in guest areas. This system has been in place since COMO Maalifushi first opened.
Housekeeping collect used Nespresso capsules from guest villas, which are then returned to the supplier for recycling.
From fresh produce grown in our organic kitchen garden, to the elimination of single-use plastic water bottles in our restaurants and bars, our guests savour a dining experience that is as sustainable as it is sumptuous.
We cultivate our own vegetable and herb garden, growing items like chilli, pandan leaves, basil, coriander, lemongrass, papaya, mint, tomato, rosemary, arugula, eggplant and blue pea flowers. This sustainable approach reduces the need for transportation and packaging, minimising plastic and polythene use on the island.
In 2023, we harvested 365 kilograms of herbs and 7,183 kilograms of fruit and vegetables. So far in 2024, we have harvested 174 kilograms of herbs and a bountiful 12,230 kilograms of fruit and vegetable produce.
We desalinate our own drinking water in reusable glass bottles, which are sanitised before each use. This initiative eliminates single-use plastics, reduces transportation needs, and halts the arrival of plastic water bottles to the island, supporting a more sustainable resort operation.
Our team work hard behind the scenes to make sure our carbon footprint is kept to a minimum, from utilising solar energy to employing renewable composting techniques.
We generate six per cent of the resort’s energy from solar panels installed on back of house buildings and team member accommodation. This commitment to sustainable luxury helps reduce the resort’s carbon footprint while enhancing the guest experience.
We use a composting machine and manual composting to dispose of food waste, before returning it to local farms for reuse. Approximately 2,500 kilograms of compost is generated from the composting machine per month.
We work with local suppliers and businesses to both source the freshest ingredients and to dispose of our waste, ensuring we maintain a responsible approach whilst championing our community.
The majority of our fish is sourced from local island fishermen working close to the resort. This ensures that we are supporting the community whilst providing fresh, sustainable seafood for our guests.
For our staff cafeteria, we also source ingredients from a small local enterprise, supporting it to grow. Products include Rihakuru (fish sauce), mas mirus (chili paste), lonu mas (coconut and chili paste), valhowmas (smoked tuna) and havaadhu (Maldivian spice mix).
We aim to recycle and return as much non-organic waste as possible. We are currently sending approximately 250 Styrofoam boxes per month back to the supplier for reuse, as well as 150 kilograms of paper and cardboard to be processed by Secure Bag, a recycling company located at Thilafushi. Secure Bag then forwards these materials to their buyers in India for further processing.
Additionally, we sell an average of 525 kilograms of scrap material to Secure Bag monthly, who recover valuable metals like copper, aluminium and steel for recycling.
Horticultural waste is processed in our wood chipper. Approximately 20,000 to 25,000 kilograms of waste per month is chipped and converted to mulch, to be reused in the garden and given away to local community when requested.
Fruit and vegetable peelings are turned into an eco-enzyme that has many positive uses around the resort, from an eco-friendly drain cleaner to fertiliser. This method has reduced our total food waste by 10 per cent.
At COMO Maalifushi, we're committed to supporting projects that protect our wildlife and uplift our local community, strengthening our connection to the people and the environments that have so generously welcomed us.
Established in 2017, the Coral Restoration Programme at COMO Maalifushi aims to enhance the local marine ecosystem through systematic coral reef restoration efforts.
We actively monitor 202 coral frames in the Maalifushi House Reef and the COMO Maalifushi Garden, and have successfully transplanted over 9,500 coral fragments, with the Acropora species representing the predominant variety. We are using four different sizes of coral frames, from small frames that cover 115 centimetres, to the largest frames that measure 220 centimetres in diameter.
A total of 395 guests have participated in the coral propagation experience by adopting a frame and receiving routine updates on their frame’s coral growth.
Our team celebrates multiple global impact days every year. This includes reef cleaning events for World Ocean Day, an employee blood sugar check-in for World Diabetic Day, and getting active on World Mental Health Day with a mini Olympics.
For Earth Hour, all back of house lights are turned off, and for our annual Christmas tree-making competition we use recycled materials available on the island instead of importing trees.
We undertake a thorough beach and lagoon cleaning every month, often aligning with significant environmental occasions like Earth Day and World Environment Day. Through these initiatives, we remove around 100 kilograms of waste per month from our beaches, contributing to a cleaner and healthier marine environment.
COMO Maalifushi collaborates with nearby schools, including those from T. Guraidhoo and neighbouring islands, to inspire young minds about the world of hospitality, one of the Maldives' largest industries.
Students not only learn from industry professionals, but also join in COMO Journeys, engaging with visiting experts during events such as the Island Astronaut Camp and the Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Camp. This initiative is part of COMO’s commitment to supporting and nurturing local communities through education and meaningful experiences.
In 2023 and 2024, we have supported MOMS AID, a charity which aims to reach, guide and motivate women across the Maldives, helping them live free from the threat of violence, domestic abuse and poverty.
In 2023, we raised US$2,025 (increased to US$4,050 through the COMO Challenge Grant) and so far in 2024 we have raised
US$1,675 (increased to US$3,350).
The COMO Challenge Grant encourages deeper community investment across all COMO hotels and resorts. COMO Foundation matches any funds raised by individual properties (up to US$2,000), leaving a positive impact on communities across the world.
For more information on our sustainability initiatives, please reach out to como.approach@comohotels.com.
