From eliminating single-use plastic bottles to building Michelin-starred menus around local and seasonal produce, the team at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact wherever possible, and to supporting our local communities to thrive.
We are proud that our commitment to sustainability has been awarded a prestigious Silver Certification from EarthCheck – the world’s leading scientific body for promoting sustainable travel and tourism – celebrating not only our current achievements, but our promise to keep providing sustainable hospitality long into the future.
In 2023, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok was recognised officially by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand and received the Silver “Green Hotel” certification.
Additionally, we have received official certification from LESS (Low Emission Support Scheme), under the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation, acknowledging our reduction of CO2 emissions through waste segregation, the diversion of food waste to a local fish farm, and overall reduction in carbon emissions.
With initiatives encompassing small daily changes in our water and energy use, through to large-scale projects around reducing food waste and single-use plastics, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok’s commitment to sustainability is visible at every point during your stay.
In 2023, we replaced all remaining fluorescent light bulbs with advanced LED bulbs, totalling 919 bulbs. The entire hotel is now 100 percent LED, leading to an additional 1.37 per cent annual energy savings, and reducing the need for frequent bulb replacements.
At COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, 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 instead of printing. In 2024, 75 per cent of guests have opted for this option, saving 11,339 pages and envelopes and keeping 130 kilograms of paper waste out of landfill. This is the equivalent of saving three adult trees from being cut down.
As a guest, you are part of COMO Metropolitan Bangkok’s sustainability journey too, whether that’s by reusing towels and linens to save water, or making use of our refillable in-room COMO Shambhala products.
Since 2009, our guests have been encouraged to reuse their linens and towels during their stay as part of our energy and water-saving initiatives. Unless otherwise requested, linens and towels are only changed every other day.
In 2024, 222,022 linens were saved, leading to an electricity saving of 10,317 kWh and a water reduction of 1,205 cubic metres, enough to power 1,032 homes for a day and fill half an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Our timer-equipped sprinkler system uses treated wastewater for watering plants. Installed across half of the hotel’s grounds and gardens, it uses 22 cubic metres of treated wastewater per day. This allowed us to save 6,022.5 cubic metres of fresh water in 2023 — enough to fill about two and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools — and we are on track to save 6,908 cubic metres in 2024 (equivalent to almost three Olympic pools). We have also introduced dual-flush toilets in all guest rooms, as well as sensors in all public area washrooms, covering 88 per cent of the hotel.
Since 2023, we have provided refillable bottles for COMO Shambhala shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion in guest rooms, eliminating another 58,358 single-use 50ml plastic bottles annually across COMO Metropolitan Bangkok.
We prioritise the use of local produce across our bars and restaurants, whether grown on-site in our organic kitchen garden, or sourced from local farmers and businesses. Sourcing ingredients locally not only supports our community's economic growth, it also reduces our carbon footprint by minimising transport emissions.
Our organic herb garden features locally sourced herbs and essential ingredients in Thai cuisine, such as garuda leaves, jasmine, lemongrass, chili, pandan and basil. These ingredients enhance the authenticity and flavour of our dishes, and reflect our commitment to providing dining that is both sustainable and sophisticated.
All fruit and vegetables served at our award-winning restaurant, nahm, are sourced from local markets, contributing to our goal of having 70 per cent of our ingredients locally sourced.
The coffee is provided by Italasia Group from Nan Province, and the jasmine rice is from Suphanburi Province, provided by Khao Tra Chat. Even the crockery is crafted locally, supplied in partnership with Bangkok pottery studio Aoon Pottery.
Since July 2023, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok has been partnering with a local fish farm to reduce our food waste. This initiative diverted 17.3 per cent (13,755 kilograms) of waste from landfill in 2023, reducing our CO2 emissions by 7,015 kilograms. In 2024, we have increased this diversion of our food waste to 31 per cent.
From turning used coffee grounds into fertiliser for our gardens, to working with local businesses to upcycle plastic straws and bottle labels, we’re working hard behind the scenes to minimise, recycle or repurpose the waste we generate.
We used ground coffee as fertiliser in our hotel gardens, having so far turned 78.74 kilograms of coffee waste into fertilisers.
Since 2023, we have partnered with Nespresso to collect and return used coffee capsules, recycling the aluminium and repurposing the ground coffee into fertiliser. By December, we had repurposed 71.7 kilograms of capsules, and in 2024 we have increased that to 419 kilograms, further reducing waste sent to landfill.
We have partnered with "Wake Up Waste" for disposing our waste responsibly, as well as the recycling of cardboards, paper, plastic bottles, glass, aluminium, metal materials and used cooking oils. In 2023, this partnership diverted 8.9 per cent of waste from landfill. The total amount of recycled waste is tracked by both our team and the Wake Up Waste app, which also shows the amount of CO2 emissions we have reduced.
In 2024, we recycled 18,515 kilograms of materials, reducing approximately 10,584 kilograms of CO2 emissions — equivalent to planting 882 trees.
We have installed a recycling wall at our team member entrance, reducing the use of single-use plastics on the property. We are also repurposing empty rice bags as a replacement for single-use plastic bags, reducing single-use plastic by 5 kilograms per month.
We collect non-recyclable plastic materials – such as plastic straws and bottle labels – and send them to Baan Phai Community, Rayong Province, for upcycling. Since 2024, we have repurposed non-recyclable plastic, diverting 10 kilograms from landfill.
We have been working towards eliminating the use of plastic bottles in our hotel since 2023, and are proud to say that we achieved our goal of replacing all plastic bottles with glass in July 2024. This will lead to a reduction of 6588 single-use 500ml plastic bottles annually.
At COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, our commitment to sustainability is not only about the welfare of the environment, but about supporting and empowering the generous local community of which we are proud to be a part.
We have partnered with local artist WISHULADA to recycle our aluminium caps for use in artwork. WISHULADA is an activist and social enterprise that provides design services and creates artwork from waste materials according to the “circular economy” concept.
We are proud to support the Aluminium Donation Project, collecting aluminium ring pulls for donation to the Prostheses Foundation of HRS the Princess Mother. These ring pulls undergo proper upcycling processes and are used as raw materials for creating prosthetic limbs, or for raising funds to acquire prosthetic devices for individuals in need. This initiative not only promotes recycling, but also contributes to enhancing the quality of life for people in our community.
COMO Metropolitan Bangkok Retail Shops offer local products under the name "Dao Ethical Gifts”. These products are supplied by the Baan Dek Foundation, which aims to improve the fundamental wellbeing of underprivileged children and their families. Customised and unique, products are handmade by marginalised women using locally sourced materials, providing them with the extra income they need.
In 2024, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok is holding fundraising events in support of SATI Foundation, who work together with the community to improve healthcare and education for at-risk children and youth in Thailand. So far, we have raised THB 76,586, with further fundraising initiatives planned, and funds to be matched by COMO Foundation through the COMO Challenge Grant.
The COMO Challenge Grant encourages deeper community investment across all COMO hotels and resorts. The scheme matches any funds raised by individual properties (up to US$2,000), leaving a positive impact on communities across the world.
Throughout the year, the COMO Metropolitan team is committed to supporting local businesses and communities by organising initiatives and events aimed at reducing CO2 emissions.
Celebrating world-wide awareness days such as Earth Hour, Happiness Day and Global Recycling Day, our teams plan events and take part in sustainability challenges. Individual team members may be nominated as Planet Protectors or join the Junior Green Team, supporting the Sustainability Committee in its efforts to educate, communicate and take action for the environment.
We have partnered with Saiyok Springs to offer water packaged in reusable glass bottles. These bottles can be reused up to 200 times before being recycled; Saiyok handles the collection of all used bottles and crates, ensuring they are processed for reuse.
We offer locally-produced Chalong Bay Rum, and since August 2024 have served a new sustainable gin that supports the local community by sourcing ingredients from the area around the distillery. They also collect and cleanse the empty bottles for reuse.
For our wine, we have partnered with GranMonte Winery. The GranMonte Estate is located in Asoke Valley, Khao Yai, adjacent to Khao Yai National Park, approximately 160 kilometres from Bangkok.
For more information on our sustainability initiatives, please reach out to como.approach@comohotels.com.
