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The chairman of the Gleneagles Hotel was honoured in a recent ceremony for his commitment to improving environmental performance, particularly within the tourist sector.
Held at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel, the ceremony was organised by the Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) awards programme and it has been recognising the commitment, actions and achievements of Scottish companies in reducing their impact on the environment for 13 years.
Peter Lederer was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony for taking a leading role in finding sustainable and low carbon solutions for waste at the Scottish hotel.
For the past few years the hotel has worked towards building a sustainable future by setting targets to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill; installing a biomass boiler for low carbon energy; and instituting innovative recycling measures.
The hotel currently recycles glass, cardboard, paper, cans and recyclable plastics and has a dedicated area in its grounds to accommodate other products such as unused paints, excess furnishings and excess room amenities and pallets.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by Alan Thomson, head of corporate relations at Scottish Water and Lederer said he was “delighted” to accept the award on behalf of the staff who had worked tirelessly for sustainability.
“It’s fantastic to receive recognition for our efforts so far, and we will continue to strive to do all we can as a business to promote responsible tourism and protect the environment for future generations,” said Lederer, who is also one of the main board members of Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group.
Biodegradable waste from the hotel is also sent to a local farmer who decomposes the matter into compost. The compost is then purchased by the hotel at a reasonable rate and re-used throughout the hotel’s estate, while used wine corks are collected and sent to the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to be used in drainage.
Gillian Bruce, VIBES chair, said: “Our Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals who have dedicated their careers to the pursuit of environmental excellence within their business.
“Peter’s work both at Gleneagles and through the 2020 Climate Group has helped businesses in Scotland recognise the importance of eliminating waste that is unnecessarily sent to landfill and the significant impact this waste has on Scotland’s environment. We are delighted to present him with the award to mark his work in this area.”
