Our Eco-Promise: Hawaiian Tropical Environment
Hotel Hana-Maui is highly sensitive to the fragility of its precious tropical environment. The resort’s remoteness creates a natural advantage; the buffer of a winding, picturesque two-hour drive from Maui’s developed west and south side has protected the region over the years, and accounts for its pristine condition. This same distance from ‘civilization,’ however, where the island’s only recycling facilities are located, challenges Hana with developing creative, comprehensive alternatives to conventional recycling and ecological preservation.
The conservationist practices come naturally to the hotel, whose largely native Hawaiian management and staff live by the time-honored island principle of taking only what you need.
From using recycled papers to shredded paper from the resort’s offices donated to local flower growers for packaging their delicate exports, and to a neighboring artist who burns it in the creation of ceramics. Bio-degradable cardboard from the Hana Store is given to a nearby nursery for use as weed-controlling ground cover. Cooking oil from the two restaurants is collected and recycled as bio-diesel; all the green waste is now composted on the adjacent Hana Ranch, and discussions are underway to develop a comprehensive composting project with nearby Kahanu Gardens. Glass bottles are brought to a landfill where they are collected and converted to road resurfacing material by a Maui company, and the hotel is working with the county to establish a full-service redemption center for cans, bottles, and other recyclable materials.
The Hotel Hana-Maui’s location and climate provide it with an abundant variety of food, and its Food & Beverage operations are committed to purchasing local whenever possible. Currently about 90% of produce served is Hana or Maui grown; to increase that percentage, the chefs collaborate with local small farmers for crops of ‘new’ items such as heirloom beets, carrots, and artichokes – with great success. Top-quality beef comes from the Hana Ranch across the road, and Hana’s own fishing community brings in a delectably fresh catch daily.
While this is simply a sampling of our eco-conscious promise, the Hotel Hana-Maui is constantly implementing ways to conserve, preserve, and protect its natural environment.
