The Nordic Swan label to Nobis: All Nobis’ hotels and restaurants are now eco-labeled!

In January, Operakällaren was the first Swedish – and Scandinavian – fine-dining restaurant to be eco-labeled with the official Nordic Swan licence. Subsequently the Nobis group has been focusing on the creation of an extensive and motivational environmental program for its hospitality operations. Now all Nobis’ hotels and restaurants are eco-labeled!

Besides Operakällaren and conference venue Täby Park Hotel who both were previously eco-labeled, the Nordic Swan certification is now granted to Stallmästaregården, Restaurant J and Hotel J with adjacent meeting venues Tornvillan and Fabrikörsvillan.

-          We are very proud that we have succeeded in eco-labeling all our hotels and restaurants, says Claes Anerud, project leader for the Nobis group’s environmental certification. To work for increased sustainability is a natural part of our everyday operations, but it is also important in relation to our customers who more and more wish to choose a green alternative when travelling or organizing a meeting.

Since a general environmental awareness has existed for a long time within the group’s operations, there was not that many changes that needed to be performed in order to be eco-labeled. But the process has of course lead to a number of positive changes regarding the company’s environmental impact.

-          As a major player in the hospitality business, we see clear results of for example our purchases. We now serve organic and fair-trade coffee at all our venues, which means that a plantation large as eleven football fields now cultivates entirely without chemicals whatsoever and offers fair conditions to their work force, says Claes Anerud.

To be awarded the Nordic Ecolabel one must comply with numerous limit values and other requirements, for example presenting organic, fair-trade and local produce at the restaurant menus, strive to reduce energy consumption, the use of chemical products and transports, introduce waste management. The limit values for energy, water, chemicals and waste are tough, but Hotel J with its meeting venues Tornvillan och Fabrikörsvillan passed all four.

-          We have a local project team focusing on further improvements on our environmental work, says Lotta Dracke, MD at Hotel J and adjacent venues. But the whole staff is very involved and it shows both at work and at home that we have changed the way we look at our own responsibility and our own impact.

Stefan Eriksson, MD at Stallmästaregården, agrees. His venue also gathers a team of staff members who take a larger share in spreading knowledge and ensuring that the strategies are fulfilled and they get a very positive response from both fellow co-workers and guests.

-          This is where the real work begins. We set out from the learnings of the certification process and aim to improve even further, says Stefan Eriksson.

About the Nordic Ecolabel
The Nordic Ecolabel's vision is a sustainable society, in which future generations can benefit from the same conditions and opportunities as we ourselves do. The Nordic Ecolabel is the official ecolabel for the Nordic countries, introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Nordic Ecolabelling has the commission to promote a more sustainable consumerism with the goal of creating a sustainable society. Read more at www.svanen.nu

About Nobis

NOBIS Hotels, Restaurants & Conference is one of Scandinavia’s leading hospitality groups. The privately owned corporation employs more than 450 people and turns over about SEK 700 million. The operation includes first-class hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, conference and event venues and catering. www.nobis.se

Images & more information about Nobis

For more information about the Nobis group’s environmental policies, please contact Claes Anerud, claes@nobishotel.com, +46 707 35 35 23. High resolution pictures available for download at http://www.nobis.se/files.asp?catID=766

More information about the Nordic Ecolabel
Anja Grundberg, press officer Miljömärkning Sverige, +46 708-65 51 36, anja.grundberg@svanen.nu