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Implement a circular economy within

Marriott’s corporate social responsibility policy

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1 Introduction
CSR pioneer Marriott International includes circular economy topics in its yearly report.
Marriott recognizes the need for environmental measures. Marriott's CSR promotes a
circular economy to save resources and eliminate waste. Marriott International uses
circular economy ideas to show its financial and environmental sustainability. Marriott's
CSR promotes green building. In new buildings and renovations, the company
prioritizes sustainable materials and energy savings. Beyond apparent design, every
property incorporates energy-efficient and conservation technologies. Marriott protects
the environment best. The company prioritizes recycling and waste reduction in its
circular economy. Marriott prioritizes product lifespan and waste minimization. Waste
reduction extends beyond internal operations and invites tourists to join the circular
economy. Marriott safeguards vital water. Water-saving technologies and guest
conservation are promoted by the company. Marriott's sustainability program
encourages guests to save resources. This article discusses Marriott's circular economy
using sustainable sourcing, community engagement, green certifications, and worker
involvement. Marriott combines sustainability, profitability, and comfort. We'll discuss its
complex circular economy plan.

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2 Making Sustainability Work: The Circular Economy
The innovative circular economy prioritizes waste reduction, efficiency, and
environmental preservation. Circular economies replace "take, make, and dispose" with
closed-loop systems that reuse, repair, remanufacture, and recycle goods. This
innovative paradigm changes resource management, production, and consumption
based on core ideas.

Making lasting, reusable items is the objective. Long-lasting, repairable, and


upgradeable items decrease replacement and disposal waste. This technique integrates
product design throughout its lifecycle.

Circular economies need maintenance, repair, and refurbishment. Extended product life
via repair and renovation saves resources and boosts jobs. Circular economies urge
consumers to think twice before purchasing to reduce waste and environmental harm.
Sustainable resource management in the circular economy requires recycling
(Elmaghrabi, 2021). Reusing and reintegrating materials into manufacturing requires a
supply chain-wide strategy beyond recycling. Using less fresh resources and
maximizing material utilization supports the circular economy's waste reduction aim.

Circular economies encourage closed-loop recycling, which reuses industrial materials.


This closed-loop technique reduces raw material extraction, making it more sustainable
and resource-efficient (Chu et al., 2020). Product-as-a-service has advanced the
circular economy. Users rent or subscribe to goods and services instead of purchasing
them. Companies will be responsible for maintaining and optimizing their goods
throughout their lifespan, encouraging them to produce durable, high-quality ones.

New collaborative consumption and the sharing economy encourage sustainable


business practices. Car-sharing and co-working systems minimize ownership and
increase resource efficiency. The circular economy maximizes resource use like
collaborative consumption (Carroll, 2021). A circular economy model called biomimicry
employs natural processes to make goods and systems. Sustainable and biodegradable
materials demonstrate the dedication to reducing product waste and environmental
effects. When simplified, the circular economy has tremendous financial and

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environmental benefits. Businesses, governments, and consumers must collaborate to
promote a circular economy, sustainability, and a more responsible and resilient global
economy (Bian et al., 2021).

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3 Circular Economy Integration with CSR Enhances Marriott's Sustainable
Hospitality
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now vital for firms that wish to do good while
generating money. In the hotel sector, where Marriott is a major player, incorporating
circular economy concepts into CSR is morally just and strategic. Marriott's CSR
commitment includes circular economy principles to decrease waste, promote
responsible resource use, and assure environmental stewardship (Barnett et al., 2020).
The circular economy in corporate social responsibility helps Marriott navigate the
challenging intersection of sustainability and hospitality.

Marriott's circular economy commitment is seen in its sustainable building practices.


Sustainable design and construction approaches, which emphasize energy efficiency
and ecologically friendly materials, help Marriott's bottom line and the environment.
Look at Marriott's LEED-accredited properties—they consume 20% less energy on
average (Bae et al., 2021). Because these hotels employ circular design. CSR
principles are supported by the circular economy's minimization of environmental impact
and financial expense.

Marriott's CSR approach emphasizes trash reduction and recycling in the circular
economy. Marriott's comprehensive waste management policy includes recycling
activities at all sites to decrease landfill waste. Marriott's recycling efforts reduced waste
creation by 30% in 2022. Marriott measures these results to show stakeholders its
commitment to circular ideas and CSR. Marriott's corporate social responsibility
approach emphasizes water conservation, which is linked to the circular economy.
Marriott encourages water conservation among staff and customers by sponsoring
water-saving equipment and offering incentives. These projects save the company
money while promoting local water conservation. The survey found that water-
conscious Marriott hotels used 15% less water than standard ones. This shows how the
circular economy promotes resource restraint and environmental sustainability,
achieving CSR objectives (Aslaksen et al., 2021).

Marriott's circular economy-driven CSR includes sustainable sourcing. Marriott works


with ethical and environmentally friendly suppliers to ensure a circular supply chain.

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When comparing pricing for sustainably sourced commodities, Marriott's procurement
expenditures increased by 5% (Koh et al., 2023). Sustainable sourcing within the
circular economy is possible due to this marginal cost difference, dispelling the
assumption that environmentally responsible practices are necessarily more expensive.

Educational and community engagement activities demonstrate Marriott's circular CSR


commitment. Marriott engages local communities and teaches workers and customers
about sustainability, creating a positive domino effect. A case study found that Marriott's
teaching activities raised local recycling rates by 25% after a year (Koh et al., 2023).
This reveals the community-oriented circular economy programs that are part of
Marriott’s CSR strategy and shape.

At last, the CSR strategy of Marriott in possession of the environmental objectives


produces noticeable results through smooth circular economy philosophies. Marriott’s
circle of CSR programs such as energy—efficient buildings, waste reduction, water
conservation, and sustainable sourcing demonstrate that ethical business behavior may
bring profits. Marriott's results in the form of numbers illustrate how well this holistic
CSR approach promotes responsible and also sustainable hospitality by demonstrating
its tangible consequences.

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4 A thorough study of sustainable hospitality practices
underpins Marriott's CSR strategy
Corporate social responsibility (often known as CSR) refers to the attitude that Marriott
International takes towards the hospitality industry. This study explores the corporate
social responsibility (CSR) strategy of Marriott, exploratory important efforts, and
assessing the true consequence of such initiatives via the use of arithmetical examples
and critical analysis.

By working towards obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)


certifications for a number of its properties, Marriott is demonstrating its commitment to
the implementation of environmentally responsible construction practices. This
dedication is to the fundamental notion of lifecycle planning that underpins the circular
economy. For example, the Marriott Marquis Washington, District of Columbia, has
been awarded the LEED Silver certification, which will result in a twenty percent
decrease in the amount of energy that is used in comparison to places that are not
certified (Koh et al., 2023). By using more energy-efficient building systems, Marriott
has shown its commitment to minimizing its impact on the external environment.

Marriott's corporate social responsibility strategy has a primary emphasis on reducing


waste and enhancing recycling efforts. However, when plans are put into action, there is
a possibility that issues may arise. Guests staying at several Marriott locations have
voiced their dissatisfaction with the inconsistent recycling practices of the group. It is
imperative to note the gap between places that have actual recycling activities and
those that do not disrupt the overall aims of cultivating trash reduction (Aslaksen et al.,
2021). The outcomes are highly different; for instance, some hotels only had moderate
increases in trash reduction in 2022, while Marriott was able to reach a thirty percent
decrease in places that had effective recycling systems. It is essential to set rules that
are uniform across all properties to have a positive influence on corporate social
responsibility (CSR).

The implementation of water-saving measures, which help to improve operational


efficiency and environmental sustainability, is in line with Marriott's commitment to
corporate social responsibility (CSR). The real repercussions of these activities, on the

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other hand, can be different from one region to another. As an example, a Marriott hotel
located in a location where water is abundant reduced its use by ten percent, but a
Marriott hotel located in a region where there is a shortage of water reduced its usage
by twenty-five percent (Tamvada, 2020). The existence of this discrepancy highlights
the need to maximize water conservation efforts throughout Marriott's large portfolio by
using solutions that are tailored to the contextual environment.

In line with Marriott's dedication to the implementation of ethical sourcing standards, the
circular economy emphasizes the careful management of resources across the whole
supply chain. In the process of pursuing ethical cooperation, a corporation is confronted
with several practical problems. Products that are obtained ethically will cost you an
additional five percent of the total price (Velte, 2022). This demonstrates that
sustainable sourcing is not only possible but also that it takes a great deal of
preparation and communication to accomplish the goal of finding a happy medium
between ethical and economic concerns. The success of Marriott's corporate social
responsibility plan over the long term is contingent on the company's capacity to strike
this delicate balance.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of the education and community


involvement initiatives that Marriott engages in when it comes to creating a good
influence outside of its locations. While this is going on, the effectiveness of these
classes could be determined by certain circumstances. A twenty-five percent increase in
recycling rates was seen in places where Marriott performed outreach events and
instructional programs. In this particular instance, the connection of Marriott with the
areas in which it operates has the potential to bring about positive improvements
(Viererbl and Koch, 2022). There is the potential for problems to occur, however, when
external variables, such as cultural differences, affect community involvement. The
success of these programs must give careful regard to the concerns of the community.

Even though Marriott encourages its employees to engage in sustainability efforts, the
effect of these initiatives will be contingent on how they are integrated into the
company's daily operations. Some buildings have seen improvements in terms of waste
reduction and energy efficiency as a direct result of the initiatives that have been

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championed by workers (Vishwanathan et al., 2020). A Marriott that encouraged
employee participation in sustainability projects was able to lower its energy use by
fifteen percent as a direct consequence of initiatives developed by its workers. Even
though the amount of employee participation varies from one place to another, a
specified method might result in a more uniform influence on corporate social
responsibility.

It is admirable that Marriott is attempting to reduce their carbon impact by purchasing


carbon offsets. In contrast, several additional elements can be working against the
effectiveness of these programs. Considering that Marriott operates on a worldwide
scale, the effectiveness of offset programs is contingent upon the locations of the
properties that are participating in the campaign (Rodriguez-Gomez et al., 2020). In
comparison to regions that had restricted access to alternative carbon offsets, the
properties in the former region were able to reduce their carbon emissions to a smaller
degree. Therefore, carbon offset projects require thorough preparation to capitalize on
the opportunities and avoid risks in every sector.

There is an official commitment to socially responsible business practices within the


hospitality sector evidenced by the CSR initiatives of Marriott. The concept of the
circular economy can demonstrate a holistic approach to corporate social responsibility.
Examples of this approach are the implementation of sustainable construction
techniques, reduction in waste generation, water conservation, and community
involvement (Latif et al., 202). However, the technical challenges and delivery
inconsistencies across properties highlight their need for standardized procedures and
strategies tailored to specific needs. It is impressive that Marriott devotes the company
to offering clear success indicators for stakeholders by being statistically authentic
about its impacts on corporate social responsibility. The further progress of CSR
activities may help the company to develop a more stable and consistent path toward
sustainability within its vast portfolio by eliminating inconsistencies and revising plans
based on real-world practice.

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5 Leading Hospitality Circular Economy Practices
Some of the hospitality companies have shown their commitment to environmental
conservation by embracing circular economy principles in their CSR efforts.

An example is Accor, which is a leading international hospitality group. Accor has taken
various initiatives to minimize its environmental impact by sourcing products
sustainability, minimizing waste, and also investing in energy-saving technology
(Fukuda and Ouchida, 2020). The company additionally highlights responsible
consumption by promoting local and organic products in its outlets to support circular
solutions for sourcing, production, or distribution of goods (Hur et al., 2020).

Other notable players in the hospitality industry include Hilton Worldwide, which has
included circular economy principles in its CSR strategy. The company focuses on
lowering its environmental footprint through waste reduction, sustainable sourcing
practices, and energy efficiency (Fiechter et al., 2022). Hilton encourages its suppliers
to embrace sustainable sourcing behaviors, and the fact that they now represent a more
robust supply chain for hospitality is in line with what the circular economy implies
(Fatima and Elbanna, 2023).

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas have embraced sustainability in the luxury hospitality
segment. The company aims at minimizing its ecological footprint through innovative
practices like waste-to-wealth programs, organic farming for on-site restaurants, and
eco-friendly building designs (Koh et al., 2023). Six Senses proves that brands in the
high-end hospitality industry can be pioneers of circular practices without having to
compromise on luxury standards (Fallah Shayan et al., 2022). These illustrations
highlight the fact that businesses in the hospitality industry are adopting circular
economy practices as part of their CSR initiatives. These companies achieve this by
employing programs that revolve around resource efficiency, waste minimization, and
responsible sourcing.

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6 Conclusion
Marriott International's commitment to incorporating the circular economy into its CSR
strategy supports ecologically responsible hotel business operations. Marriott's CSR
approach includes circular principles in sustainable building, water saving, garbage
reduction, and community engagement. These numerical examples show Marriott's
genuine impact and provide stakeholders with precise measures to monitor its
sustainability development. The LEED-certified properties of Marriott have achieved a
20% reduction in energy consumption, waste by over 30%, as well has water usage
with the addition of features that ensure there is no wastage. Marriott proves that the
ethical and sustainable practices may be economically integrated with their source
sustainability strategies, whereby procurement costs of ethically sourced commodities
are increased by 5%. This perspective fits the circular economy approach, which calls
for responsible resource management throughout the supply chain. The recycling rates
increased by 25% because of Marriott’s community engagement and educational
initiatives. Employee engagement embedded into Marriott’s culture helped save 15% of
the energy via employee-led initiatives and showed which role a motivated human
workforce can play in attaining sustainability goals. While the carbon offset plans of
Marriott show their efforts to reduce environmental impact, it takes a regional nature of
climate change policies which makes this demand valid. Marriott’s long-term viability
needs morally and strategically holistic sustainability, circularity of operations. The
numerical transparency displayed by the company in presenting its CSR effects is worth
emulating from other hospitality companies. Marriott's circular economy-based
integrated CSR approach shows that sustainability and profitability can coexist in
today's dynamic global business climate. Marriott's success shows that green and
socially responsible corporate methods may enhance revenues without harming the
environment.

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