VRF (Variant Refridgerant Flow) Inverter air-conditioning system is used to cool all our guest rooms, equipped with in-room temperature remote controllers. We have installed Fujitsu's AirStage VRF Systems 
focuses on energy saving and optimum efficiency functions. It uses the greener R410A refridgerant gas - a much better alternative than the common ozone-depleting R-22 gas. 
 
The waste heat from our VRF air-conditioning system is then harvested and used for the heating of our water systems to supply hot water for all the guest bathrooms. This is done by using the latest heating systems based on Danish technology which reuses heat waste and turns it into reusable energy. Find out more from our partner AUMADA Energy & Technologies. 

  
100% of our hotel lighting solutions are using energy-saving and LED bulbs. Intelligent motion-based sensor-lighting are installed in our public washrooms for more optimized and energy efficient lighting. 

100% of our rooms are smoke-free. Smoking is strictly prohibited within the indoor areas of the hotel and is restricted to designated outdoor area, currently set to be at ground level and level 5. With smoke-free rooms and indoor areas, The LimeTree Hotel has a more eco-friendly setting with less allergens. 

Our dining outlets no longer use plastic straws. 100% compostable and biodegradable rice straws are used for various types of beverages, and some drinks are served with no straws of any sort. 
 
We support the use of plant-based packaging for our takeaway/to-go boxes supplied by a local company CirclePac, used for packed breakfasts and lunches. They are made out of bagasse, reclaimed sugarcane pulp and therefore are 100% compostable and biodegradable.   
 
Our mini-fridges run on low power wattage and only selected rooms are equipped with mini-fridges to reduce usage. Mini-coolers of low power consumption are available for loan free of charge. 

All-in-one citrus body wash and shampoo solution is provided in all bathrooms. Made exclusively for The LimeTree Hotel, it contains no parabens, no silicones and no chemicals that are harmful to our waterways. The body wash and shampoo solution is provided through a push-button dispenser instead of miniature bottles - millions of which end up in landfills every year. 

If our guests choose to consume the plastic drinking water bottles provided in the room, we encourage them to recycle them or recycle any used, empty plastic drinking water bottles of PET 1 plastic by placing them into the recycling bins located at the ground floor. 

The plastic bottle and aluminium can recycling bins at the ground floor are sorted weekly, collected and sent for local recyling. Our licensed recycling partner Triple-C Recycle turns them into small pellets resembling grains of rice, and sells to companies to manufacture plastic furniture, vehicle spare parts and household products. 

Electronic waste (e-waste) and other metals are collected by our license recycling partner DNS Waste Management, an e-waste recycling specialist based in Kuching, Sarawak. 

Our hotel also participates in recycling and sustainability programs organised by our Council of the City of Kuching South - MBKS. 

In an effort to reduce the provision of plastic drinking water bottles to guests and to create awareness for it, we have installed a water station at the lobby area, available for everyone to get free water refills for their drinking bottles. This water station uses UV and advanced filtration technology for water purification.  

Single-serve coffee by Nespresso are sold at our cafe and bar. We use it because its machine uses single-serve pods and capsules which consistently creates the exact amount of coffee using the same configured amount of water and power, thereby conserving energy whenever making each great cup of coffee.
 
Nespresso coffee capsules are made out of 100% recyclable alumimium. Our staff members practise removing   Nespresso's recycling program to recycle the aluminium of the used capsules and pods, we also have our own recycling initiatives where used coffee grounds and tea leaves used at our dining outlets are separated and used as compost at our lime plantation. 

Our used cooking oil is sold to our licensed recycling partner FatHopes Energy, a waste-to-energy company whose primary focus is to collect and convert waste oil into biodiesel. With this, we are assured of the conversion of used cooking oil into an ecologically beneficial energy stream and the efforts to keep waste oil from polluting our waterways. 
 
Used pulp and skin from our lime fruits are used to make bio-enzyme solutions as cleaning agents. This 100% natural solution is highly effective as degreasers, and is a great alternative to commerical cleaning products which contain harsh chemicals. This solution is used in our kitchen and is available for purchase at our gift shop. 
 
The 95-year old iron-wood belian table and chair set at LimeLight Rooftop Lounge is made entirely from recycled timber only. The belian wood pieces, some of which were parts of houses, had been salvaged from villages in the Sarawak jungles, carefully treated and hand-assembled by the talented people at Asiana Gallery. We hope this piece can serve as a socio-ecological reminder on forest conservation and the appreciation of antique wood craft.
 
The LimeTree is also committed to continuously adopt green practices within the hotel in support of environmental sustainability. The LimeTree Hotel is a proud member of Travelife and strives to meet the Travelife criteria in improving sustainability of our hotel operations whilst protecting the planet and supporting local communities. LimeTree has achieved Gold Certification for Travelife Accomodation Sustainability. 

One of our commitments is respecting children's rights and protecting children from all forms of exploitation. In support of our local community and with the commitment to our corporate social responsibility (CSR), our hotel team visits children's homes with donations. Our team had visited Nur Murni Children's Home in Kuching to donates necessities and spend time enjoying some games with the carers and children - read regarding our latest visit and contribution at Nur Murni, known as Pertubuhan Kebajikan & Pendidikan Nur Murni. During the pandemic, our team had also donated essential back-to-school protective products at Kompleks Kebajikan Laila Taib or PERYATIM orphanage to help reduce the risk of illness and to ensure a safer environment for the children. 

The LimeTree is also working with Sarawak branch of Society of the Blind Malaysia, a national voluntary organization which aims to help the blind community to work for their mutual socio-economic advancement. Our donation box placed at the lobby allows members of the public to donate and The LimeTree pledges to double the donation disbursement amount. 
 
Management and staff are required to practice in keeping the good habit to always Reduce, Reuse & Recycle, where regular trainings are held for awareness and to keep all informed about the progress of our efforts. An annual sustainability report for the hotel will be produced at at the end of the year.  

Past COVID-19 Updates:

For infection control activities, the use of face masks is mandatory for all employees and guests in public areas except during dining. Signage and information systems are in place to ensure that guests, staff and visitors are aware of hand hygiene protocols. Medical and reusable face masks are available for purchase from our gift shop. 

Our lobby has a special automatic bin (touch-free bin) and arrangements in place for the safe handling of potentially infected waste e.g. mask and gloves. At this point, our council does not have a dedicated special waste collection mechanism for used masks and gloves; however we are determined to create awareness about the collection of disposable masks and the cons of its polypropylene plastic material, by first instilling the good habit of proper disposal of such items.
 
Hand washing and hand sanitization stations located at key locations (e.g. entry points, public areas, guest floor areas, dining areas, staff areas) with systems in place to ensure that these remain stocked and operational at all times. Two types of sanitizers are provided: Alcohol-based at 75% and Non-alcohol-based (Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) Disinfectant). Gentle on hands, these sanitizers are available for purchase from our gift shop. Our housekeeping team uses both types to disinfect various areas in the room during cleaning. 

The use of the non-alcohol, water-based Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) Disinfectant, namely Neuthox is highly encouraged due to its eco-friendly properties. Proven to be effective in killing 99.99% of germs and made with advanced Denmark technology using salt, water and electricity, this disinfectant is 100% non-toxic and is biodegradable. 

More details about here about how we kept our Safe, Clean & Green Pledge to curb the spread of COVID-19.