Melco announces adoption of revolutionary water refill system in resort guest rooms to save 14.8 million plastic bottles annually

Rhea-AI Summary

Melco Resorts & Entertainment has initiated the installation of the Nordaq 2000 Refilling System at Morpheus in Macau, aiming to eliminate single-use plastic bottles and achieve its Zero Waste Resorts goal by 2030. This system will replace approximately 14.8 million plastic bottles annually, significantly reducing plastic waste and carbon footprint. The company has previously removed all single-use plastic bottles from colleague areas, saving around 244,000 bottles a year. Melco is committed to sustainability, being the first integrated resort operator to sign the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.

Positive

• Installation of Nordaq 2000 Refilling System will help eliminate 14.8 million plastic bottles annually, enhancing sustainability efforts.
• Previously removed 100% of single-use plastic bottles from colleague areas, saving approximately 3.5 tonnes of PET plastic per year.
• First hospitality operator to sign the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, showcasing industry leadership in sustainability.

Negative

• None.

Realizing commitment towards the elimination of single-use plastic and the promotion of circular economy across global operations

MACAU, Dec. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s commitment to eliminate single-use plastic (SUP) and its Zero Waste Resorts goal by 2030, the Company has installed the Nordaq 2000 Refilling System at Morpheus at City of Dreams, with further plans to implement the system across its entire property portfolio in Macau, including hotels at City of Dreams, Studio City and Altira Macau in 2021. With the capacity to fill 2,000 bottles of purified water per hour on-site, the system will help replace the use of plastic bottles in Melco-operated resort guest rooms. It is estimated that the initiative will eliminate the production, transportation, and supply of 14.8 million plastic bottles annually, significantly reducing plastic waste and its associated carbon footprint.

Denise Chen, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, said, “Melco remains fully committed to the elimination of all problematic and unnecessary plastic items and the promotion of a circular economy across our global operations. We successfully removed 100% of SUP bottles provided in all colleague areas at our resorts in 2019, saving approximately 244,000 bottles per year, equivalent to 3.5 tonnes of PET plastic per year. We are pleased to extend these efforts through the Nordaq water refill system for guest room use as we continue to adopt alternative, cutting edge solutions to not only eliminate the use of SUP but also enhance the guest experience.”

As part of the Company’s broader sustainability strategy ‘Above & Beyond’, Melco is the first hospitality and integrated resort operator, globally, to sign up to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. In developing roadmaps across its global operations to address the use of SUP, the Company stands in support of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme’s call for more businesses to commit to eliminating problematic packaging. The Company also recently announced the rolling out of the Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)-powered product Winnow Vision into its own-operated buffet restaurants to tackle one of the industry’s biggest challenges, food waste.

Johanna Mattsson, CEO of Nordaq Group, states, “We are extremely proud and honoured to get the chance of helping Melco making this achievement, to support Melco to make the switch of tapping their own premium water in-house. Saving the environment from 14.8 million plastic bottles per year will make a huge impact. Once again, we prove sustainability can be premium.”

About Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited

The Company, with its American depositary shares listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (NASDAQ: MLCO), is a developer, owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe. The Company currently operates Altira Macau (www.altiramacau.com), an integrated resort hotel located at Taipa, Macau and City of Dreams (www.cityofdreamsmacau.com), an integrated urban resort located in Cotai, Macau. Its business also includes the Mocha Clubs (www.mochaclubs.com), which comprise the largest non-casino based operations of electronic gaming machines in Macau. The Company also majority owns and operates Studio City (www.studiocity-macau.com), a cinematically-themed integrated resort in Cotai, Macau. In the Philippines, a Philippine subsidiary of the Company currently operates and manages City of Dreams Manila (www.cityofdreamsmanila.com), an integrated resort in the Entertainment City complex in Manila. In Europe, the Company is currently developing City of Dreams Mediterranean (www.cityofdreamsmed.com.cy) in the Republic of Cyprus, which is expected to be the largest and premier integrated destination resort in Europe. The Company is currently operating a temporary casino, the first authorized casino in the Republic of Cyprus, and is licensed to operate four satellite casinos (“Cyprus Casinos”). Upon the opening of City of Dreams Mediterranean, the Company will continue to operate the satellite casinos while operation of the temporary casino will cease. For more information about the Company, please visit www.melco-resorts.com.

The Company is strongly supported by its single largest shareholder, Melco International Development Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and is substantially owned and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is the Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

About Nordaq

Nordaq is a premium water brand used by many of the world’s top chefs and sommeliers, thanks to its patented solution making water taste like water and everything else taste like it should. The water solution, engineered, developed and patented by Nordaq, is just not of highest quality but also environmentally friendly, with excellent costs and benefits, thanks to being purified and tapped in-house. Nordaq proves luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand, for a superior taste and a clean planet. For more information about Nordaq, please visit www.nordaq.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Chimmy Leung
Executive Director, Corporate Communications
Melco Resorts & Entertainment
Tel: +852 3151 3765
Email: chimmyleung@melco-resorts.com 

FAQ

What is the purpose of the Nordaq 2000 Refilling System installed by Melco Resorts?

The Nordaq 2000 Refilling System aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bottles in Melco Resorts, replacing approximately 14.8 million bottles annually.

When is Melco Resorts aiming to achieve its Zero Waste Resorts goal?

Melco Resorts is targeting to achieve its Zero Waste Resorts goal by 2030.

How many plastic bottles did Melco Resorts save by removing single-use plastic in colleague areas?

Melco Resorts saved approximately 244,000 plastic bottles per year by eliminating single-use plastic in colleague areas.

What sustainability commitment did Melco Resorts become the first hospitality operator to sign?

Melco Resorts became the first hospitality operator to sign the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.

Where is the Nordaq 2000 Refilling System being installed initially?

The Nordaq 2000 Refilling System is initially being installed at Morpheus at City of Dreams in Macau.