Sala Baï has adopted a policy of action and awareness-raising in terms of environmental protection which is becoming more comprehensive year after year: the fight against waste, eco-responsible construction, mobilisation of students.
Although for several years, the supply chains for fresh produce and the handling of kitchen waste from the training restaurant and the canteen, such as used oil and leftovers, have been rationalized, the new school buildings have enabled Sala Baï to go even further in the integration of environment best practice. The construction was designed in the most ecological manner possible (height of buildings, natural ventilation of the school and the restaurant, purification of waste water, low voltage lighting, conservation of trees, etc.) and an environmental audit was carried out in October by the Artelia group as part of the eco-school programme of the network of schools and social companies involved in hotel training in South East Asia (ASSET-H&T).
Even though efforts already made have been hailed as exemplary, this was a good opportunity for Sala Baï to identify levers for additional action in the aim of reducing the school’s environmental footprint even further. In a country where water is free, recommendations were made on methods for raising staff and student awareness on how to use this resource more carefully.
These new tools will complement the awareness-raising workshops on plastic and food waste run by the chefs of the Angkor Raffles Grand Hôtel, implemented in the kitchen, and also the town clean-up operations or the use of flasks for personal water consumption and natural packaging for picnics organized on school outings.
These are all good practices which have sown the seeds for wider ecological awareness among all students and staff members. In a country where air, water and ground pollution are increasingly critical and which could create an obstacle to the growth of tourism, Cambodia and the Sala Baï students are facing a major challenge and they need to be well prepared.