[Certified Facility Introduction] HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi: Achieving “Zero Plastic Bottles” Through Cross‑Department Collaboration and Turning On‑Site Insights Into Environmental Improvements
1. Facility Overview
Located in the heart of Shinsaibashi, Osaka, HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi is a 162‑room, accommodation‑focused hotel. Approximately 70% of its guests come from Western countries, while domestic guests account for less than 1%, giving the property an exceptionally high inbound ratio. Since reopening in 2022, the hotel has accelerated its sustainability initiatives through close collaboration across all departments, aiming to meet the expectations of environmentally conscious international travelers.
2. Good Practices
The hotel implements highly effective reduction measures that align guest values with operational practices.
・Complete Elimination of Plastic Bottles Through Reusable Bottles: The hotel discontinued the provision of plastic bottles in guest rooms and shifted to a system that combines water dispensers with reusable bottle rentals. Thanks to the high rate of personal bottle usage among Western guests, the initiative has been widely praised in reviews as “an excellent effort.” Housekeeping, the restaurant team (washing), and the front desk (rental management) work together to maintain a smooth circulation system.
Plastic‑free even without bringing your own bottle.
A commitment to moving beyond single‑use habits.
Selecting Supplies That Address On‑Site “Wastefulness”: The hotel eliminated disposable umbrella bags on rainy days and introduced a device that shakes off water droplets instead. To reduce the large volume of handwritten notes generated during daily operations, electronic memo pads were adopted. These grounded initiatives were born from staff members’ simple but powerful insight: “It feels wasteful to throw something away after just one use.”
3. Challenges
Because all staff members—both full‑time and part‑time—are directly employed, internal coordination is exceptionally smooth. However, the next challenge lies in areas involving external suppliers.
Approaches to Outsourced Operations: For example, selecting detergents used by the linen company is an area that cannot be controlled solely within the hotel. How to meet higher Green Key standards in collaboration with external partners remains an important issue moving forward.
4. Message
“At our hotel, we always begin by consulting the on‑site team about whether an initiative is feasible, and we move forward only after building consensus across departments. Guests have responded very positively to our sustainability efforts, which in turn motivates our staff. Going forward, we aim to deepen collaboration not only within the hotel but also with external partners, and pursue even more advanced environmental management.”