Sustainability and social responsibility
At Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre, we’re passionate about championing our people, planet and community. Set amidst landscaped gardens on the edge of University of Birmingham’s green campus, we feel responsibility for both our environment and the wildlife which lives here. Our ambition is to be net zero carbon by 2035, aligning with University of Birmingham’s own commitment to sustainability.
Our commitment
We are committed to doing everything in our power to protect and sustain our local, natural and global environment for future generations. We take our responsibility to adopting eco-friendly practices seriously and continuously evolve our day-to-day strategies and decisions to bringing sustainability to the forefront of Edgbaston Park Hotel.
Supporting our planet
We’re proud to be a zero waste to landfill hotel. We have:
- Reduced glass waste by 50% by switching to sustainable canned drinks
- Introduced bins that allow guests to separate food and general waste from recycling
- Stocked every bedroom with refillable, eco-friendly toiletries
- Swapped plastic sauce sachets for plant-friendly condiments
- Removed single-serve jars from our breakfast buffet
- Encouraged both staff and guests to travel sustainably
- Sponsored two beehives to support the UK’s biodiversity
There’s also motion sensor lighting across all our buildings, ensuring we only use the electricity we need, and several EV charging stations for guests to use in our car park.
Supporting our community
We love Edgbaston and take great pride in serving our local community. That’s why every year we choose a local charity to support. This year, we’re fundraising for St Basils, which is dedicated to supporting young people facing homelessness in the West Midlands.
Over £1,600 has already been raised, thanks to our annual Family Fun Day which is a highlight of the hotel calendar.
We raise awareness and money for Hospitality Action through ‘invisible chips’ on sale in the 1900 Restaurant and Bar.
What’s more, every team member receives two paid volunteering days a year to help make a difference. Our team has helped preserve a heritage garden, feed Brum’s homeless; and even care for our four-legged friends at a local dog rescue.
Sustainable food and drink
We’ve increased our offering of plant-based food and drink and stock our 1900 Bar with vegan and English wines and sustainable, alcohol-free beverages. We partner with local microbrewery Birmingham Brew Company – which has excellent sustainability credentials – serving beer on tap and in cans.
Every dish on our menus is now CO2e-rated too, helping you choose delicious food and drink that’s big on flavour but low on environmental impact.
We’ve also removed the sale of bottled water, and installed filter taps serving still and sparkling water. Guests are encouraged to donate to WaterAid as we believe everyone should be able to access clean drinking water, wherever in the world they are.
Read more about our suppliers below.
Eco-friendly conferences and events
We’re on a mission to be one of the UK’s greenest event destinations. Here’s what we’ve achieved so far.
Gold ECOsmart Award
In February 2024, we achieved a gold ECOsmart award for our commitment to the environment. The new ECOsmart award from Greengage is the leading accreditation used by organisations around the globe aiming to protect and save our planet from climate change.
Gold Green Meetings Award
We’re over the moon to have been awarded the gold standard for Green Meetings from Green Tourism. The accreditation means that we’re now one of only 17 conference venues in the UK to uphold the highest sustainability standards in the industry.
Green Meetings Package
In July 2024 we introduced our first-ever Green Meetings Package. Boasting low-carbon menus and responsibly sourced refreshments, it will help you deliver maximum impact events with minimum cost to the environment.
Our suppliers
We’re proud to champion British produce. Not only does this reduce food miles, but it also means that every drink or dish you have with us supports a UK independent.
Based just down the road in Stirchley all this microbrewery’s beers are vegan and gluten free, and the company is passionate about sustainability. Order their beers when you’re next in the 1900 Bar: we serve Pale Brummie on tap, and Sober Brummie (0.5%) Bitter Brummie and Stirchley Lager in cans.
Say hello to awarding-winning, carbon-negative spirits that do good as well as taste good. For every bottle sold, Sapling Spirits plants a tree to combat deforestation, helping to tackle the effects of climate change and increase biodiversity.
Wiltshire-based Tracklements has been making award-winning artisan chutneys, wholegrain mustards, and other condiments since 1970. The life and soul of the pantry, all condiments boast eco-friendly packaging and are made from wonky veg that would ordinarily go to waste.
Paddy & Scott’s is a small UK-based business that shares its profits with the families and communities that grow its coffee. All coffee is packaged in aluminium-free PET recyclable material and shipped carbon-free.
All Birchall tea is Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance accredited and 100% carbon neutral. What’s more, Birchall tea bags and packaging are plant-based and therefore biodegradable, helping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill with every cup.
A celebration of British botanicals, Pentire prides itself on distilling non-alcohol spirits from natural coastal ingredients, picked from the headlands of Cornwall. A certified B Corporation, Pentire is Soil Association-accredited Fairtrade and uses organic ingredients wherever possible.
Award-winning rum with a cause, 10% of Hawkbill’s profits go to turtle conservation projects in the Caribbean. With every sip, you can feel good knowing that you’re helping to keep the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle, from which the rum takes its name, in our seas.
Proud to make soda with soul, Dalston’s was born in a community-run nightclub in Dalston, London. Using only the best quality fruit and recipes from experienced chefs, every can of soda is carbon neutral, bursting with real ingredients, and has no added sugar or artificial nasties.
A family-owned business, Flawsome! has been crafting naturally delicious cold-pressed drinks from wonky and surplus fruit since 2018. The team’s flair for flavour has seen it win 12 Great Taste Awards, and every bottle boasts no added sugar, artificial colour or flavours.
Karma Drinks is a certified B Corp that prides itself on making organic and Fairtrade drinks from authentic ingredients, plus no artificial additives or plastic. 2% of its revenue goes directly to Cola nut growers and communities in Sierra Leone through the Karma Foundation.