Khaldoun Hayajneh, General Manager of Riyadh Marriott led the initiative by distributing a cleaning kit that contained T-shirts, caps, a broom, and a face-mask to all staff members. It was a fun-filled activity for all the participants, making them realize the significance of environment protection, a press statement said. The hotel staff was engaged in the cleaning up of its surroundings for many hours. “A refreshment break was arranged to celebrate the success of the activity,” it said. Khaldoun said that throughout April, more than 150,000 Marriott associates in nearly 3,000 hotels worldwide have engaged in activities to celebrate and demonstrate their environmental commitment. During Marriott's third-annual celebration of Environmental Awareness Month, Marriott associates worldwide participated in a variety of environmental projects ranging from cleaning up beaches, rivers and parks to restoring natural habitats and planting trees. The company's commitment to the environment is longstanding. Over a decade ago, Marriott launched Environmentally Conscious Hotel Operations (ECHO) to focus on water and energy conservation, clean air, waste management and wildlife preservation and clean up campaigns. Marriott recently reported that the company is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons by 2011. Marriott is a founding member of the International Tourism Partnership, group promoting responsible and environmentally-conscious tourism, a sponsor of Green Hotelier magazine, and involved in volunteer projects with Clean up the World, a global clean up organization.
