Unveiling of the Sustainability Lab

The Sustainability Lab: A Pioneering New Project at Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi

We are delighted to announce the launch of our Sustainability Lab – the first of its kind in the archipelago. The launch was celebrated on Thursday, 3 February 2022 with an official opening ceremony, attended by the Maldives’ Minister of Environment, Aminath Shauna, Minister of Defense, Mariya Ahmed Didi, and the Maldives’ Special Envoy for Climate Change, Sabra Ibrahim Noordeen.

The latest in a series of pioneering environmental projects for the resort, The Sustainability Lab will turn plastic waste into bespoke souvenirs and unique products. Guests will be educated on sustainable practices and local communities empowered, helping the resort achieve its goal of becoming the first zero waste generating resort in the Maldives.

Turn Waste into Wonder

Specialised machinery in the Sustainability Lab will transform and repurpose plastic waste into beautiful bespoke souvenirs, including luggage tags in the shape of turtles. After plastics have been collected from the beach, reef, and ocean, they are separated alongside glass and aluminum, before a series of machines are used to shred, melt, shape and press it into various products.

Community Upliftment

Community upliftment is part of Fairmont’s DNA, and the Sustainability Lab will eventually become a recycling centre in the atoll and beyond, creating a culture of sustainability and accountability in local communities. Surrounding islands will be encouraged to collect, sort, and recycle their plastic waste by sending it to Fairmont Maldives rather than leaving it to landfill or to be disposed of in the ocean. Schools will be vested to teach classes on recycling, marine biodiversity, and ocean conservation, as well as visiting the resort to see the Sustainability Lab and the conservation projects undertaken on the island; encouraging the next generation of eco-conscious travellers to care passionately about protecting their natural ecosystem.

Pioneering Programmes

One of the biggest problems facing sea turtles today is the large quantity of plastic polluting the oceans. To emphasise the importance of tackling this issue, Fairmont Maldives has partnered with the Olive Ridley Project, a Maldives-based NGO focused on turtle research, and launched the Turtle Ranger Programme. Guests can join the Marine Biologist to protect turtle nests, assist hatchlings in their journey from nest to the ocean, rescue turtles stuck in ghost nets, and collect vital tracking data to monitor migration patterns. Turtle Rangers also carry out workshops in the Sustainability Lab, converting plastic removed during beach cleaning into turtle-shaped products using bespoke machines.

For more information about our eco-inspired endeavors, please visit Sustainability at Fairmont Maldives.