Peter Lederer, chairman of Gleneagles Hotel and a key industry figure in the development of Strathclyde Business School's Executive Masters in Hospitality and Tourism Leadership, has won a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) awards.
Mr Lederer was honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his commitment to improving environmental performance, particularly within the tourist sector, with the awards ceremony taking place at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel.
The Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) awards programme has been recognising the commitment, actions and achievements of Scottish companies in reducing their impact on the environment for 13 years.
Mr Lederer was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony for taking a leading role in finding sustainable and low carbon solutions for waste at The Gleneagles Hotel.
Over the past few years, the hotel has worked towards building a sustainable future by setting targets to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill; installing a biomass boiler for low carbon energy; and instituting innovative recycling measures. The hotel currently recycles glass, cardboard, paper, cans and recycleable plastics and has a dedicated area in its grounds to accommodate other products such as unused paints, excess furnishings and excess room amenities and pallets.
Biodegradable waste from the hotel is also sent to a local farmer who decomposes the matter into compost. The compost is then purchased by the hotel at a reasonable rate and re-used throughout the hotel’s estate, while used wine corks are collected and sent to the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to be used in drainage.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by Alan Thomson, head of corporate relations at Scottish Water. Speaking on his award win, Mr Lederer, who is also one of the main board members of Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, said: “I’m delighted to accept this award on behalf of all the staff at Gleneagles, who have worked tirelessly over the past few years to ensure that the hotel is an industry-leader in sustainability. It’s fantastic to receive recognition for our efforts so far, and we will continue to strive to do all we can as a business to promote responsible tourism and protect the environment for future generations.”
More on the awards can be found here.