Dear Johannes, thank you for your time! To begin with, please tell us a little bit about Orbital Systems and what your mission is.

Johannes: Orbital Systems is an innovation company whose mission is to make water appliances smarter and more efficient. Our products are made to save water and energy without compromising on the user experience.

Average consumption today exceeds 100 litres per person per day in the Western world. At Orbital, our goal is to reduce this number to 20 litres per day.

What inspired the founder of Orbital, Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, to launch the company? What major problems was he hoping to solve?

Johannes: As a student at Lund University, Mehrdad took part in an academic collaboration with NASA. Their mission was to uncover ways of sustaining life on Mars through innovative use of water. It was then that the revelation dawned on him; that groundbreaking ideas conceived for space could also revolutionise the way we manage water on our own Blue Planet. Fresh water is a finite resource, and its scarcity is a growing concern worldwide.

That's why our primary focus is on developing technologies that enable smarter use of water. Our advanced shower systems are engineered to drastically reduce water wastage without compromising on comfort or performance. By implementing Orbital showers in hotels, homes and businesses, we can significantly decrease water consumption on a global scale.

Can you tell us more about your products? What makes them so innovative and who are they made for?

Johannes: Orbital Systems specialises in water- and energy-saving products that combine sustainability, innovative technology and design. Our key products utilise circular technology to reduce water and energy consumption by 50 to 100%, all while providing users with a premium experience featuring high flow and constant temperature.

The Scandinavian design is evident in our minimalist, functional and aesthetically pleasing approach, ensuring that our products not only perform efficiently but also enhance the visual appeal of the space they are used in. These products are ideal for environmentally conscious consumers, hotels, spas, gyms and private homeowners who value both sustainability and design.

When you look back at the hotels you've worked with and how you've supported them on their path to more sustainability with your products: What has been your biggest learning so far?

Johannes: Many hotels are not aware of how much they pay for the water and energy used by their showers. When we get a chance to look at their numbers, they are often very surprised when they realise the magnitude of the savings they could achieve by installing our products.

We have also learned that hotel guests are not very willing to change their behaviour to save water and energy. When they pay for a hotel stay, they often use the shower much more than they do at home. This is especially true in 4- and 5-star hotels where water consumption can be very high. To better suit the organisation of the hotel business, where it is common to have a property owner company and an operator company, we have introduced a financial model where the cost can be split between these two entities.

The property owner pays an amount equivalent to the cost of a conventional high-end shower system, while the operator pays a monthly or annual fee for a Care Plan that includes consumables and a 10-year warranty. With this setup, the hotel's operational expenses per room immediately become lower than with a conventional shower.

Nowadays, people are talking more and more about saving water but aren’t necessarily being smarter about their water usage. What are your three most important water-saving recommendations?

Johannes:

1. Reduce your shower time (or implement an Orbital Shower ;-) ).

2. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, fill the dishwasher and keep cold drinking water in a jar in the fridge.

3. Install dual flush toilets or, even better, the Orbital Tap for up to 100% greywater reuse from the toilet sink to toilet flushing.

Do you have any recommendations for hoteliers on how they can start and/or advance their sustainability journeys?

Johannes: Hire an expert who can take a holistic approach to analyse your current state and identify areas for impactful improvements.

Key actions to become more sustainable always include:

1. Implementing energy-efficient solutions

2. Reducing water consumption

3. Minimising waste

4. Choosing organic and locally sourced food

As always, our final MAp meets question: What makes a hotel experience truly outstanding for you personally?

Johannes: Freshly baked bread for breakfast, a comfortable bed in a cool and silent room, and of course a long and refreshing shower without any unnecessary waste of water and energy.

In his ground-breaking book “Doing Good Better”, MacAskill explains the concept of “Effective Altruism” and asks the question, “How can I make the biggest difference I can?” To answer this question he uses concepts we’ve hardly ever seen so far in the field of doing good: evidence, careful reasoning and a scientific approach. His search for truth shows that so far, many of us “just did good” without assessing if we chose the right investment = if we were using our resources in the most effective way. MacAskill also busts some myths about the concepts of green living, climate offsetting, fairtrade, etc., showing us in a fact-based and impartial way, that what we thought or were told was best for the word, in truth, isn’t.

At MAp, we believe in the power and goodness of people. That was one reason why we developed our hotel sustainability platform: to empower hoteliers, consultants, students, business owners, etc. to do good. To make a difference. To make this Planet a more purposeful and hospitable place for all. However, the so-often overlooked challenge William MacAskill addresses in his book is: How can we ensure that, when we try to help others and do good, we do so as effectively as possible? Because the truth is: The best charities are hundreds of times more effective at improving lives than merely “good” charities. This means, by knowing the principles of effective altruism, we all can be hundreds of times more effective in creating positive impact for People and Planet.

#1: The effective altruist’s approach to making a difference consists of five key questions

There are five key questions you should ask yourselves when thinking like an effective altruist:

#2: The law of diminishing returns implies you focus on long-time tested activities

MacAskill defines the law of diminishing returns in his book as follows: “If we want to do as much good as we can, we’ve got to ask which cause to focus on. The law of diminishing returns provides a useful rule of thumb for comparing causes. If a specific area has already received a great deal of funding and attention, then we should expect it to be difficult for us to do a lot of good by devoting additional resources to that area. In contrast, within causes that are comparatively neglected, the most effective opportunities for doing good have probably not been taken.” MacAskill then outlines that our response to natural disasters is one of the clearest cases of how, when it comes to charity, we mostly follow our gut and not science. When a disaster strikes, we (and every else) think “emergency” and donate money or resources to that cause, forgetting that emergencies happen all the time around us. But we get accustomed to poverty and the fact that, every day, People die from easily preventable diseases like AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis, which therefore receive less ongoing funding.

#3: Don’t believe everything that sounds good, or let’s bust some myths 

We conclude this blog post by answering an important question: What should you do right now?

We’ve compiled our top three suggestions:

1. Establish a habit of regular giving. GiveWell is an organisation MacAskill mentions throughout his book, and its goal is to produce the world’s top research on where to give - free and for everyone. This means you can have a look and find out which charities are the most effective right now and start giving to them on a regular basis.

2. Sign up to the effective altruism mailing list. That way you can learn more about effective altruism and about how to get involved in the community, and read stories of People putting effective altruism into practice.

3. Tell others about effective altruism. Because if you can get one person to make the same changes you make, you’ve doubled your impact.

Thank you for reading until the end, and let’s all move #onwards to do good better!
Your MAp team

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We all agree that in today’s highly competitive hospitality market, a unique, innovative and sustainable hotel concept is fundamental to the long-term success of a hotel venture.

At MAp Boutique Consultancy, we define a hotel concept as a strategic and creative outline on how to realise a hotel venture. It pieces together various elements (soft and hard facts) and gives strategic guidance, as well as comprehensive and detailed information. It outlines to all stakeholders HOW the hotel should look and feel, and WHY, based on defined brand values and characteristics. 

Whenever we, MAp, create a hotel concept, we also put sustainability at the heart of it, incorporating our sustainability framework - MAp's 4Ps of Sustainability - to increase revenue, decrease costs and leave a positive impact on the world. 

But why does your hotel concept need to be sustainable? Operating sustainably is becoming a standard practice and a new quality standard for hotels, as hotel guests and other stakeholders, such as employees and business partners, are increasingly becoming more conscious of their impact. 

The definition of sustainability is not as simple as it might seem, however. It is not only about eco-friendly, “green” hotel practices (like water and energy conservation), it's much more holistic than that, touching on social and economic dimensions too. That's where MAp's 4Ps of Sustainability comes in, inspired by the United Nations SDGs and providing a holistic approach to sustainability:

• People - Social Sustainability: The impact your hotel has on People, including your guests, employees, partners and local community members. At the cornerstone of social sustainability is protecting human rights, addressing issues that affect your People, and uplifting and empowering them.
• Planet - Environmental Sustainability: The impact your hotel has on the Planet, ensuring that you protect the world's ecosystems and conserve natural resources for the health and wellbeing of all - now and in the future.
• Profit - Economic Sustainability: The impact your hotel has on economic growth, without negatively impacting the social and environmental aspects of the community – while driving profitability for your hotel.
• Purpose: While it’s not officially one of the pillars of sustainability, Purpose stands at the core of MAp’s sustainability framework. The definition is simple: Purpose is the WHY that drives you to do what you do – and love it!

While most think being a green hotel is enough, it's important to know that the economic and social aspects of sustainability are becoming increasingly important. A great example of social sustainability is Marriott, which successfully trained half a million staff to recognise and respond to signs of human trafficking. Their multi-language online and classroom-based training programme tailored to front office, F&B and housekeeping staff led to a number of young people being removed from compromising situations, since the programme’s inception in 2017. 

We at MAp believe that there are so many benefits for your hotel in implementing sustainability into your operations. Therefore below we share with you our…

• You use your resources more effectively, thereby increasing productivity and lowering costs. Utilities, labour and operational costs are the largest cost contributors for most hotels, and a sustainable operation often helps to address all three – e. g. new environmental technologies can have a positive influence on your guests’ experience (think LED lighting, natural furnishing and natural ventilation).
• You improve your employee morale, motivation and satisfaction. Younger employees, especially, are eager to work for hotel businesses that look past profitability and want to make a real difference.
• You open a dialogue with the wider community and create synergies that benefit both your hotel guests and those who inhabit your surroundings.
• You attract new and more loyal hotel guests, and by communicating sustainability performance indicators, you engage your future guests at the time of booking.
• You improve your brand image, which offers better profits in the long run. In fact, hotel properties that have achieved the TripAdvisor Green Leader status are actually rated 20% higher than other properties, as per Jenny Rushmore, TripAdvisor’s Director of Responsible Travel.

And… the great thing about sustainability is that it’s an evolving process. Step by step, as we like to say at MAp, the best sustainability policies are ongoing ones – therefore enjoy your sustainability journey ;-)