We’re passionate about making sustainability practical and accessible and we know that experience is key. That’s why we’re teaming up with Dubai College of Tourism and University of Wollongong, Dubai to bring their students onboard to give students the chance to work on real projects that connect sustainability and hospitality. Students will explore real-world challenges and proposed actionable solutions, honing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills along the way.
🎓Dubai College of Tourism
We are partnering with Dubai College of Tourism over 9 weeks to guide students through an in-depth, practical research initiative focused on sustainable hospitality operations.
Student Research Focus:
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Hotel Slippers: What happens after a single use? Can we recycle them instead of sending them to landfill?
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Bottled Water: Comparing the environmental and financial impacts of imported bottled water versus local initiatives like Dubai Can.
Student Findings:
In the 9-week collaboration, students engaged with 11 hotels across Dubai — visiting 5 in person and meeting the rest online — speaking directly with General Managers and Sustainability Managers to gather real-world insights.
Their findings revealed meaningful progress alongside persistent gaps:
On slippers, several hotels are leading through donation schemes and recycling partnerships, though post-COVID hygiene concerns, complex material designs, and luxury guest expectations continue to slow broader adoption.
On bottled water, most 4 and 5-star hotels are shifting away from single-use plastic toward in-house bottling systems, with some properties like Swissotel and Delta Hotels going further by partnering with local refillable water solutions; the main remaining challenge is outdoor and poolside areas where no standardised sustainable option yet exists.
Students presented their findings to the Sustainability Kiosk team and were invited to share their research at the 2025 Responsible Hoteliers Summit.
🎓University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD)
Our collaboration with the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) offers students the opportunity to explore how new age technology and data-driven innovations can enable hotels to operate more efficiently, reduce their environmental impact, and engage in more sustainable practices across their operations.
Student Research Focus:
- Emerging Technologies: How AI, AR, and blockchain can accelerate sustainability initiatives within the hospitality sector.
Student Findings:
Student presented proposals that collectively focused on transforming Sustainability Kiosk into a streamlined, data-driven platform.
One approach emphasizes automating existing processes through tools like RPA, dashboards, and cloud storage, with flexible options ranging from low-cost setups to fully scalable systems.
Another centers on building an integrated, cloud-based data ecosystem using Google technologies, enabling real-time tracking, improved collaboration, and smarter sustainability decision-making through advanced tools like IoT and blockchain.
Alongside operational improvements, the proposals also highlight the importance of enhancing the digital user experience and creating new revenue opportunities through solutions like a platform upgrade with AI chatbots, e-commerce functionality, and automated CRM systems.
Together, these ideas present a comprehensive vision for increasing efficiency, improving insights, and positioning Sustainability Kiosk for scalable, tech-enabled growth.
Across both collaborations, the Sustainability Kiosk team played an active mentorship role by providing ongoing guidance, sharing industry knowledge, and facilitating access to hotel networks to ensure student work was grounded in real-world challenges.
By bridging the gap between classroom theory and on-the-ground practice, we’re proud to play a part in building a lasting legacy and shaping the next generation of sustainability-minded professionals in the UAE.
More to come soon!
Browse through The Kettle & Kiosk – our blog where you can read up on all things sustainability.
