Our take on
sustainability
Travel should be good for you.
Ideally, good for everyone else too.
We are not going to pretend we have figured it all out.
But we have been working at it seriously for three years, we have had our practices independently audited, and we now have a full picture of our emissions – every scope, every property, verified.
This is that picture. The honest one.
- Sustainability does not have to be complicated
- Sustainability does not have to be complicated
- Sustainability does not have to be complicated
- Sustainability does not have to be complicated
- Sustainability does not have to be complicated
How we operate
We find sustainability jargon confusing too
There is a version of sustainability communication so loaded with terminology that it ends up meaning very little to very few people. We find it confusing too, and we work in this space. So we made a deliberate choice to not talk about it that way.
So what do we do about it
What we will do is measure where we actually stand, reduce what we can, keep improving, and report back every year with the real picture. Not because it is a trend or because it looks good on a website, but because we think running a hospitality business without caring about this is genuinely irresponsible. And because we believe more small businesses would do more if the whole conversation were simpler and less frightening. So that’s the version we’re trying to model.
let's keep it simple
You will not find “net zero” or “carbon offsetting” on this page, because the meaning of those terms keeps shifting. What you will find is what we have actually done, what we are working on, and what we do not know yet.
Sustainability does not have to be complicated. It has to be honest. We want to show that a small hospitality business can take this seriously, step by step, without impacting the guest experience. The goal was never to be perfect. It was to start, measure, and keep getting better.
Valentina Rodoni, Lead Sustainability
WHY WE CARE
What we are actually trying to do
These are not sustainability goals bolted onto the side of our business. They are the reason we do things the way we do, from how we source our coffee to why we publish a progress report every year that includes the numbers that did not go our way.
Integrating sustainability in every decision
From big strategic moves to everyday choices, sustainability is a cornerstone of how we operate. We know it is a journey, and we are constantly working to do better.
Inspiring change in the hospitality industry
We want to be more than just another company talking about sustainability. Our aim is to prove that doing the right thing and creating outstanding guest experiences go hand in hand.
Raising awareness on sustainable travel
Real change happens when people are engaged and informed. Through practical actions and industry influence, we want sustainable travel to become the norm, not the exception.
WHAT THE
NUMBERS SAY
Real numbers, independently verified
In early 2026 we completed our first full emissions inventory, based on 2025 – every property, every source, from the gas we burn to the laundry we wash to the commute of the person who made your bed. Done by Furthr., an independent emissions specialist, using the GHG Protocol, the most widely recognised standard for this kind of measurement. Here is what they found.
0.61kg
CO₂e
per guest night
In-property operational emissions (heating, electricity, waste and water) – verified by Furthr., GHG Protocol 2025
1 Night at
=
1 Cappuccino
Vs
Vs
1 Night at an average swiss hotel
=
11 Cappuccinos
Based on ~0.55 kg CO₂e per cappuccino with cows milk.
CO₂e per Guest night (KG)
0.61kg
6.6kg*
91% less CO₂e per guest night – same unit, same country.
*Source – UK DESNZ 2023 – Scope 1 & 2 only
91%
LESS CO₂e
per guest night
At Capsule Hotel Vs an average Swiss Hotel*
*Source – UK DESNZ 2023 – Scope 1 & 2 only
One night at Capsule Hotel = These everyday activities
One night at
Capsule Hotel
=
These everyday activities
40 hrs streaming netflix
16g CO₂e/hr (Carbon Trust)
3.5km driving a petrol car
170g CO₂e/km (DEFRA 2025)
75x charging your phone
8g CO₂e/charge (DEFRA 2025)
25 kettles boiled
22g CO₂e/boil (DEFRA 2025)
9 days to cancel out naturally
A mature oak tree absorbs 25kg CO₂e per year - about 68g per day. So it takes only 9 days for a tree to absorb 1 night at Capsule Hotel. The average Swiss hotel night? An oak tree would need over three months to absorb that. Just so you know!
What this looks
like in practice
The things you will actually notice.
The compact nature of a capsule hotel creates a lower per-guest footprint before we have done anything extra. Shared bathrooms, shared common areas, and a capsule that draws barely more power than an LED bulb running for the night. That is the structural advantage. On top of it, we make deliberate choices. None of it is accidental.
Think about it this way: a single LED bulb left on overnight uses roughly 0.06 kWh. Our Swiss Capsule™ uses 0.3 kWh per day – lights, charging, ventilation, everything included. A hairdryer running for 20 minutes uses more.
0.3 kWh / day Energy-efficient capsules
The Swiss Capsule™ uses less energy per day than a hairdryer running for 20 minutes. Our Lean Line draws just 0.1 kWh, roughly what a phone uses charging overnight. Efficient by design, not by retrofit.
Water use, reduced
We are replacing shower heads across all properties with water-efficient models. We are measuring before and after so we have the actual numbers to show for it.
Reduce single-use plastic bottles
Refill stations at every hotel. Tap water in Switzerland and Denmark is perfectly safe to drink, and we will keep saying that until it is second nature.
Refillable amenities
Quality dispensers for shampoo and soap replace single-use plastics across all properties. A small change that scales meaningfully when you welcome over 150 000 guests.
local producers and suppliers, by choice
Designed with artists
Every piece of art in our hotels was made by a real artist, commissioned specifically for that space. No two properties look the same, and none of it is decorative filler.
THE PROTEIN SHIFT
We are committing to a 65% plant-based protein split across all our properties by 2030. Starting from 41% today, we are gradually rebalancing our food offering, not by removing things, just shifting the balance over time. With the support of Scope Three Action.
WHO WE WORK WITH
every name is here for a reason
Everwave
River Plastic Removal
The waste heroes. Guests can contribute 1 CHF at booking – or it happens automatically when purchasing a second towel – toward removing plastic from rivers before it reaches the ocean. Every franc removes 1 kg of plastic. Direct, traceable, real.
OF PLASTIC REMOVED SINCE AUGUST 2025
Every CHF from our guests goes directly to Everwave river cleaning operations.
*Updated quarterly.
Futhr.
Impact & Carbon
The really cool experts who help us make sense of what is going on, impact-wise, behind the scenes. They built our complete Scope 1, 2 and 3 inventory for 2025 – the numbers on this page comes from their work. Independent, verified, GHG Protocol-compliant. We were in the data phase for a while. Now we have the full picture.
Europes Famous Hostels
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Because responsible hospitality does not stop at our front door. We are members of EFH and co-founders of the association’s ESG committee, built to support all member hostels on their own sustainability journeys. A rising tide lifts all boats – and many others out there are doing pretty cool things too.
CERTIFICATIONS
Green Destinations’
Good Travel Seal
The Good Travel Seal, awarded by Green Destinations and aligned with the GSTC Industry Criteria. It measures how we manage our environmental and social impact against a defined standard, and it’s independently audited, not self-declared. Certified: Capsule Hotel Zurich Airport, Lucerne Old Town and Hyve Basel.
we are
Swisstainable
We are part of the Swisstainable sustainability programme and classified at level II – engaged. The Swisstainable programme brings together businesses and organisations across the entire Swiss tourism sector. Held at Hyve Basel, Lucerne Old Town and Zurich Airport.
THE FULL PICTURE
What worked. What did not. What is next.
Our annual Progress Report covers everything: the methodology behind the numbers, what we achieved, what stalled, and what we are working on next. Published every year, because we said we would.
COME BE PART
OF THE STORY
Whether you sleep in a capsule or help us build the next one, there is a place for you here.