Taj Chandigarh Bottles Its Own Water to Cut Plastic Waste

Taj Chandigarh just made a bold move that could reshape how hotels think about plastic waste.

The luxury property installed an in-house water bottling plant called Paathya, eliminating its dependence on externally sourced plastic water bottles. The facility can produce up to 1,000 bottles per day, all packaged in reusable glass containers that guests can enjoy throughout their stay.

The initiative tackles one of hospitality's biggest environmental challenges. Hotels worldwide go through millions of single-use plastic bottles annually, most ending up in landfills or oceans. By bringing water production in-house, Taj Chandigarh controls both quality and sustainability.

The Paathya plant purifies and bottles drinking water right on the property. Guests still get premium bottled water, but without the environmental guilt. The hotel can refill and reuse the glass bottles indefinitely, creating a closed-loop system that generates virtually zero plastic waste.

This isn't just good PR. It's smart business that saves money while protecting the planet.

The Ripple Effect

Taj Chandigarh's parent company, IHCL, operates over 200 hotels across India and beyond. If even a fraction of these properties adopt similar systems, the impact multiplies quickly. One hotel eliminating 365,000 plastic bottles per year becomes a network preventing millions of bottles from production.

Other luxury chains are watching closely. When a prestigious brand like Taj proves that in-house bottling works at scale, it removes excuses for competitors. The technology exists, the business case is solid, and guest experience doesn't suffer.

Local communities benefit too. Fewer delivery trucks mean reduced carbon emissions. Less plastic production means cleaner air and water. The model shows that sustainability and hospitality can work hand in hand.

Hotels account for roughly 1% of global carbon emissions, but their influence extends far beyond their own operations. When luxury properties normalize eco-friendly practices, guests carry those expectations to other hotels, restaurants, and businesses. Change spreads.

One hotel's water bottles might seem small, but 1,000 fewer plastic bottles daily adds up to a cleaner future for everyone.