Sustainability

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

The true essence of our existence is a life full of love. We’re learning every day to deepen our relationship with the world we live in by reflecting on what it means to live and lead sustainably and integrating good practices into our daily operations. We aim to deliver a rewarding and inspiring stay for our guests with minimal negative impacts and maximal positive impacts on our environment and local communities. 

Live and love to the fullest at P’apiu

OUR LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE

Community Integration and Support 

We prefer to source products and services from locally owned and operated businesses. We encourage guests to visit locally-owned attractions and activities and to dine and shop locally. 

We provide information to our guests about local customs and traditions, and how they can respect them. 

We promote traditional local, seasonal and organic dishes and beverages on our menus such as Khau Nhuc (Khâu nhục), Vegetable fern (Rau dớn), Salt- steamed mountain chicken (Gà núi hấp muối), Mac Khen Grilled fish (Cá nướng mắc khén)… Our menu also features various plant-based options. 

Organic Stir-fried Vegetable Dish

Through consultation with the local artists and architects, we ensure that we correctly interpret and incorporate elements of local art, architecture, and cultural heritage into our design. P’apiu’s iconic Brocade Road is inspired by highlanders’ brocade motifs and hand-painted by the local ethnic minorities in our community. The earthy Mellow house resembles the “trình tường” house of the Hmong. The 60cm/2ft thick wall is hand-pounded from the soil without the use of binders. 

The Mellow Villa resembles the “Trinh Tuong” house of the Hmong

We declare that our day-to-day operations as well as any renovation works do not negatively impact the traditional way of life in the local community. 

We actively support tourism development and tourism management in Ha Giang through joint destination promotion. 

Fair Labor Practices 

100% of our employees are Vietnamese. Fostering economic and social resilience for the ethnic minorities in Ha Giang is one of our long-term objectives in contributing to inclusive local development. We have recruited all community members, including the farmers, the poorest, and the most disadvantaged. We have trained them to develop the skills and competencies required in hospitality services. We strongly believe that community capacity building is key to creating a better future together. 

 All employees at P’apiu are the ethnic minority

We operate following the principles set out in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We do not employ children under the age of 18.

We have an appointed labor representative to manage the welfare, labor standards, and human rights of all employees. 

We prohibit discrimination, in regards to recruitment, conditions of employment, access to training and senior positions, or promotion in terms of gender, race, age, disability, ethnicity, religion/beliefs, or sexual orientation. 

We ensure all employees have an equal chance and access to resources and opportunities for personal development and sustainability practices through yearly training and education. 

Employees are equal to access job opportunities, promotion and education

We grant employees the freedom of employment and contract termination with one-month notice and without penalty as per Vietnam legislation. 

We declare not to hinder trade union membership, collective labor negotiations and representation of members by trade unions. 

Our minimum wage is over 50% above the national legal wage. Wage rate and overtime working hours are to be mentioned in the contract. We include labor conditions according to national labor law and a job description in the employment contract. 

Safeguarding Children 

Walk Free Foundation’s Global Slavery Index estimated between 2012 and 2016, over 400,000 Vietnamese people were subject to modern slavery (including labor exploitation, forced marriages, and sexual servitude). 

We take a proactive role and approach to safeguarding children from sexual exploitation and exploitative labor. Our staff was well trained with Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation on the topic. We also collaborate with Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation to actively address human trafficking in Vietnam, especially in Ha Giang. 

OUR LOVE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

We regularly record and monitor our energy, water, waste and hazardous substances to understand our environmental impacts and take necessary measures to aim for the reduction of our carbon footprint and overall pollution to the minimum. 

Energy Efficient 

100% of our lighting is energy efficient 

We use and purchase energy-saving electrical equipment as much as locally available. On top of that, we ensure all energy installations (boilers, air conditioning, etc.) are regularly maintained and serviced. 

Our villas are designed to open to nature and are more energy-efficient

We switch off lights and equipment in common areas when not in use. We set equipment by default in the energy-saving mode, where feasible.

Water Efficient 

Our water comes from a private underground water source on the top of the mountain that is not linked to the local water source to avoid jeopardizing the local water supply. 

We comply with local and national regulations regarding the disposal of wastewater. Our wastewater is treated, re-used or disposed of safely, without affecting the local population or environment. 

We maintain and service all water installations and machinery regularly to detect and avoid leakage. We irrigate our organic garden early in the morning to avoid wasting unnecessary water. We encourage our guests to be a part of the change through the towel and linen reuse program. 

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle of Waste 

We say NO to plastic waste. We offer refillable bathroom amenities. 

Our bed linens are proudly made of linen by the hands of skillful Ha Giang women to make you feel like sleeping on the cloud of the mountain top. 

Bedsheets, pillowcases, pajamas, towels used on the dining table, staff uniforms at P’apiu are all made from high-quality linen

We source our dining ingredients as seasonal, local, and organic as possible. 

We reduce our waste generation by opting for the options with the least packaging, saying No to single-use items and purchasing ingredients based on the strict measurement of the actual number of guests. 

We understand waste is unavoidable, we recycle our waste as much as we can even though there is no structured provincial recycling program. We separate our waste and bring our paper, plastic and electrical waste to a local recycling center. Organic waste is collected to produce organic compost that goes back to our garden. 

Low Impact On Nature 

We are a loyal fan of natural and home remedies when it comes to guest amenities, cleaning materials and doing laundry and we say no to bleach products. We use natural ingredients, free of hazardous and biodegradable as much as locally possible. No breach Two of our favorite remedies are lemon and baking soda to clean the kitchen and boiling water to remove stains in bedding and make our cutlery sterile. We invite you to try it out at home! 

We use 100% organic fertilizer for our garden. 

Vegetables on the mountain need little care, especially without pesticides but are still fresh all year round

We commit to using only papers (including toilet paper) that are recycled or come from well-managed forests to limit deforestation when locally available. 

We commit to minimizing and substituting the use of harmful substances, including pesticides, and paints, with harmless products and processes, when locally available. All storage, handling and disposal of chemicals are properly managed according to the local regulation.

Conserve Biodiversity 

We increase the local bee population by featuring numerous types of flowers, herbs and vegetables and avoiding non-native plants in our garden. 

We commit to protecting the two critically endangered primates that are native to Ha Giang, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and the Black-crested Gibbon through raising awareness for the neighboring communities to reduce the bad local practice of illegal logging and hunting. 

We are a proactive reporter for the local government in spotting cases of hunting, killing/destruction or trade of protected species. 

We do not display, serve or sell items made from protected species. 

P’apiu is committed to protecting Ha Giang’s diverse ecosystem

We are committed to leading the way in building a sustainable and inclusive economy that balances purpose and profit according to the Sustainable Development Goals. Your decision to stay with us contributes to improving the welfare of the people and preserving the environment of Ha Giang. Thank you for joining our force for good. We welcome any feedback on how we can improve our sustainability practices. You can email our Sustainability Manager, Mr. Pham Van Thien, at sustainability@papiu.vn, directly with feedback.