COMO Uma Bhutan is committed to reducing our carbon footprint however we can, whether through reducing plastic use or converting waste into natural compost. Through these eco-friendly initiatives, we help preserve Bhutan's landscapes and nurture a sustainable future for both our community and the environment.
We are proud to have been awarded the prestigious Silver Certification from EarthCheck as of October 2025. This milestone underscores our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility, as well as our dedication to aligning with the highest international sustainability standards.
Overlooking a lush valley covered with blue pine and cypress trees, guests at COMO Uma Bhutan are able to connect with nature at its best from the moment they arrive. Our commitment to sustainability is visible everywhere, through the liberal use of natural materials in our design, to the traditional touches that convey the importance of local culture in our operations.
All guests are welcomed with a note written on traditional handmade paper. Deh-sho, or the art of making traditional paper, has great historical significance in Bhutan. Made from the bark of the Daphne tree, it was used to record religious texts and scriptures, which were written on the paper using local ink or gold dust. The art is still alive in eastern Bhutan – including the Jungshi traditional paper factory in Thimphu – where raw materials are readily available.
As part of our welcome process, our staff make it a point to state that COMO Uma Bhutan is plastic bottled water-free zone. Instead, a reusable bottle will be issued to you by your guide or driver on your first day, which they will refill for you when necessary.
We are always seeking new ways to ensure our guests rooms are as eco-friendly as possible, from eliminating plastic packaging to installing sustainable LED bulbs.
The plastic spoons provided for our bath salts have been replaced with wooden ones that we make in-house.
We have also replaced plastic rubbish bags with reusable liners made from recycled tarpaulin. These are used both for in-room waste bins and laundry baskets.
As of summer 2024, we have replaced the plastic packaging for the underwear provided for massage treatments with paper.
90 per cent of lighting in the hotel has so far been changed to LED, with plans to convert the remaining 10 per cent in the near future.
We ensure the freshest possible ingredients for our guests by sourcing locally, or by growing them ourselves in our organic kitchen garden. We are also working to achieve zero food waste, both by preserving ingredients before they can spoil and through diverting kitchen waste into animal feed.
We invite guests to explore the garden and witness our farm-to-table ethos in action. Our vegetables are 100 per cent locally sourced, with 40 per cent grown in our own organic garden. From May to September, we source all our herbs from the garden, which also provides 60 per cent of our fruit throughout the year.
We have 4 large compost pits where we process all food waste from our main kitchen and guest tables and have recently introduced Takakura composting, an efficient and low-odour method that uses fermented organic matter and natural enzymes to produce nutrient-rich compost. The resulting soil will be ready for harvesting in warmer weather.
We are committed to achieving zero food waste across our cafeteria and main kitchen.
Food waste from the staff cafeteria is carefully managed through a rigorous sensitisation programme that encourages our employees to take only what they need. Menus are also thoughtfully curated to minimise leftovers, ensuring less to no food waste leaves the cafeteria. Any remaining food waste is sent to the piggery — in 2024, our pigs consumed nearly 18,000 kilos across both our properties. Food waste from main kitchen goes to a local dog shelter, accounting for another 360 kilos in 2024.
Ginger from tea is recycled and converted into ginger candies, whilst we ensure all herbs and fruits are dried before winter so they don’t spoil.
Our team work with local farmers to secure fresh ingredients for our bars and restaurants, and to make sure suppliers use sustainable packaging when transporting goods.
Our Purchasing Team secures fresh fruit and vegetables from local farms, ensuring ingredients are free of pesticides and grown with natural fertilisers. Our Procurement Team regularly visit farms with the potential to become suppliers, reviewing both quality of produce and commitment to supplying consistently.
Currently, 90 per cent of our fruit and 70 per cent of our vegetables are locally purchased. Since 2023, we stopped accepting goods sent in plastic bags, working with our suppliers to ensure they use sustainable packaging.
At COMO Uma Bhutan, we are committed to activities that uplift our community, whether that is through fundraising for vital local services or by making essential materials available for free to nearby farmers.
At COMO Uma Bhutan, giving back to the community is central to everything we do. In 2024, we raised US$7,990 in support of Jurwa in Paro, which supports recovering addicts with after-care services, counselling and other services.
Continuing this commitment, in 2025 we raised US$7,195 for Draktsho, the Vocational Training Institute for differently abled children in Thimphu. Draktsho empowers young individuals by helping them develop practical skills and vocational training, enabling them to build independent and fulfilling lives once they enter the job market.
Every winter, our property’s landscape generates tonnes of dry pine needles, which need to be removed and disposed of. We invite local villagers to come and take as many pine needles as they want for free, which they then can convert into high-quality fertiliser.
This initiative helps our local farmers by giving them access to otherwise expensive fertiliser at no charge. It also means they don’t have to travel in search of this essential material, saving transport emissions.
For more information on our sustainability initiatives, please reach out to [email protected].
