A Zero Waste Lifestyle in Ubud at Viceroy Bali
Luxury and sustainability are often presented as separate ideas. At Viceroy Bali, they quietly exist together.
There is no plastic bottle waiting on your villa counter when you arrive. The bathroom is free from rows of miniature single-use amenities. The glass you drink from at CasCades Restaurant & Bar has been handblown in Bali using recycled materials. Herbs and vegetables growing in the property’s organic garden may later appear on your plate.
None of these details is presented as a selling point. Instead, they simply shape the experience from the moment you arrive. Since opening in 2005, Viceroy Bali has operated this way, creating an eco-friendly hotel in Ubud where thoughtful luxury naturally complements responsible hospitality.
For guests who already embrace a zero-waste lifestyle at home, a stay feels like a seamless continuation of their everyday habits. For others, these thoughtful details often become memorable parts of the experience without demanding any extra effort.
Drinkable Water Without Plastic
One of the first things guests notice is what they do not see. There are no plastic water bottles in the villa.
Instead, every villa features drinkable tap water sourced from a natural spring approximately 80 metres beneath the surrounding mountains. The water is purified through a reverse osmosis filtration system that meets international drinking water standards, allowing guests to enjoy fresh drinking water directly from the tap.
Each villa also includes an insulated reusable water bottle that can be refilled throughout the stay. Around the property, Terra Water filtration stations provide the same high-quality drinking water in public areas, making it easy to stay hydrated while significantly reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles.
Behind the scenes, wastewater is treated through an 18-step organic process before being safely returned to the Petanu River, helping protect the shared water source for neighbouring communities.
Thoughtful Bathroom
The attention to detail continues inside the bathroom.
Instead of miniature plastic bottles discarded after each stay, guests find elegant ceramic dispensers filled with shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. These locally crafted containers are replenished throughout each stay, creating a bathroom that feels refined while reducing unnecessary waste.
It is a simple change that many guests appreciate immediately. Behind the scenes, it also prevents hundreds of single-use plastic containers from entering the waste stream each year across the property’s 40 private pool villas.
The Kitchen
The organic kitchen garden on the property supplies fresh produce to both CasCades Restaurant & Bar and Apéritif Restaurant. What the garden produces shapes what appears on the plate. What the kitchen cannot use goes back into the process.
At Apéritif, the Heirloom Tomato dish is the property’s confirmed signature zero-waste dish, documented in Viceroy Bali’s sustainability materials. The non-alcoholic programme at Apéritif is produced from kitchen trimmings, including a house-made kombucha. A six-month miso features on the vegetarian menu. A tape financier in the mignardises uses fermented cassava.
Zero waste cooking at this level is not a restriction. It is a creative discipline that produces some of the most considered dishes on the menu. Fine dining and responsible practice are not in tension here. They are the same decision made every day.
Crafted From Recycled Glass
Some of the most distinctive details at CasCades Restaurant & Bar and Akoya Spa are easy to overlook at first glance.
The drinking glasses and decorative vases throughout both venues are handblown in Bali by local artisans using 100 per cent recycled glass. Created in partnership with Bali Sama Sama, a sustainability-focused lifestyle brand, each piece celebrates traditional craftsmanship while giving discarded glass a new purpose.
The result is both practical and beautiful. Every glass becomes part of a wider effort to support local artisans while reducing waste through thoughtful design.
A GSTC Certified Hotel in Ubud
In June 2026, Viceroy Bali became one of the first boutique hotels in Ubud to achieve GSTC Certification, the globally recognised benchmark for sustainable tourism.
The certification followed an independent assessment by Control Union that covered four pillars of responsible tourism: environmental responsibility, cultural preservation, community engagement, and sustainable management.
For guests, the significance lies in knowing that the sustainable practices experienced throughout the property are not simply marketing claims. They have been independently assessed against internationally recognised standards, making Viceroy Bali a GSTC-certified hotel in Ubud where sustainability is supported by measurable action.
A More Thoughtful Way to Stay
Living a zero-waste lifestyle during your holiday at Viceroy Bali does not require changing your routine. It is already woven into the experience, from the water you drink and the bathroom amenities you use to the meals you enjoy and the handcrafted glassware found across the property.
Guests who actively seek an eco-conscious stay in Ubud will find sustainability thoughtfully integrated into every stage of their visit. Those discovering these ideas for the first time often leave with a greater appreciation for how small details can quietly shape a more meaningful travel experience.
As a responsible luxury boutique hotel in Ubud, Viceroy Bali demonstrates that exceptional hospitality and environmental responsibility can coexist comfortably.
To arrange your stay, contact the reservations team at res@viceroybali.com.
Implement Your Zero Waste Lifestyle Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Viceroy Bali a zero waste hotel?
Viceroy Bali incorporates zero-waste principles throughout the guest experience. Guests enjoy drinkable tap water that eliminates the need for plastic water bottles, ceramic refillable bathroom amenities, an organic kitchen garden that supplies the restaurants, thoughtfully designed dining experiences that reduce food waste, and handcrafted recycled glassware throughout the property. These practices are independently verified as part of the GSTC Certification earned in June 2026.
Is Viceroy Bali an eco-friendly hotel in Ubud?
Viceroy Bali has eliminated single-use plastic across the property. There are no plastic water bottles, no single-use bathroom amenities, and no single-use plastic in the dining venues. Drinkable tap water is available from every villa tap and at Terra Water filtration stations throughout the property.
What sustainable practices does Viceroy Bali have?
Viceroy Bali holds GSTC Certification, awarded in June 2026, verified across four pillars of sustainable operation: water management, community support, cultural preservation, and environmental responsibility. Specific practices include an 18-step organic wastewater treatment system, an organic kitchen garden, zero single-use plastic, ceramic refillable bathroom amenities, recycled glassware, local employment from surrounding villages, and a weekly Balinese dress tradition supporting cultural preservation.
What is GSTC Certification?
GSTC Certification is an internationally recognised standard for sustainable tourism. Hotels are independently assessed across areas including environmental management, cultural heritage, community engagement, and sustainable business practices. Viceroy Bali achieved GSTC Certification in June 2026 following an independent assessment conducted by Control Union.
Can guests enjoy a zero waste lifestyle while staying at Viceroy Bali?
Yes. Guests can naturally enjoy many aspects of a zero-waste lifestyle throughout their stay. Drinking water is available directly from the villa tap; bathroom amenities are provided in refillable ceramic dispensers; seasonal produce is grown on the property; and recycled glassware is used throughout the restaurants and spa. Sustainability becomes a natural part of the guest experience rather than something that requires extra effort.
