Hotels: Seven ideas to walk the sustainable path
From small properties to international chains, sustainability is an area of considerable interest and its popularity has risen in hospitality since 2005. This seven ideas will help you to adopt the green movement and start walking the sustainable path.
According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, hotels spend around $3.7 USD billion a year on energy, and an average guest is using 170-440 liters of water per night during its stay. With numbers exposing the excess, small actions in property resources can go a long way.
Sustainable development is defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as "the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own". This means social, economical and environmental resources are part of the concept.
Why should hotels and hoteliers walk the sustainable path?
In a few words it:
- Reduces costs.
- Gives competitive advantages.
- increases employee retention.
- Enhances customer loyalty.
- Makes you compliant with regulations.
- Improves your risk management.
- It's the right thing to do.
Although there are very interesting ideas around the world and some extreme ones, we have collected measurable, impactful and meaningful suggestions to adopt in your property and activate as soon as possible.
Seven ideas for our hotel
- The first step is to conduct a water audit to understand your water consumption and take measures. Identify spending habits and create a plan to reduce.
- To reduce water use consider changing low-flow water heads (0.5 to 2 GPM) and sink aerators, 0.25 to 0.5 GPM for guest sinks and 2.2 GPM in your kitchens. A more advanced solution is to use greywater from baths and sinks for irrigation.
- Hotel guests are 24/7 in your property, therefore changing to modern electronic systems and bulbs can do wonders. Switching to mercury-free fluorescent bulbs or LED lights in lobbies and hallways will reduce energy consumption and improve light quality.
- Using occupancy sensors or timers in less used areas like public bathrooms, storage rooms, or hallways is also an easy and effective solution. Finally, most local energy providers offer energy audits to monitor your property and suggest plausible changes.
- Creating a green purchasing policy is a step towards sustainability inside your hotel. It starts with buying environmentally friendly office supplies like paper, to toilet paper, and even calculating how much paper your business is using. This Paper Calculator will paint a picture of your environmental impact.
- In your purchasing order consider removing disposable cups and filters and replacing those with glassware and porcelain. Finally, buy fair trade, organic, local, and bio ingredients for your kitchen and supplying areas.
- Some hotels, like the Crowne Plaza in Denmark, came up with the idea to reward guests with f ree meal vouchers after generating electricity on the gym bicycle. Other initiatives invite guests to reuse their towels and sheets during their stay, saving in average $6.50 per room per day. Additionally, getting rid of the small toiletries and replacing those with dispensers not only reduce costs, but those small places bottles won't end up in the landfills.
And one last idea…
- Social responsibility is often overlooked, but hospitality can apply the concept by getting involved in the property's local community through your guest policy. Some examples include child protection, local food sourcing, supporting farmers or partnering with local organizations with a sense of social responsibility.
Do you have any sustainable initiatives running at your hotel or have seen an interesting practice as a guest? Let us know in our social media through Facebook or @Base7booking.
