Ten Environmental Tips for the Hospitality Industry

1. Conserve -- Electricity, natural gas and water/sewer bills are in no way fixed costs. In fact, something as simple as changing a few light bulbs from incandescent to fluorescent (both compact fluorescent and linear, T-12 to T-8) is applicable for most lighting applications and helps operators quickly and cost effectively reduce related energy consumption and costs up to 75 percent.

Further sweetening the "what's in it for us" value proposition is the fact that many utility companies offer rebates to encourage energy- and water-saving products, and Green Suites International has the partnerships and people to help hotels uncover rebates and will even help fill out the paperwork for them. Some of the most-lucrative programs are in California, Utah, Oregon, and Washington, but rebates run coast to coast. Get your utility bills and give us a call.

Consider purchasing more energy-efficient equipment or maintaining what they have in better working condition. Preventive Maintenance is very ecological.

Hotels can provide nightlights near bathrooms. Many guests often leave a light on at night because rooms are dark. A nightlight uses much less energy and increases guest satisfaction with your property.

Conserve water by changing sink aerators. At 75 cents a pop, this is a simple, easy-to-implement, low-cost solution.

Let your guests know that you will change the sheets every third day of their stays with their consent, and allow them the option of reusing their towels to help conserve our planet's natural resources.

Install turbo-charged 2 gallons per minute showerheads that give vigorous showers that keep guests coming back -- and even asking where they can buy the showerheads for their homes. We have them in our house, and sometimes I wish I could take one on the road with me.

A new dual-flush commode offers guests the choice of 0.8 gallons per flush for liquid and 1.6 GPF for solid waste. This alone will save enough water and effluent charges to pay for it in less than two years in most locales. Where else can you get a measurable 50-percent annual return on minor monies you invest in products proven to last a decade or longer?

Consider switching to all-natural bathroom amenities with convenient/cost-efficient dispensers. Our elegant amenity dispensers for soap, body gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion save time and money � while looking very 5-Stars like) -- by eliminating the need to restock and saving landfills millions of plastic amenities bottles each year.

Buy Organic. Consider purchasing linens manufactured from organic cotton. Use organically grown produce. Try offering Organic Breaks for Meetings, featuring organic coffee, tea and even fruit smoothies.

2. Reuse -- Old, worn towels have excellent second lives as rags. Kitchen scraps and coffee grinds serve as high nutrient compost for organic herb gardens (fresher is better). Every reuse increases your ROI, including our aforementioned popular linen and towel reuse program. By encouraging guest participation through literature detailing how towel and linen reuse conserves our planet's resources, hotels also help themselves with substantial reductions in laundry labor costs, and detergent, electricity/natural gas and towel and linen replacement expenditures.

3. Recycle -- Printer/toner cartridges, paper, newspaper, glass, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles. You name it, there's probably a profitable recycling market for it. Become a model for driving responsible recycling behavior. Do you have a Recycling Coordinator on site? Assistance may be available from your local municipality. Most are looking to reduce the waste stream to eliminate N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard) issues associated with landfills and the ever-increasing costs of operating these facilities. Provide containers for can and bottle recycling for staff and guests.

4. Buy Recycled -- Office paper and public restroom paper products are a great start. Add to the demand for environmentally friendly products. Visit Green Seal for products manufactured from a high percentage of post consumer content. The 50 million-plus "green guests" in America alone will appreciate, and remember and reward your thoughtfulness.

5. Donate -- Give away; don't throw away old sheets, pillowcases, furniture, table linen, etc. Not only does this establish good will in the community, it reduces needless and premature waste. Consider holding an annual parking lot sale (perhaps in conjunction with Earth Day). Donate a meeting room once per month to a local environmental group, and leftover food from your kitchen to a local non-profit organization. It is in giving that we truly receive.

6. Educate/Train -- Get the critical "buy in" from staff, from top to bottom. Do you have an Eco Champion or Eco Leader at your hotel? Be proactive in driving change. Do you have a "green team" of staff committed to implementing these cost-saving initiatives? Think green and reward green thinking. Have a "green-storming" session with your staff and challenge them to come up with 10 more ideas to save time and monies while helping preserve our planet. Reward participants by giving them each a small tree or a shrub to plant at home to remind them to keep thinking green.

Sponsor a school field trip and get kids thinking green. You can work with the teachers to show how your property is helping save energy, reduce water usage and pollution, and improve the environment.

Encourage your guests to think green in their lives. Place small plaques in rooms and common areas showcasing your commitment to environmental responsibility and detailing accomplishments of the eco-initiatives your property has instituted.

Build a micro-website promoting your green practices and offering ideas for others. Websites save paper and guests appreciate having information online easily accessible whenever they need it.

7. Hold Green Meetings -- If a meeting planner asked your Sales and Catering staff for a Green Meeting would they have a clue? Visit the Green Meetings Industry Council to start.

8. Get Recognition for Your Efforts -- Visit Best Green Hotels and sign up your hotel for its initiatives already in place, and continue to add listings/links as you add initiatives. Green-minded travelers patronize green properties. It's fact. Join the Green Restaurant Association and Green Hotels Association. Contact your state for a listing on their website. California, Florida, Vermont and many others have green lodging websites for visitors and guests interested in patronizing green lodging operations. Tell your guests what specific green actions you take; it builds loyalty.

9. Obtain an Energy Star Rating for Your Property -- A strategic approach to energy management can produce twice the savings for the bottom line and the environment. Visit Energy Star for more info.

10. Build Green -- It all starts with a plan. The U.S. Green Building Council is a great place to seek information about how you can design and build green. Remember, it's easier to design efficiency and conservation than retrofit for it. Visit USGBC to get more information.

There are so many reasons to adopt an Earth Day attitude year-round, and the results are often front and center -- from the physical beauty of well-planned, planted, and maintained grounds that attract and retain guests, to the fond memories that bring back repeat business. We can make sound business decisions and feel good about them at the same time. We want our guests to see our properties as a home away from home that reflects our, and their, commitment to the "Big Home" -- Planet Earth.