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Why Line Wastebaskets?
I've wondered for years why hotels line their guestroom wastebaskets. It looks ugly. The bags cost money, unless you use plastic grocery bags (and that's even uglier). The bags consume resources in manufacture and distribution. And it takes more manpower for housekeepers to put the bags in and then take them out again.
To be an even more sustainable hotel why not take one more step -- don't line your wastebaskets. Conserve natural resources (and money) and reduce waste by skipping that step.
Wastebasket liners add to the landfill problem. You have trash encased in a plastic bag which is in a plastic bag and that's added with lots of other plastic bags to the landfill which is then layered with dirt. You now have an airtight container to preserve the trash for eons to come. That seems wrong.
From the guests' perspective liners are a nuisance. Either there is air trapped underneath causing the bag to be closed so when you toss something in it either doesn't go in far or bounces out, or the bag is loose and drops into the wastebasket when trash is deposited. And they are ugly!
There seems to be resistance from hoteliers that I don't understand. Hoteliers seem to think liners are a benefit. Even when I ask I don't get a clear answer. Oh, the words are clear but I'm not convinced the hoteliers' thinking or logic is clear. The logic eludes me anyway.
Use durable wastebaskets and when they do get dirty the housekeeper can wipe them out with a damp rag and be done with it. That saves money, storage space, time and resources. Now that is an ECOnomically Sound business approach.
Posted by Kit
