Eco-friendly hotels aspire to be energy-efficient, resource efficient and do their best to avoid large carbon footprints on the planet. As eco-tourism continues to pick up and with sustainability on the minds of many, getting green can benefit your business in the accommodations scene.
In an interview with Pedro Ferreira, engineer at Corinthia Hotel Lisbon, he told Forbes: “In today’s world, environmental issues are a clearly established focus of attention that is on everybody’s mind, and everyone is becoming increasingly conscious of these issues. From a marketing perspective, having your name regarded as an example of environmental responsibility and care is an incredibly important attribute.”
Folks in the accommodations can use this edition of How To get greener in the accommodations scene right now as a source of inspiration and those hotels that already have green hotels can use it as a checklist.
Provide an alternative to the plastic bottle of water in guest rooms
While it’s common to check into your room and find bottles of water offered or for purchase — a green solution to this would be to provide glass bottles that your staff can easily refill with filtered water. This will save many plastic bottles with destinies in a landfill — or even the energy consumed to recycle it.
Start a rainwater collection system
For irrigation and landscaping purposes, have a rainwater collection system set up. This is both water and energy efficient — providing water to maintain the aesthetically pleasing landscaping for your accommodations for free. For more information about rainwater collection systems, click here.
Recycle used shampoos and soap
What better way to improve your waste management situation than to avoid waste and recycle? Non-profit organizations like Clean The World offer a hospitality partner program where they collect leftover soap and distribute soaps and shampoos to impoverished people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to hygiene products.
Offer green guests the option to reuse bedding and towels
While this has become a fairly mainstream trend in the accommodations scene, encouraging guests to reuse towels or bedding is both energy and water efficient. Our resources are not limitless so offering this option is beneficial to the guest, your business and the environment.
Top off your building with a green or white roof
By turning your roof into either a green or white roof — you’ll be getting your green building even more energy-efficient. There are perks to both — a green roof is beautiful and improves energy efficiency while a white roof can actually help battle climate change and help the environment.
Have you taken our Energy Audit yet? Also, we have incentives for businesses.
Image credit: BlueForest
