Going green in hospitality
As everyone’s favorite quote from Bob Dylan goes, “The times they are a-changin.” And so they are. These days even teenagers care enough about the environment to become activists. Whatever your personal feelings on the matter, it’s good business to keep up with the times and appeal to current society. If going green is important to your target audience, it should be important to you. You may even save some money with the right energy-saving technology. Here are some small changes you can make in your hotel to make it more environmentally friendly.
- Change to LED light bulbs. There is a good chance you have already done this, but if you haven’t, do it as soon as you can. These light bulbs last longer, and they are up to 80% more efficient than your average bulb. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they are cost efficient as well.
- Encourage guests to reuse towels. There really is no need for you to wash a towel after one use if the guest is going to be there for more than one night. You can save a lot of water by encouraging your guests to reuse their towels and sheets with a “do not disturb” sign or by some other way. Just like changing bulbs, reusing towels makes sense economically as well as environmentally.
- Serve local food. Local food is generally more sustainable and more natural. Today’s consumers are increasingly health conscious along with their desire to be green, and this can help them with both of those things. This is a great way to add to the local experience. Rather than eating food that can be attained anywhere, local food helps to transport your guests more fully to their current surroundings.
- Find and fix leaks. Leaks can waste a lot of water and cost thousands of dollars a year if not fixed. A leaky toilet flapper for example can waste up to 200 gallons of water in a single day. That is a lot of money going down the drain. You should regularly be checking and inspecting all toilets and other problem areas to prevent leaks from going left unnoticed.
- Provide recycling bins throughout your property. Many times, recyclables end up in the trash solely because the trash bin was the closest one around. The average person wants to recycle, but the average person is also somewhat lazy when it comes to throwing things away. Don’t make your guests have to search for the recycling, provide enough bins around the premises that they can easily find.
These are really simple ways to get started. There are countless things that can be done to help your hotel become green. Find ways to cut back and be less wasteful. Your guests and your wallet will thank you.
Sources
https://www.naturawater.com/buzz/eco-friendly-hotel-ideas-you-need-to-implement-now
