Eco-friendly Hotels Strive for a Better Future

by Barbara Wade

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that most families of four use at least 400 gallons of water a day. The EPA also advises switching to energy-saving light fixtures, pointing out that bulbs in your home can reduce electrical costs by 75%. Now imagine that usage multiplied by hundreds or thousands of hotel guests. At hotels with considerable convention activity that stay fully booked year round – like the hotels near Moscone Center in San Francisco – the expense of energy from lights, kitchen equipment, laundry and more is astronomical. With a thought to the future, some of these hotels are leading the way by converting to eco-friendly practices with benefits that can affect us all.

Anyone who has stayed at a hotel in recent years is familiar with the option of reusing towels rather than receiving new ones each day. This saves energy, detergent, and water that are otherwise used in large quantities. The use of low-flow showers and toilets is an additional way hotels save water.

In some hotels, guests are afforded the ability to recycle right in their rooms. One San Francisco boutique hotel offers in-room designer bins so guests can recycle, thus reducing trash in local landfills. In many hotels, the glass, bottles, cardboard and paper discarded daily are prepared for recycling behind the scenes. Reduced waste is one way hotels are delivering environmentally friendly service. Plus, to diminish water and air pollutants, some hotels are switching to cleaning products that are safer for the earth.

Use of hazardous cleaning materials not only damages the water and air, but can be harsh for the staff as well. The change to environmentally friendly cleaning solutions can reduce pollution in the water supply since hazardous chemicals don’t get washed down the drain. Some hotels have even chosen to use vendors that conserve natural resources: printing companies that use soy inks and recycled paper is a prime example.

When staying in a hotel, you might use some of the hotel stationery to write down directions or notes. You probably don’t think about the inks or paper in that stationery, or how they can affect the environment. According to an EPA study, “Soy inks release less than 20% of the mass of volatile organic chemicals compared to petroleum inks.” By using soy inks, not only is the reliance on petroleum-based products decreased, but pollution can be lessened too. By using recycled paper in stationery, fewer trees are used for paper production. That’s a lot of environmental sensitivity in a simple piece of paper.

In addition to water conservation, recycling, and eco-friendly products, some hotels are energy efficient as well. Energy conservation in hotels can be achieved with high-efficiency lighting. In fact, several San Francisco boutique hotels use energy-efficient bulbs in their retrofitted lighting to save electricity. The reduction in energy consumption can ultimately reduce U.S. greenhouse emissions. In addition, timers on irrigation for landscaped areas, and timers on electrical systems conserve water and energy. These are just a few of the ways the hotel, restaurant and tourism (HRT) industry is willing to take responsibility for their part in operating in a more environmentally responsible fashion.

The next time you’re attending a conference in a place like the Moscone Center, consider the benefits of staying at a nearby eco-friendly hotel. Conserving natural resources provides the ecological sustainability needed for our future. Staying at a hotel that preserves the environment is a great way to participate in the fight for a better future.