Lodging
An average hotel purchases more products in a week than 100 families purchase in an entire year. (Environmental Protection Agency - EPA). If one extrapolates that figure to all hotels in the country, this translates into the equivalent purchasing and associated waste of over 100 million homes in the U.S.
Thousands of lodgings and conference centers across the country are adopting responsible business practices and finding success from even minimal investments.
There are three prime reasons for putting effort into sustainability: first, it preserves our environment for future generations; second, it adds that extra dimension to guest satisfaction, which in turn makes us a more attractive company; and third, it saves costs and improves profitability.
Jan Peter Bergkvist, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Scandic
Most lodgings operate 24 hours a day and purchase, use and dispose of substantial resources - products made from forests, mining ores, water, energy, fossil fuels and synthetic materials.
The hotel and convention industry is in the enviable position of being able to make a substantial positive impact on the environment, embrace social responsibility, attract new customers and increase their profitability while becoming a sustainable business sector. Trends in corporate social responsibility (CSR), pressure from individual and institutional investors, and exploding demand for green conferences and events have put the tourism industry on a trajectory towards sustainability.
Impacts associated with the lodging industry come from two primary sources: | |
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I. The building, landscaping and overall operations of the facility
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II. Physical Items Purchased
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III. The embedded energy, mining ores, forest products and synthetic materials used to build the lodging. | |
Ninety five percent of individual customers surveyed said hotels need to be greener.
Deloitte survey of more than 1,000 business travelers, April 2008.
What you buy, who you buy it from, how you use and dispose of hundreds of materials has a profound impact on associate and guest health, your finances and the environment and health of the local community.
Such a large industry as lodging therefore has a significant impact, and "greening" your property, whether it's a luxury resort or a B&B, will reduce that impact while improving your bottom line over many years.
Since conservation is such an important issue globally, it is vitally important that hotel properties actively market their eco-friendly offerings and make them easy to recognize and participate in. Offering green programs is a win-win situation for both hotels guests and hotel operators. Guests are increasingly looking for these types of offerings, and hotels are finding that going green actually saves money.
Linda Hirneise, executive director of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates,
J.D. Power Study Gauges Awareness of Environmental Programs in Hotels,
greenlodgingnews - 07/24/2007