4 Smart Ways for A Sustainable and Earth-Friendly Hotel

The hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing and most profitable sectors of the global economy. 

But with the increased demand for hospitality services comes increased environmental impact. 

This is the reason why hotels, resorts, and other hospitality-related businesses need to come up with and implement creative eco-friendly hotel ideas to retain their competitive edge in the hotel industry. 

How Eco-Friendly Practices Contribute to Guest Experience

A lot of people are environmentally conscious these days. There are many factors that contribute to the decision of choosing a hotel. One key factor is the environmental impact it has on the world. 

People who care about the environment and want to leave a positive impact on this world always choose eco-friendly hotels over other hotels. This is because they want to be able to sleep easy at night knowing that they didn’t do any harm in choosing their hotel for their vacation.

Benefits Of Hotel Sustainability and Green Practices

Sustainability has become an important factor when guests choose the right hotel for their needs and price range. Guest experience is equally important to hotels as are green practices such as recycling, water conservation, and energy efficiency.

Many hotels have begun using sustainable practices to lessen the environmental impact of their operations. Large hotels often have environmental standards which set the guidelines for environmentally conscious operations. The larger hotels may also offer a reduction on some or all their utility bills during certain times of the year for guests who make use of these green practices.

Crown Hotels, which has locations in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, is among the exceptional hotels that have gone to extreme lengths for their sustainability program. It is a self-sufficient business, entirely powered by solar energy and rainwater collection. With their efficient waste management program, they were able to reduce their waste production and diverted approximately 68,000 tonnes of waste away from landfill.

The hotel and tourism sector has begun to become more environmentally friendly with a greater focus on recycling and environmental ethics. These practices have achieved new advances through technology and initiatives such as the “green star” rating system of the Green Building Council Australia. 

4 Eco-Friendly Hotel Ideas To Practice In Your Hotel

Hotels can have a huge impact on the environment. They are responsible for a lot of waste and energy consumption. 

But there are many ways in which they can improve their sustainability practices and become eco-friendly hotels.

Reduce water consumption

Hotels are one of the world’s largest consumers of water. In fact, an average hotel guest uses 80-100 gallons of water per day.

There are many things that hotels can do to reduce their water consumption and save money while being more environmentally friendly. These include the following simple practices:

• Replace towels and sheets only when necessary to reduce water usage for laundry services
• Cover swimming pools to reduce water evaporation and refill
• Recycle wastewater and use it for watering plants around the hotel
• Install low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets
• Fix leaks as soon as possible
• Install rainwater harvesting systems or cisterns for nonpotable use
• Use water-saving technologies that help produce clean water for their own facility use
• Use signages to remind both staff and guests to turn off faucets when not in use 

These are some of the ways you can save water at the hotel. For a bigger impact, you can create a water management plan to look into all aspects of your hotel operation and create guidelines to reduce water consumption in each area.  

Reduce energy consumption to reduce carbon emission

As one of the biggest consumers of energy in the world, the hotel industry also has a high amount of CO2 emissions. 

In order to address this problem, hotels need to adopt eco-friendly and energy conservation practices.

The first step to reducing your hotel’s carbon footprint is to examine your energy usage and find ways to reduce it. 

Some hotels have already begun taking measures to reduce their carbon footprint by implementing sustainable practices into their everyday operations. These practices include: 

• Installing motion sensors to turn on lights only when there is movement near them
• Using natural light as much as possible to minimize the use of artificial lighting during the day
• Using eco-friendly hotel supplies and guest amenities that have biodegradable packaging and organic ingredients.
• Adopting a green program to help your hotel save money on utility bills and help employees be more environmentally conscious.
• Provide bikes for guests to explore their city or town
• installing solar panels
• Installing LED lights in guest rooms

Reduce production of solid and food wastes

Hotels are big contributors to the food waste problem. In fact, of the annual 7.6 million tonnes of food waste that Australia produces, one-third comes from the hospitality industry. 

But, there are steps that hotels can take to reduce this number and boost the environment, which include the following: 

• Donating leftover food to a local shelter or soup kitchen 
• Composting all of their food scraps, which will help create a cleaner environment for everyone in the hotel
• Purchasing less produce so that they don’t have as much left over at the end of each day and have less need for storage space in their kitchen pantries

Hotels also are one of the major contributors to the solid wastes that go into landfills. In order to reduce this, you need to adopt some hygienic methods. These methods will make sure that you are not only reducing the solid wastes but also keeping your hotel clean and hygienic for your guests. 

Some of the simple methods include: 

• Providing bins in each room for guests to dispose of trash and recyclables  
• Adopting a recycling program for all paper, plastic, glass, and cans
• Using organic waste disposal services for organic wastes

Involve the local community in hotel sustainability programs

There are many initiatives that hotels can undertake to be sustainable, but the most important one has been overlooked: local communities. 

It is important for a hotel to establish strong relationships with a nearby local community because they can provide them with valuable insights into the local culture and traditions. This will help them better understand what tourists want and need when they visit a certain area, which will allow them to tailor their offerings accordingly.

Hotels can use the following strategies to engage with their local communities:

• Partnering with an environmental agency 
• Creating a relationship with a nearby school, library, or hospital
• Helping build a local community garden
• Creating a recycling station
• Providing public Wifi
• Completing a project for the local community
• Working with local businesses to provide discounts to guests and staff members of the hotel

A local community is important for the success of a hotel’s sustainability initiatives. They are the ones who want to know about the hotels’ efforts to become sustainable, and they also provide feedback on these efforts. They also help in identifying potential opportunities for improvement in sustainability, which would not be possible without their input.

CONCLUSION: Why Going Green Is Good for Your Hotel

The hotel industry has been making a lot of progress in the past few years when it comes to sustainability. There are more and more hotels that have started to make their properties green. This is because they know that it is important for their guest experience as well as for the environment.

If you are considering going green with your hotel, there are some great benefits that you can enjoy. One of them is that your guests will be happier when they stay at your property because they know that you care about the environment and want to do your part in helping preserve it. You will also be able to make a meaningful contribution to the world by reducing the environmental impact of your business and supporting sustainable practices.