Choose Green Report: Greening Your Property

July 1996

The average hotel purchases more products in one week than 100 typical families purchase in one year. Hotels and motels can have huge impact on the industries that produce furniture and textiles, water and lighting fixtures, cleaning supplies, personal care products, and more. By greening their purchasing and operations decisions, hotels and motels can make great strides in increasing the market for environmentally preferable products, in addition to lowering costs and increasing business.

This report offers a unique approach to establishing an environmental program that not only adopts environmental purchasing plans but also reduces waste and saves energy — adding up to savings for hotels. The report’s detailed “Energy Management” section describes how to make purchases and implement practices that will increase energy efficiency in the major areas of hotel and motel operations: lighting, heating, and laundry and kitchen facilities. A section called “Graywater Basics” outlines the costs and necessary steps involved in setting up on-site water-recycling systems. The section on indoor air quality gives suggestions on cleaning products, textiles, air ventilation systems, and more. Finally, the “Publicize Your Program” section tells how to use an environmental program to attract customers.

Each section of this report ends with an environmentally preferable products guide, descriptions of hotel success stories, and a list of resources. Worksheets help managers calculate the costs and savings of adopting more efficient water, lighting, and climate-control practices. Hotel and motel managers are fortunate to have this guide, which covers the industry’s environmental concerns so fully. It will assist hotels and motels in revolutionizing their impact not just on the environment but also on the environmental movement, while attracting business and reducing costs. Who could say no to that?