8 Sustainability Ideas to Consider for Hotels

Sustainable hotels: how can you make your hotel operations more eco-friendly?

Creating a sustainable hotel is necessary with growing concern for our environment. Data from Booking.com shows that more than 70% of travelers believe that sustainable tourism is a priority.

With just a few changes to your hotel, you can create a more eco-friendly experience for your guest.

We’ve created the following guide with 8 ideas you can consider.

1. Use Eco-Friendly Key Cards

With thousands of guests arriving in and out of your hotel every day, you’ll be using a countless number of keycards each year. Keycards are usually made from plastic, so your hotel will be contributing quite a lot to plastic production.

Make the switch to an eco-friendly hotel with your key cards. With sustainable keycards, you can eliminate the use and production of virgin PVC, along with the build-up of substances extracted from the earth’s crust.

Instead, you can create more sustainability by using earth-friendly key cards. You’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions with renewable sources.

Earth-conscious key cards include wooden key cards, cork, PPH bio board, and recycled PVC.

2. Use Green Hotel Cleaning Products

Many cleaning supplies come full of harsh chemicals that both harm the environment and may even endanger guests.

With green supplies, you can keep everyone safe and help the environment. All the while, you’ll be meeting your hotel’s high standards.

Eco-friendly cleaning supplies make it possible to create a friendly, hygienic, and safe property. Guests will appreciate that you took the extra step of using the highest-quality ingredients in your cleaning products.

3. Offer Guest Option to Re-Use Linens

It’s common for a hotel to give its guests fresh linens and sheets. However, most people do not need fresh towels every single day.

Hotels can place signs in bathrooms that tell guests about sustainable towel programs. Guests that want to reuse their towels can hang them up. Guests who want new towels place their used towels on the floor.

To make a linen rental program even more effective, hotels can explain the benefits of the program on the bathroom signs, like the amount of water saved.

4. Limit Water Waste

Water consumption is one of the main culprits of environmentally-damaging practices within a hotel. The UK’s Environment Agency says that hotels could decrease the water that guests used each night by 50%.

One of the most effective sustainable hotel initiatives is establishing a water management plan. With this plan, you can outline ways to save water and create targets for the resources you’ll need to meet your goals.

For instance, consider a water-saving plan for a kitchen. Only run dishwashers when there’s a full load of dishes. Pre-soak dishes and utensils in the sink before loading the dishwasher.

Take the time to educate customers about your water-saving methods. Place signs in bathrooms that encourage turning off the tap while running and encourage guests to take showers.

5. Implement Energy-Conserving Lighting Methods

Changing your lighting and controls in your hotel is one of the most effective sustainable hotel initiatives.

For instance, hotels use 28% less energy with connected lighting systems.

You can amplify the effects of these energy-saving properties by using both lighting systems and LED bulbs. LED bulbs convert most heat energy into light, wasting far less energy.

Meanwhile, only 5% of the energy that traditional lightbulbs produce turns into light. Just changing the lightbulbs can result in major hotel energy conservation.

6. Try Recycling for Hotels

Going green can be as simple as starting a recycling program. If you’re one of the many hotels that doesn’t have a recycling initiative, you can add recycling to your program with just a few changes.

Place recycling bins in every room and throughout the property to encourage guests to recycle. Train all of your staff in the recycling initiatives that you’ll be using on the property.

On that note, you can take your recycling initiative to the next level by changing the products you buy. Consider buying recycled or partially recycled paper products instead of 100% new products.

If you do choose to buy new products, look at the sourcing of those items. You can reduce waste by opting for items that were sustainably sourced.

7. Start a Rooftop Garden

Use your roof to become more sustainable! Starting a green garden on your roof is a way to implement sustainable practices into your hotel at a relatively low cost.

Planting a rooftop garden both benefits your hotel and your guests. You’ll attract visitors with this unique hotel amenity, all while being environmentally friendly.

Even though it may seem small, a rooftop garden can counteract the large carbon footprint produced by your hotel. Everything counts!

Furthermore, a rooftop garden is simply a wonderful asset for your hotel to have. Guests can have a space to rest and relax. You can even add dining options.

With the green atmosphere and city views, a rooftop garden could make your hotel an even more popular attraction. You’ll gain the business of eco-conscious travelers, too.

8. Encourage Guests to Get Involved

Last but not least encourage your guests to get involved with your sustainability practices. Make sustainability a common theme around your hotel, and encourage them to participate.

When your hotel promotes a green culture throughout guests’ stay, they will notice that and want to contribute.

Place recycling bins in spots that are easy to access throughout the hotel. Encourage them to re-use linens, and leave signs in rooms requesting them to unplug appliances after use.

Most importantly, ask guests for their feedback. Find out if they have any ideas or suggested improvements for your green initiatives. The path to sustainable tourism requires a group effort!

Creating Sustainable Hotels

Sustainable hotels are the future of the tourism industry. With a focus on sustainability, travelers can enjoy their vacation without harming the environment.

Learn more about how you can contribute to sustainable tourism by looking into reusable key cards, such as wooden key cards. Contact our team to explore your options.