Being "Green" When You Travel

By Barbara Wade

These days, it seems "green" is the world's favorite color. A quick look at the media tells you that conservation concerns have grown from an isolated interest of nonprofit organizations such as Greenpeace to paper products, cleaning supplies and cat litter found in virtually every home. Green - and the mindset that follows it - is everywhere.

Global warming, air pollution, loss of ozone and lower water levels are constant reminders of the condition of our environment. With an eye toward maintaining and preserving resources worldwide, the color green has become synonymous with growth, progress and replenishment.

We have been taught about the ways to be green at home and at the office, such as using energy-efficient light bulbs, planning errand trips to ensure maximum efficiency of gasoline and recycling our paper, metals and plastics. We are even being given the option of hybrid cars or eco-friendly fuel cars, which use ethanol instead of gasoline.

Until recently, however, using green habits while traveling hasn't been commonplace. You now have the option of staying at environmentally friendly hotels while on the road. There are a variety of ways in which hotels become green, thus encouraging travelers to help preserve planet earth while lodging with them. The preference for ecology-minded individuals is to stay at hotels that adopt business practices, which conserve, recycle and protect the environment.

Practices of Environmentally Friendly Hotels

Water Conservation – According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Lake Mead has dropped to 49% of its capacity due to drought: down 100 feet since 1998. Likewise, the water levels in the Great Lakes have also fallen. In situations just like these all across the country, conservation of water is a paramount concern. Green hotels are answering the call of nature with effective water-conservation practices.

A typical hotel produces wastewater from sinks, showers, laundry and dishwashers. Environmentally friendly hotels use biodegradable soap, which enables the recycling of the water. The “gray water” can then be used for nourishing gardens and landscaping because it is cleaned as it passes through the soil. The use of wastewater reduces the amount of fresh water that would be otherwise needed.

Electrical Conservation – A green hotel may use sensors to turn lights off when areas are unoccupied; use reflective roofing material to reduce the heat and lower the requirements for air conditioning; and replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. A compact fluorescent light bulb uses 14 watts of power to produce the same amount of light that comes from a 60-watt incandescent bulb. The fluorescent also lasts four to six times longer than the incandescent bulb. The energy savings is huge for the environment.

One hotel chain replaced approximately 5,900 light bulbs with compact, fluorescent bulbs. The Environmental Defense Organization has a calculator that will compute the energy savings and the amount of carbon dioxide prevented. Using this calculator, this hotel chain will prevent 1,039,751 pounds of carbon dioxide from reaching the air and impacting global warming.

Environmental Conservation – Every traveler expects a hotel to be clean. What might be a welcome surprise is that environmentally friendly hotels use eco-friendly cleaning agents. These cleaners are biodegradable and do not contain harsh chemicals or volatile organic compounds.

A green hotel will also use organic cotton fabric instead of synthetic blends or regular cotton. Cotton, in and of itself, is more absorbent and breathes better than synthetic fabric. This makes sheets cooler in the summer and towels more absorbent, which brings added comfort to guests. Organic cotton also provides added benefits by being free of chemicals, dyes, finishes, resins and bleaches…a great plus for allergy sufferers as well as the environment.

Although not the preference, there are situations where disposable items must be used. Environmentally friendly hotels will choose disposable items such as paper napkins and corn-based plastic that are biodegradable.

A green hotel will not overlook the recycling of things such as sheets, towels, table linens, furniture and appliances that are no longer usable or useful to the property. Selling or donating these items keeps them out of the landfill.

Stay at a Green Hotel

EconomicallySound.com reports, “Green Seal, an organization that certifies the environmental practices of a variety of businesses, conducted a survey a few years ago and found that an average 150-room hotel consumes in one week as much as 100 4-person households do in one year." That’s right…only one week.

When your conscience reminds you that average hotels are notorious contributors to global warming and other eco-hazards, ease your mind by staying at a green hotel. You'll find numerous places throughout the U.S. that have an equally high regard for our environment as you do.

Barbara Wade writes for Kimpton Hotels, a proud pioneer of environmentally friendly hotels. Kimpton Hotels is the right place to stay for sophisticated travelers. Visit http://www.kimptonhotels.com today. © 2008, All Rights Reserved