Ideas for go-green hotels?

Question

I am trying to turn a local hotel into a eco-friendly hotel. I am working on a speech and powerpoint. I currently have over 30 go green ideas, but I need their costs, and how they will save money. I am currently in the state of researching their costs. If you give me ideas, I need how they will reduce the impact on the earth, how much it will cost, and how much money it will save.

Answer 1

Janet

I have worked in the industry for many years as a group revenue director. The new spate of eco aware hotels is partly a further marketing tool for many hotels as it is normally heavily endorsed by local tourist boards and therfore opens up additional channels of sale and distribution. Be clear to yourself what your goal is. There are many energy saving ideas that can apply to small or large properties similar to that we use in our homes. Be aware that some of the most effective cost saving and green impacting methods can also compromise standards.

The main areas of waste are power and water that come as a direct result of guests in their rooms, using up to 4 towels per person (just beacuse they are there) leaving televisons/lights on etc.

The cost saving implication on curbing this waste can be significant depending on the size of property. To calculate it is only possible by looking at your current suppliers and discussing how effective your methods will be and demonstarting this to the supplier who can re-work your average consumption. Switching to energy saving light bulbs is easy and the savings are normally written on the packet. Geneal care and maintenace of buildings and the fixtures and fittings, esp in older properties can have  a massive effect, ie stopping drafts, leaky taps etc - remember some things are adding to the character though!! Its a tough one.

Also some ideas are initially costly like having key-card enabled electrics - forcing all lights out when a room is not in use - the technology to install these can be substancial, but savings, over time can mean you are better off. My email address is [e-mail] if you want me to look at anything specific!!!

Cheers

Answer 2

If we are being honest here it won't save money. I study advertising and design in school at the moment. I am currently with an extremely eco-friendly professor, he is showing us a tonne of info of green design. There in lies the very problem. Companies refuse to go green because the short term profits are low to nil. That's actually attributed as the biggest problem. Companies measure in short term profit. They rarely look to the future as a larger picture.

Take the auto industry. America has launched pilot projects, prototypes for some of the greenest cars on the planet. They have even found new hybrid materials stronger than steel, and half the weight. But sadly these will not get much further than prototypes. Companies are really apprehensive to invest without short term profits.