3 Aug. 2023
Sustainability is one of the biggest shifts in the hospitality industry.
Hoteliers are rushing to meet the growing tidal wave of consumer demand for eco-conscious travel.
TripAdvisor finds that 62% of travelers had opted for more environmentally friendly hotels, food, and transportation, and 69% of survey respondents said they intended to make even more environmentally responsible travel choices in the future” (UFC).
Travelers are looking for sustainable hotels, which creates a massive opportunity for hotels that can make meaningful changes to become more sustainable.
We’ve curated a list of the top tips for hoteliers to become more eco-conscious.
Whether you’re just beginning your sustainability journey or are already a climate-friendly expert, this list has something for everyone.
Single-use plastic is a serious environmental threat that hoteliers can easily address. For years the hospitality industry has provided guests with small single-use bottles for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. This practice creates millions of pounds of plastic waste every year.
By using larger pump bottles to dispense shower amenities hoteliers can eliminate plastic waste and unnecessary costs from their bottom line. In 2019, Marriott estimated it would save 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste each year (Hotel Management), when the company introduced its large bottle program. Eliminating single-use plastic dispensers in hotels has a major impact, reducing 30% of plastic amenity usage. Hoteliers can easily reduce the amount of plastic they use by installing bulk amenity dispensers in guest rooms.
Hotel room keys account for a large portion of hotel plastic waste. While not single-use plastic, the average plastic hotel key lifespan is only 2.5 days (New York Times). Digital technology and advances in smartphones have eliminated the need for physical hotel keys.
Travelers now enjoy checking in from their smartphones. By 2019 Hilton had already saved 40 tons in plastic through 7.9 million digital keys being used (New York Times). Updating guestroom locks increases convenience for travelers while decreasing plastic usage.
Reducing water usage should be a top priority for savvy hoteliers. System failures and out-of-date equipment waste water and money.
Tracking water usage is an important first step. A single faucet that leaks a drop of water a second can waste 3,000 gallons of water in one year (Hospitality Net). By tracking the water usage building staff can quickly check if the water system is working correctly. Leaky pipes or a dripping faucet might not be spotted immediately, but the increased usage will be reflected in the water data. This metric empowers hotels to manage their water usage responsibly.
Guest Rooms should be fitted with plumbing fixtures up to modern standards. Every flush and shower add up. 1.28 gallons per flush toilet is the recommended standard in New York City hotels for sustainably (NYC Environmental Protection). Updating plumbing fixtures decrease the amount of water that every guest uses, which saves water exponentially.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, 85% of travelers want to see visible proof of cleaning (Hospitality Net). However, many cleaning products on the market are dangerous to the environment and to hotel workers.
Hoteliers need to make informed decisions on choosing cleaning agents. Of the 80,000+ cleaning chemicals on the American shelves, only a few hundred have been evaluated for their health and environmental effects. Traditional cleaners commonly contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, both of which are directly linked to multiple diseases (Hospitality Net). These cleaners can cause health and safety issues for both guests and staff.
List N disinfectants are approved by the EPA’s Design for the Environment program The active ingredients on the list are not linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, DNA, or skin damage unlike common cleaning products (Green Seal). Using safe cleaning products is important to protect staff, guests, and the environment from harmful chemicals. The purpose of cleaning is to make the room safer not more dangerous. Hoteliers who use green cleaning products can safely disinfect.
Hoteliers should also make meaningful strides to reduce the amount of energy they consume. Over 50% of the building’s energy consumption comes from of buildings is from HVACs alone. By upgrading your HVAC system with Setpoint you can use less electricity while providing the highest standard of indoor climate comfort. Using deep learning AI algorithms in real-time, Setpoint is able to decrease energy consumption by up to 30% while improving indoor climate comfort.
Fulfilling this sustainable best practices guide is key to lessening the challenges and making life easier for hoteliers–and luckily, that’s all possible with our Climate Intelligence platform.
Setpoint’s mission is to optimize indoor climate in commercial buildings, lowering energy consumption and peak shaving demand, without compromising on climate comfort. Setpoint’s solution is offered on a Climate-as-a-Service basis, allowing our clients the benefit of a robust and innovative solution with the 360 support and care of a dedicated customer success team.
To learn more about how we can help your hotel, contact us here: