How to make a hotel sustainable: the first step towards "greening"
2023-06-12 12:34
More and more people are choosing to consume consciously at home and in the office, so it's no surprise that their hotel choices are also becoming greener. One way to make a hotel more sustainable is to replace single-use plastics with recyclable alternatives.
1. Plates There are 2 options - either use reusable dishes everywhere, or replace plastic dishes with eco-ware from birch veneer, starch, reed. One of the most hygienic and environmentally friendly types of tableware is disposable biodegradable veneer tableware. Plates, forks, spoons, toothpicks, boats, envelopes, stacks, boxes are made from it. The production does not use toxic components. Birch, namely, dishes are made from birch veneer, taken from a sanitary felling. It looks aesthetically pleasing, does not break, decomposes in a few months even in a landfill.
2. Guest kit Swap out disposable plastic combs and toothbrushes for wooden, white paper towels for unbleached kraft paper towels. A simple life hack - hang beautiful announcements in the rooms "We are for the preservation of the environment and therefore we have replaced plastic combs, dishes, appliances with biodegradable ones." This clearly defines the position of the hotel and makes its brand stronger.
3. Straws Stop buying disposable plastic straws. Paper straws are the best alternative, but you can go further and switch to bamboo straws or skip straws altogether. If the concept allows, you can offer guests pasta instead of straws. There is a common misconception that disposable eco-ware is much more expensive than plastic. However, a birch veneer plate costs 15 rubles, a spoon costs 2 rubles. This is comparable in price to plastic of the same density. This is the very first step towards greening the hotel. And don't forget to think about recycling because all those bio plates, forks, combs and toothpicks have to decompose somewhere.
There are several options:
dig a compost pit in the backyard and then fertilize the flower beds; burn everything in the oven; install everywhere - in rooms, in common areas, in the kitchen - containers for separate waste collection. And a separate container for hazardous waste (e.g. batteries). And then take everything out.
A further step could be a complete greening of the hotel and obtaining a Green Globe, Travelife, EarthCheck, Audubon International Green Lodging or GreenLeader Trip Advisor certification. And of course, not only out of a sense of social responsibility, but out of consideration for the competitiveness of the hotel.