Be a Green Guest

by Carl Duivenvoorden (www.changeyourcorner.com). Carl is one of 22 Atlantic Canadians trained by Al Gore to deliver presentations of 'An Inconvenient Truth.' His column runs every other Monday in the Telegraph Journal.

When traveling, it’s easy to get into the routine of using every towel in the hotel room. Sure, we could get by with less – but they’re part of what we pay for, so why wouldn’t we use them all?

Most of us don’t think much about waste or carbon footprints when we settle into a hotel room. Yet, guest habits factor heavily in the energy consumption of hotels, and energy use means emissions. If we pause to think, there are a lot of things we can do to make our stay away from home as green as possible.

Why bother?

I’m guessing that’s the first thought going through your mind too: why should I do something just to save the hotel money? It’s a question that deserves a better answer than it currently gets. Even though money is about the most effective motivator there is, I’m not aware of a single hotel that gives its guests a price break for using less of anything.

So why bother? For the same reasons you’d make other eco-friendly choices: good for the planet, the future and the kids. No money in your pocket, but hopefully a fuzzy feeling in your heart.

What a guest can do

Here are a few ideas to try the next time you check into a hotel:

  • Turn the air conditioner down or off. Many hotels set the AC on high all summer, even when it’s not very hot outside, and most of us don’t think to turn it down or off. Air conditioning is a big energy user – ironically, heating the planet to keep a small space cool.
  • Turn off lights, radios and the TV when you leave the room.
  • Take home partially used soap and shampoo; both take energy to manufacture, and are wasted if you leave them.
  • Set aside the bathmat, so that it doesn’t need to be washed for just having been stepped on once or twice by clean wet feet.
  • Use only the towels you really need and reuse them where possible. If you’re staying for more than one night, ask that towels and linens not be changed. A lot of hotels already do this – but if you’re unsure whether yours does, write a note and leave it on your bed.

What a hotel can do

If you’re in the hotel business, here’s how you can make a huge difference:

  • Install cardlocks that automatically turn off the lights when a guest leaves the room.
  • Take steps to save water, save energy and recycle everything. Develop towel and linen reuse programs, and minimize the use of air conditioning.
  • Make sure guests know about your energy and water saving initiatives. According to a JD Power study, 29% of guests aren’t aware of their hotel’s programs – so of course they don’t take part. Many would, if only they knew.
  • Then make sure your cleaning staff know and follow your programs. I’m sure I’m not the first guest who has hung up towels for reuse as instructed, only to find that they get changed anyway.
  • And – isn’t there some way to make it worth my while? If hotels can keep tabs on the inventory of my minibar, why can’t they credit me for the towels I don’t use? That same JD Power survey indicated that 86% of hotel guests who don’t participate in hotel towel and linen saving programs would if there were a cash incentive.
  • Finally, join a green hotels association for lots of tips and technology to help you save energy, money and the environment.

If you’re a road warrior, think about the environmental impact of your hotel stay the next time you travel. Sure, you could use every towel - but there’s a better way. Just because we can waste doesn’t mean we should.