EcoGreenHotel

Organic cotton to bamboo, these are the threads you should know about.

When it comes to purchasing your linens, you have the power to make a difference. It’s up to us,consumers including green hotel purchasers, to buy from companies that will create a shift in the market for our environment and long-term health.

You should know that not only are chemicals in the foods that we eat, but they are also found in our upholsteries, blankets, bed sheets and clothes. More and more, people are experiencing health problems such as rashes, allergies, respiratory and concentration problems due to chemical sensitivities. This adds to the growing demand of “green” hotel guest rooms.

So what makes fabric “eco-friendly”? Wikipedia defines eco-friendly (as well as environmentally friendly, nature friendly and green) to be used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies considered to inflict minimal to no harm to the environment.

“Green” fabrics, for the most part, include any fabric made from sustainable or organic natural materials using fewer chemicals, sustainable operations and environmentally supportive manufacturing methods. Green fabric is also used to describe recycled fabric.

Lets focus on the following four eco-friendly fabrics. Keep in mind, these aren’t the only eco-friendly fabrics available – we’ve chosen these to start with.

1–Organic cotton: is weaved from non-genetically modified plants. It is certified as grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers or pesticides. It doesn’t damage the quality of the cotton or the land and surrounding ecology.

2– Organic linen with flax fibers: True organic linen is created with flax fibers. It comes in the color of a natural cream or light tan since pure white is only achieved through bleaching. Although it wrinkles easily, it is a great hot-weather fabric because it absorbs moisture without getting damp, thus drying quickly and cooling the skin. If you accept the wrinkle look charm, keep in mind flax fiber is stronger than cotton fiber and is less elastic.

3–Hemp: Ok, so it’s still illegal to grow hemp in the Unities States due to its association with marijuana. However, legislation is in the works to change. Right now it’s grown elsewhere in the world and, unfortunately, this increases it’s carbon footprint. Nonetheless, hemp products are manufactured in the U.S.

As for the hemp itself, it’s grown easily and is environmentally friendly. The fibers are mildew-resistant, antimicrobial, UV protecting and even fire proof. This makes it an ideal candidate for fabrics that get a lot of use, but it isn’t the softest option around.

4–Soy: It’s softer than cotton, much more durable, warm, absorbent, and lightweight. Made out of discarded tofu, it’s considered the ultimate sustainable fiber and sometimes referred to as “vegetarian cashmere” – “cashmere” due to its softness and luxurious appeal.

So how do you make fiber out of tofu, you ask? Well, leftovers from tofu manufacturing are gathered, liquefied, and extruded through spinnerets to create filaments that are spun into fine yarns. (Fun fact: Henry Ford first investigated the use of soy in textiles for his automobile in the 1940’s, but the arrival of synthetics on the scene stole the show – however it’s now being rediscovered).

Side note: There is much controversy around the use of bamboo for fabrics and products. Therefore, keep an eye out for EcoGreenHotel’sbamboo pros and cons article to help hotel operators make a well-informed decision.

By Susan Patel

I was watching clips of the Today Show a few days ago and found a segment titled “Green Your Routine,”which brought attention to green cleaning products. It got me thinking: why isn’t there a law or regulation requiring manufacturers to list ingredients? Not knowing what chemicals are in products can be dangerous. You don’t know what you’re using and how it could destroy our immune system, cause cancer, lung disease, and death – a health and safety nightmare!

Companies are shockingly allowed to use general terms for chemicals such as “fragrance”or “preservatives.” This wouldn’t make the cut with the Food & Drug Administration, but apparently products we touch and breatharen’t that important on the list. What we need is national regulation so that companies must disclose every ingredient in a product.

So, what are we to do? Warning labels are useful, first line of defense. But we need to start gradually creating a system that works for our well-being and us.We have to start somewhere, right? Why not with all of us – you!

At the frontline of the EcoGreenHotel Store, I’m on a mission to know exactly what we’re selling. One form of verification I’ve become familiar with is the Green Seal, a third-party certifier. Of course there is also EcoLogo, Environmental Choice and EPA’s Design for the Environment Program that test products for effectiveness, besides health and environmental considerations. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other since each is slightly different, however a certified product is better than none at all.

When hotels purchase products certified by Green Seal or any of the other eco-labels, they know that the products meet good standards and consumers aren’t completely on their own. Still, some green cleaning products are not certified. There are several reasons for this: the product might be new on the market, the company that produces it has chosen not to pay the fee the certifying agencies charge to evaluate it, or that they didn’t meet the criteria of that certifying organization.

When it comes to what we sell on EcoGreenHotel Store, we’ve made sure our green cleaning products are Green Seal certified. For example, the Proxi hydrogen peroxide multi-purpose cleaner, a versatile, environmentally friendly cleaning product formulated with an active ingredient that is safer than aggressive acids and bleaches. Added bonus, due to its high concentration (dilute 1oz per quart water to make 128 quarts), it’s actually saving you money too!

Aside for looking for a third-party certification, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) is another tool that helps hoteliers to make a well-informed decision. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) also has information about many toxic substances at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.

Next time you’re purchasing your green cleaning products, make sure you know what chemicals are in the products you’ll be using at your green hotel.

Not what you might expect!

A new study of the workplace preferences of Generation Y (people born between 1981 and 2000) reveals some striking information – and provides an important heads up for green hotels that hope to attract this up-and-coming demographic.

Not surprisingly, Gen Y’ers want their workplace to have the latest technology and to be set up to allow for greater teamwork, creativity and multi-tasking.  But an overwhelming number also expect their employers to provide an eco-friendly work environment that not just meets but exceeds minimum compliance standards.

For example, 96% of those surveyed said they demand an “environmentally-aware or friendly workplace,” and close to 60% said they expect their employer to go above and beyond the regulatory requirements. They want more than just strategically-placed recycle bins – they want real water conservation efforts and the highest level of energy efficiency to be standard operations at work.

The report recommends that employers bring their green initiatives front and center, and that they make sustainability policies a meaningful part of day-to-day operations, because the eco-savvy Gen Y’ers are clearly on the lookout for environmental-friendliness in all aspects of their daily lives.

“[Gen Y] preferences for an environmentally focused working environment are very strong; not only in the physical aspects of the workplace, but also in their way of working: flexible working, travel patterns, etc.,” said the report.

Are you listening, green hotels?Clearly, if the members of Gen Y are that determined to make eco-friendliness an integral part of their work-lives, they’re probably equally determined to exercise that same level of sensitivity when making travel and lodging decisions.

And there will be no fooling this knowledgeable bunch. They’ve grown up alongside the environmental movement. They know green-washing and lax or phony eco-standards when they see them.

If you’re ready to boost your hotel’s energy efficiency and water conservation efforts to prepare your property to attract a new generation of environmentally-aware consumers – contact EcoGreenHotel today.

From ENERGY STAR benchmarkingof your energy usage to finding rebates and incentives to help pay for energy efficiency upgrades to targeted, industry-specific marketing services, our professional green team has got you covered.

Excellent News for Green Hotels

In a move that will undoubtedly benefit green hotels across the country, the Obama administration recently announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have teamed up to create an action group that will assist states in improving energy efficiency in residential, industrial and commercial buildings – including green hotels.

The group, called the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network, will partner with representatives of state and local governments, public utilities, business leaders and associations to assist states with their energy efficiency initiatives, including energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses,funding opportunities to invest in carrying out innovative energy efficiency policies, and improving the availability of energy usage information.

The action network’s goal is to jumpstart the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, which calls for maximum energy efficiency to be achieved in the United States by 2025.  SEE’s ambitious mission is to beat that deadline by five years. It aims to do so by providing technical assistance and funding “to states that seek to create new results-based policies and programs that encourage energy efficiency.”

For green hotels, we envision a lot of good coming out of this partnership.  SEE’s fierce determination to beat the 2025 deadline by five years creates a much-needed sense of urgency that has been sorely lacking over the past few years.  The network’s goal of promoting energy efficiency through a web of statewide, regional and nationwide partnerships means there may finally be a coordinated, orchestrated and cohesive effort to get the job done.

And additional funding means that good state and local energy efficiency programs that have great potential to make a lasting difference – those that never received quite enough funding to get off the ground, or those whose funding was slashed – (remember Florida’s outstanding Green Lodging Program that was gutted due to budget shortfalls in 2009?) may once again have a fighting chance.

Thanks to the formation of this new action group, we see a future filled with wonderful possibilities for green hotels to take advantage of energy efficiency programs, rebates and incentives.  Members of the network began meeting a few weeks ago, so we should begin to see positive movement very soon.

EcoGreenHotel will be monitoring SEE events as they happen, and we promise to bring you the latest news about how the green hospitality industry – and your green hotel – can benefit.

At EcoGreenHotel, clients are always asking for our advice about how to go green in the quickest and most affordable way possible. And our advice is always the same: operating a truly green hotel is not a piecemeal proposition. It’s not about switching a few light bulbs or putting out some recycling bins (although those are all good things to do!).

No, developing and maintaining a green hotel requires a holistic approach that begins with a shift in the way everyone thinks about what it means to own and operate an eco hotel. At the precise moment that everyone from the owner on down starts thinking about environmental sustainability as a business strategy – that’s the moment your hotel begins to go green in a meaningful way.

Formulating a business strategy means that you meticulously choose and apply your business’s resources in a way that you think will bring some sort of competitive advantage in the future. Your team already does this at your hotel. Whenever you make a decision to upgrade the carpeting or offer a new amenity, you’re strategizing. You’re betting that the upgrade and new amenities will pay off in the long run through higher guest satisfaction, which translates into repeat bookings, which means increased revenue for your hotel. You are banking on that strategy.

But have you ever thought about how going green might be an equally good business strategy? Without a doubt, the most strategic way to go green is to increase your hotel’s energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency means using less energy to obtain the same quality of service. Here’s why energy efficiency should be the centerpiece of every hotel’s business strategy:

• The hospitality industry spends $3.7 billion a year on energy.
• Electricity use accounts for 60-70% of the utility costs of a typical hotel.
• Energy-efficient lighting can reduce electricity use up to 75%.1

Clearly, making your green hotel more energy efficient will positively impact more than the environment. It will positively impact your bottom line, and no matter how you slice it, that’s just good business!

EcoGreenHotel’s team of energy efficiency experts can help your green hotel plug energy efficiency into your business strategy, quickly and affordably. Contact us and get started today with our Energy Efficiency Analysis Program.

¹ California Hotel and Lodging Association

Gulf front resort hotels are taking an economic hit without one drop of oil soiling their pristine beaches

We’ve all watched in horror as the ever-growing BP oil slick reaches shorelines along the northern Gulf of Mexico.  Not only did eleven men lose their lives in the Deepwater Horizon disaster, but the spill that resulted from it is now fouling gulf waters in an area the size of some states – water that’s home to sea life including dolphins and sea turtles.  It’s destroying precious marshlands that served as safe, healthy nurseries for all kinds of baby birds and fishes, right at the height of nesting and spawning season.  It’s also wiping out the livelihoods of fishing families and obliterating the culture of some of the sweetest, hardest working people in America.

And it’s also adversely affecting the hospitality industry.  In spite of BP’s multi-million dollar grants to gulf coast states to fund additional tourism advertisement, hoteliers from Texas to the east coast of Florida – many of whom are hundreds of miles from the nearest oil – report that they are dealing with a devastating economic fallout caused by cancellations from nervous travelers.

The director of Mississippi’s lodging association has estimated that beachfront bookings were down 50% with Memorial Day approaching, and the same was reported in the Florida panhandle.  This is all in addition to the hit the region took from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the recession that followed right on the storm’s heels.

How much more battering can the hospitality industry take?  How much more can any of us take?

If there was ever a wakeup call for America – including those in the hospitality industry – to get on board the energy efficiency and clean energy train, this oil spill is it.  At last, it appears that Americans are finally getting the message that we must wean ourselves off foreign oil – and our dependence on fossil fuels in general – and turn our collective attention to developing clean, renewable energy sources for our country as quickly as we possibly can.

Imagine the good we could accomplish if we took all the brain power and resources we’re currently using to try and plug that oil gusher in the Gulf, and applied them to developing cleaner energy!

On a day when we’re all feeling so helpless and frightened at the devastating environmental and economic news we’re hearing today, imagining that kind of good – and vowing to work toward making it our new American reality – may just be the most righteous thing we can do.

(and One Convenient Place to Find Them All)

Today’s environmentally-conscious, well-informed travelers expect green hotels to do more than just provide a comfortable place to stay.  They want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the green hotel they’ve chosen for their business or leisure accommodations practices energy efficiency, and that it’s resourceful and earth-friendly in every conceivable way.

As a green hotel professional, it’s your job to fulfill your guests’ expectations and even exceed them whenever you can. To help you get the job done, we’ve put together a list of products that will not only make your guest’s smile, but they’ll also be good to your green hotel’s bottom line.

• Organic Personal Care Products in Biodegradable Packaging: The Save Your World line of hotel amenities offers all natural organic products packaged in an earth-friendly way. Your guests will love the fresh tropical scents and luscious feel of these superior green hotel amenities.
• 100% Bamboo Bed Linens: Your green hotel guests will have no problem sleeping at night knowing they’re snuggled into luxurious sheets made from rapidly renewable, pesticide-free and ultra-soft bamboo.
• Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Super concentrated, hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners like Proxi are not only safe and highly effective, they can also save your green hotel a ton of money. It takes just one ounce of Proxi to make a full quart of some of the best hard surface cleaner you’ll ever use in your green hotel – and it’s earned the Green Seal certification to prove it!
• Safe Pesticides: Fighting and preventing bed bugs with toxic chemicals just isn’t on the agenda of any eco hotel. Instead, green hotels everywhere trust all natural, pesticide-free Rest Easy Bed Bug Spray to safely rid their rooms of these nasty biting parasites, once and for all.
• Recycled Key Cards: When your hotel front desk staff hands over one of these Green Earth renew Key Cards at check in, your guests will know without a doubt that eco-consciousness is not just a slogan at your green hotel. Made from 100% recycled PVC and printed with soy-based ink, these customizable, reusable cards will last and last.

Sourcing affordable, high-quality products like these for your green hotel can sometimes seem like a wild goose chase.  But the EcoGreenHotel Store makes it easy to find, order and re-order your favorite green hotel products and services – everything from the five products listed above to bath hardware and accessories, lighting, furnishings, pool care, food service and recycling supplies, and much, much more – all in one friendly and convenient online store.

So get out your shopping list and stop by at EcoGreenHotelStore.com today.  The doors are always open, the shelves are always full of great products, and the eco-deals are always hot!

If you read any hospitality industry news, you’ve undoubtedly seen stories of green hotels that are saving big money by becoming more energy efficient.  You might wonder how they do it.

Indeed, hoteliers across the country are always asking us the same question: What’s the quickest, most affordable and meaningful way for our aspiring green hotel to begin reducing its negative impact on the environment while also saving money in the long run?

Our answer – Conduct an energy efficiency analysis!

An energy efficiency analysis, also known as the E²A program, is an examination and analysis of a building’s energy flow by an expert, for the purpose of identifying ways to monitor and conserve energy without negatively impacting overall productivity.  In the case of green hotels, an energy audit would allow the property to figure out, quickly and precisely, how to reduce it’s consumption without having an adverse effect on the guest experience or on the green hotel staff’s work environment.

Here’s how it works: our EcoGreenHotel team of qualified energy efficiency professionals uses a variety of specialized tools to determine exactly how much energy is being used at the property. We take things like weather, occupancy, and other factors into account to arrive at an accurate benchmark, or measurement standard, that your green hotel can use to begin tracking – and lowering – its energy consumption over time and results in savings.

We use the most trusted measurement tools and hospitality-specific resources in the industry – chiefly those developed by ENERGY STAR – to calculate the benchmark, so you can be sure it’s a valid representation of your property’s actual usage.

Our team then recommends concrete ways to reduce consumption at your green hotel – ways you may never even have thought of.  For example, after one energy efficiency analysis, we recommended that the hotel install wireless energy management guest room controls that interface with the hotel’s software to give management direct control over energy use in unoccupied rooms. The savings for a 100-room hotel?A whopping 30% of the total energy used for guest rooms!The system paid for itself in no time. Of course, the key is to find the right technology, provider and price for it to make sense.

Whether it’s implementing new policies (linen re-use, for example), upgrading electrical and HVAC systems, exploring alternate energy or looking for ways to maximize your energy purchasing power, we’ll turn you on to all the hundreds of ways you can get more bang for your energy buck.

And speaking of bucks, we’ll help you identify and apply for all the rebates, incentives, grants and other funding available to help green hotels like yours go even greener, and we’ll do it faster and more affordably than you ever dreamed was possible.

Are you ready for an energy efficiency analysis at your green hotel?  Contact an EcoGreenHotel energy efficiency professionalat info@ecogreenhotel.comtoday and let’s get started!

Why? Read our Triple Bottom Line & Eco-Efficiency article for more information.

Each year, billions of dollars are spent to control or curtail the effects of odor.  We mask it.  We cover it up.  We try almost anything to kill it.  And we spend our money on solutions that don’t really work, but do end up increasing the amount of toxic chemicals in our lives.

No more.  Because the hospitality industry can finally put an end to the practice of using ineffective, toxic chemicals to control odor and instead use a simple, permanent and non-toxic solution based on the active ingredients used in hydro-therapy and water purification to end odor forever.

Zero Odor is a new technology platform in odor control.  It actually permanently eliminates odor on a molecular level by seeking out and bonding with odor molecules, turning them into non-odor molecules.

Essentially all foul and unpleasant odors have a common denominator:  they all contain either a sulfur or nitrogen-family molecule in their make-up.  The active ingredients in Zero Odor form an irreversible bond with sulfur or nitrogen in gaseous form, which means that any odor that Zero Odor touches is gone forever.

“We got the samples of Zero Odor and let me tell you, housekeeping loves the product!” says Stephanie A. the Assistant Manager of the Golden Bear Inn.  “I also notice the difference in the rooms, walking into the rooms there are no lingering smells of anything.  It’s like magic!”

Zero Odor is formulated to leave no scent or fragrance behind – only clean, crisp smelling air.  There is a slight “tracer scent” embedded in the product to help consumers know where they have sprayed, but very soon the tracer scent also disappears.

Zero Odor is available in 22 and 66 oz sizes through the Eco Green Hotel Store. As the product of organic chemistry, the active ingredients in Zero Odor are non-toxic and biodegradable in the environment.  Packaging for Zero Odor is 100% recyclable.

The Benefits of using Zero Odor:

• Remove odor on a permanent basis and refresh rooms
• Save by avoiding costly room renovations or replacing items with embedded odor problems
• Works on fabric, solid surfaces, in the air
• Non-Toxic; biodegradable; recyclable

In the wake of disasters in two of the world’s greatest tourist destinations (the 2004 tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, most recent Gulf Coast oil spill), tourists discovered that a vacation or meeting that includes volunteer time is a rewarding way to enjoy a trip away from home while also giving back to their host community.

In the last half of this decade, volunteer travelers, or voluntourists, have begun combining vacation or business travel with charitable work in and around their destination in greater numbers than ever before, and voluntourism has quickly become one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.

These days, savvy green hotel marketers around the world are finding inventive ways to attract volunteer-minded travelers.  Is your green hotel doing everything it can to appeal to voluntourists?  Here are a few of the many imaginative ways that green hotels and trip organizers are rolling out the welcome mat for volunteers:

• The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau created a special program called “Meet Responsibly” which helps local green hotels garner more convention and meeting bookings.  Meeting planners choosing to hold their event in the Fort Lauderdale area can choose from a menu of volunteer opportunities for their attendees – things like helping at a nearby food bank, cleaning up a park, beach or bike trail, or planting trees.
• Give eight hours of community service to a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and receive a 50% discount – or in some cases, a free night’s stay! – at over fifty Sage Hospitality properties across the USA.
• Volunteers at the recent 2010 Albany Tulip Festival in Albany, New York were treated to lodging discounts from several hotels during their stay.
• Green hotels along the Gulf coast – including the Port Inn and Mainstay Suites in Port St. Joe, Florida, are offering discounts to oil spill volunteers.
• The Four Seasons Austin’s “Pay It Forward” program links volunteer-minded guests with a food bank and a downtown beautification project and rewards them with up to 46% off their room rate.

Voluntourism is clearly here to stay, and figuring out how to get in on this lucrative new segment need not stress you out.  We volunteer to help!  If you need some fresh ideas for attracting voluntourists to your green hotel, simply contact us today and let’s brainstorm!