5 powerful ways to reduce environmental footprint as a hotel

What if we told you that over 53% of global travellers want to travel more sustainably in the future?

What’s more, 73% expect to stay in eco-friendly accommodation over the next 12 months.

The eco-conscious traveller no longer represents a niche. Sustainable travel has become a growing movement fuelled by the need for a deeper connection to nature and to make a positive impact on the world.

So, if you haven’t jumped on the ecotourism bandwagon yet, now is the time to do so!

Wondering where to start?

To assist you, we’ve listed below five easy ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet.

1. Harness energy saving technologies

75% of a hotel’s carbon footprint is linked to excessive energy consumption. So, by switching to energy-efficient cooling, heating, and lighting systems and appliances, you’ll be able to significantly reduce your environmental impact.

In fact, many hotels use energy-saving technologies and have seen a significant reduction in their environmental footprint and annual costs.

For instance, Marriott International saved $6 million and reduced its carbon footprint by 70,000 tons when it decided to implement simple, sustainable practices such as:

• Installing fluorescent light bulbs.
• Switching to more water and energy-efficient laundry systems.
• Converting outdoor signage to LED.
• Keeping equipment well-maintained.

Even though you might not be reducing your carbon footprint as much (unless you run an international chain), you’ll still make a positive impact by following these simple steps.

2. Implement an efficient recycling process

Recycling is a fantastic way to protect the planet while also helping you reduce your costs.

We’ve listed below some simple recycling practices you can easily apply to your hotel.

• Place recycle bins in your guests’ bedrooms and provide an explanation on how to use them properly with clear signage.
• Provide refillable shampoo and shower gel containers in the bathroom.
• Ban single-use plastic items.
• Give your guests branded glass or metal water bottles so that they can reuse them during their stay.
• Add a water-filling station to your lobby.
• Invest in water-recovery systems.
• Partner with a waste collection company to pick up your food waste and turn it into nutrient-dense soil conditioners.

3. Support local businesses

Supporting local businesses can significantly help reduce carbon emissions linked to product transportation.

Besides, it’s a great way to provide your guests with an authentic experience, showcasing what unique produce your region has to offer.

Here are some of the things you can do:

• Source your food and drinks locally.
• Promote local farm-to-table restaurants and eco-friendly initiatives and activities.
• Purchase locally made items for your guests’ bedrooms.
• Hire local staff who know the area well.

4. Ask your guests to help

As a hotel owner, you need your guests to help you if you want to be successful in your mission for a greener future. Now, there are plenty of easy initiatives you can implement to encourage them to willingly contribute.

We’ve listed some examples below:

• Providing bikes.
• Asking your guests to turn the lights off when they leave their room.
• Asking your guests to reuse their towels or bathrobes more than once. You can encourage this by providing enough towel racks and bathroom robe hooks so that they can hang their things to dry properly rather than leaving them on the floor.
• Compelling them to switch the aircon off when they’re not in the room.

And the great thing about having your guests support your initiatives is that all these small steps will not only contribute to helping you reduce your carbon footprint but also your costs in the long run 😉

5. Go paperless

Ever found yourself lost in the million checklists you have to manage?

From maintenance or equipment checklists to roster and cleaning worksheets, managing all these paper documents can become challenging, especially as your team grows. What’s more, working with paper-based checklists is detrimental to our forests and the planet as a whole.

In fact, by using paper in the back office, one single 150-room hotel can be responsible for the felling of up to 10 trees per year. With over 54,000 hotel properties listed in the United States alone, that is a hell of a lot of trees that can be saved!

Fortunately, some innovative businesses such as Operandio have come up with solutions to help companies streamline their business processes while eliminating the need for paper.

Indeed, the one-stop-shop solution is designed to help you manage your day-to-day operations digitally. This, in turn, saves you from having to track and share everything on paper.

We hope this article has provided you with some useful tips on how to easily reduce your carbon footprint.

At Operandio, we’re committed to helping clients like you reduce their environmental impact while providing them with a powerful process and operations management solution. So, if you’re ready to go paperless, and improve your business efficiency, don’t hesitate to get in touch here. We’d love to help!

Request an Operandio demo today, and take control of your business in ways you’d never have thought possible.