What makes a green, eco-friendly hotel?

Sustainability is a deeply embedded topic in our society. And it touches on everything we do, from how we eat to how we travel. In fact, potential guests are increasingly conscious of environmental issues and more likely to support businesses that prioritize sustainability. A study conducted by travel website Booking.com found that 75% of travelers want to travel sustainably over the next 12 months. The study also discovered that 45% of travelers find environmentally-friendly hotels and sustainable lodging more appealing. [1]

By making efforts to go green, such as reducing energy consumption and waste, using eco-friendly products, and implementing recycling programs, you can tap into the opportunity of attracting more customers and potentially increase revenue. It’s a win-win-win for your business, guests, and the planet. Let's examine the industry's impact on the environment and the steps you can take to improve sustainability in your business.

What’s the hotel industry’s impact on the planet?

The hotel sector primarily impacts the environment in two ways: carbon emissions and excessive waste.

Hotels are responsible for approximately 1% of global carbon emissions (the emission of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil). This is equal to around 363 million tons, which could power approximately 46 million homes per year.[2] According to research conducted by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the hotel industry must become more eco-friendly to reduce its impact on emissions. The research shows that the industry needs to reduce its carbon emissions by 66% per room by 2030 and by 90% per room by 2050 in order to avoid further contribution to this problem. [3]

While a large facility such as a hotel requires adequate resources to operate, 75% of hotels' impact on the environment can be attributed to excessive use and waste of these resources. That includes energy and water, as well as material waste, including food, paper, and even furniture. [4]

By promoting sustainability practices, green hotels can help preserve natural resources and protect ecosystems, thus mitigating the threat to humanity and the earth caused by global warming (the climate crisis).

What can hotels do to be more sustainable?

To create a truly eco-friendly hotel, it is important to consider every aspect of your daily operations and how you can help guests make more sustainable choices. We’ve got a few recommendations to get you started.

1. Reduce and replace single-use plastics

From small toiletry bottles to straws and cups, single-use plastics can really pile up at a hotel. But how to reduce them and still provide a satisfactory guest experience? One way to tackle this is investing in dispenser and refill systems for toiletries. They significantly cut down on single-use plastics and can be used for multiple types of products, from body wash to hand soap.

Tork dispenser and refill systems have been designed with people and the planet in mind. Our collapsible refill bottles reduce waste volume by 70%*, and a range of carbon neutral certified dispensers, giving you plenty of choice to achieve your sustainability goals.

And when it comes to other plastic amenities, try to explore the alternatives: Made from paper? Recycled materials? Reusable ones? Or simply removing them entirely? Just don’t forget to factor in the overall guest experience before deciding on major changes.

2. Switch to eco-friendly cleaning supplies

Some cleaning products use harsh, non-biodegradable chemicals to be effective, known as volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). Even traces of some of these chemicals can affect the quality of our drinking water and the environment of aquatic wildlife, as well as contribute to poor indoor air quality. So, it’s worth having a good look at the label before purchasing.

In addition to considering sustainability in your chemical products, switching to towels and wipers made from recyclable and renewable materials allows you to maintain hygiene standards sustainably.

Sustainable cleaning products are designed to be just as effective as their potentially harmful counterparts, while keeping environmental impact in mind. Many of these products even use sustainable materials in their packaging which naturally break down and decompose, avoiding further greenhouse gas emissions.

Switching to non-toxic housekeeping practices using natural products limits the environmental impact of your business and is quite simple to implement. To ensure you’re choosing a good product for the planet and your facility, simply look for the following certifications on their packaging:

The Green Label

Products with this label have been certified to have minimal environmental impact without affecting performance.

Green Seal

These products meet Green Seal’s criteria in terms of performance, the environment, and health.

EcoLogo

EcoLogo-certified products undergo strict testing and auditing to comply with third-party environmental standards and sustainability criteria.

Many Tork products have been verified by certification programs like these to give our customers eco-friendly choices. So, whether you're looking for dermatologically tested hand soaps or sustainable wiping solutions, we’ve got you covered.

3. Optimize your restrooms

The restroom is well known for using vast amounts of water, from washing hands to flushing toilets, but minimizing waste by adopting sustainable practices is possible and easily achievable.

Here are a few tips to reduce water consumption in a restroom:

Installing low-flow/flow-controlled fixtures (faucets, toilets, shower heads, etc.)
Regularly checking the plumbing for leaks and repairing as soon as possible

Keep in mind that sustainability in the restroom goes beyond reducing water usage, you can also:

Choose paper towels and toilet paper made from renewable fibers
Install dose-controlled soap dispensers to only use the necessary amount of product
Switch to sustainable amenities that can be recycled

4. Encourage guests to re-use linens

While in some cases it may be necessary to ensure hygiene, the environmental impact of washing countless sets of linens every day greatly increases energy and water usage. So, leave it up to your guests to decide if they really need fresh ones daily —after all, chances are that at home they only wash their bedding once a week and their towels after several uses. [5][6]

To ensure this system works, provide your guests with an option (like a sign they can hang on the doorknob) to confirm when they would like their linens to be washed.

As long as guidelines for washing are met to eliminate bacteria, re-using linens will significantly impact your establishment’s environmental impact with little to no effect on your guests' experience.

5. Start composting and recycling programs

Whether it's food leftovers from restaurant facilities or general trash that guests leave in their rooms, hotels can produce waste from many areas.

Implementing effective composting and recycling initiatives can contribute to tackling these types of waste and reducing environmental impact. You can do this by:

Clearly display recycling, organic/food waste, and non-recyclable bins to make it easy for your guests to contribute to your sustainability initiatives.
Making sure your staff is adequately trained in composting, recycling, and waste separation procedures, including where bins are and how to use them correctly.

Creating effective and nutrient rich compost can be a fine balance, here are some tips to help you get started:

25-50% green waste – meaning food scraps and other organic kitchen waste.
50-75% brown waste – dry wood waste including plant trimmings, paper (except for colored or glossy paper), and cardboard.

6. Switch to low-energy or renewable energy sources

Powering any facility using green energy contributes massively to reducing the global reliance on fossil fuels, and hotels are no exception. There are several simple changes you can make to transform your establishment into a sustainable hotel by choosing green energy. Here are just a few examples:

Install solar panels

Solar panels are an incredible innovation in energy saving and efficiency. Research shows that hotels that switch to solar energy can save anywhere between 30 to 50% on their energy bills. [7]

And because hotels operate continuously, they can achieve greater savings than other types of facilities. This means you could break even on a solar panel investment in less than 10 years. [8]

Switch to a green energy supplier

If making the structural changes and investment that may come with solar panels is not within your business’s possibilities, why not consider a green energy supplier?

There are plenty that specialize in renewable sources such as solar and even wind power to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. Making this switch can result in a reduced carbon footprint for your business. Not only that, but because traditional energy prices are quite volatile, choosing sustainable alternatives can keep your costs down too.

Install LED lighting fixtures

LED lighting uses less energy than traditional bulbs and is incredibly low-maintenance. This allows your establishment to reduce its energy usage while saving on upkeep and replacement costs.

Energy-efficient lighting can go a long way in your sustainability efforts: LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. [9]

Switch to low-energy appliances

From commercial size washing machines to large kitchen facilities, it's easy to see how hotels can use a significant amount of energy.

However, choosing Energy Star-certified appliances can provide you with all the resources you need while reducing your business's carbon footprint. This is because they meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ensuring the same level of performance as standard appliances, just using less energy.

7. Reduce unnecessary paper use

Many hotels are still using traditional pen and paper to manage their facilities, from pre-stay all the way to check out. [10] While this method worked for many decades, it is no longer the best choice from a sustainability point of view as well as a business perspective.

Thanks to the development of digital tools that handle restaurant orders, room bookings, and even housekeeping schedules, hotels can cut down on the amount of paper they use. This not only reduces paper waste (which accounts for around 26% of total waste in landfills. [11]) but also makes your staff’s job more efficient and ensures a consistent guest experience.

Sustainability is a constant practice that takes some time and effort but it’s worth it. Making some of these first steps can reduce your business's environmental impact and even your operating costs (by up to 30%! [12]). Not to mention they increase your potential appeal to guests and in the bigger picture, could benefit the planet and the people inhabiting it.

To continue learning, why not browse our guide on how to keep a hotel clean and hygienic for guests and staff? And if your establishment serves food too, you may want to discover how to achieve greater environmental efficiency in the restaurant sector.

And remember, Tork provides you with a number of ways to help your business implement green initiatives and meet sustainability goals. This includes cutting napkin waste by more than 50% with Tork Xpressnap Fit, helping your business earn LEED-credits, and more!

*Based on Essity test