Being More Eco-Friendly Pays Off

Here’s the secret: Being eco-friendly is win-win for hotels: It attracts a wider clientele, justifies higher prices and saves on operating expenses.

Now we’re not talking about greenwashing, the chintzy practice of being more committed to advertising your greenness than actually practicing it. If the extent of your “green-friendly” campaign is asking guests to keep the lights off because it saves you money, you’re greenwashing. Hotels who greenwash are flayed mercilessly on social media and rating sites.

A recent academic paper, “Consequences of Greenwashing: Consumers’ Reactions to Hotels’ Green Initiatives,” conducted by hospitality researchers at Washington State University, found that “as many as 79 percent of travellers worldwide agree that implementing eco-friendly practices is important to their choice of lodging, but a majority are willing to boycott a company if misled.”

Where Can We Change?

Here are a few areas where you can follow genuinely eco-friendly practices, and reap the rewards along the way.

Cleaning products: They’re a bit pricier than their conventional counterparts, but they pay off, since if you’re not using green cleaning products where possible guests will suspect your commitment to environmental responsibility.

Housekeeping: Asking guests reuse towels and linens is a good start. But to be authentically green you should also consider sustainable bathroom amenities, low-flow toilets and showerheads. This shows guests that you have a genuine commitment to being eco-friendly.

Certification: There are agencies such as Qualmark or Green Globe that certify energy usage in line with green practices. These certifications are taken seriously by customers willing to pay more to support eco-friendly hotels. As a rule, what they recommend saves you money in energy costs.

Maintenance: Simply maintaining HVAC filters properly can save noticeably on energy costs.

Going green is not only a good thing to do, it’s usually a profitable move as well.