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Sustainable hotels are those that significantly reduce their environmental impact through green best practices in maintenance, services, logistics, products and supplies. These core elements revolve around reducing waste, saving energy and cutting down on water usage.
There are a number of luxury brands developing sustainable hotels. These hotels are espousing sustainable initiatives such as using renewable building materials, growing produce on-site and going plastic free. They even create their own waste management and recycling facilities and harness the technology to capture waste heat to create energy. As consumer demand for sustainable travel rises, sustainably designed brands are becoming increasingly popular.
Larger, established global hotel chains are also making significant strides to go green. For example, Hilton Hotels & Resorts is prioritizing recycling and waste reduction by making small but impactful changes that most hoteliers can implement. . Hilton recycles mattresses and helps to recycle partially used soap, and it donates uneaten food to local food banks. Some 94 percent of Hilton's energy is green energy.
Another leading global hotel chain is reducing its environmental impact by increasing its use of renewable energy, reducing waste and carbon emissions, and managing its use of water and energy. Although these hotels are all making a positive impact on the environment, more needs to happen for the hospitality industry to have a significant, unified impact on slowing climate change.
- Sustainable hotels take substantial measures to reduce environmental impact.
- The hospitality sector has the potential to help slow climate change.
- Pressure is building for hospitality companies to prioritize sustainability.
- Progress would be better if consumers showed more interest.