At Your Lodging Establishment, Make Every Day Earth Day

With Earth Day just one day away, I have been receiving many press releases from hotel, resort and inn owners describing how they intend to celebrate the occasion. The events range from inspiring to a little cheesy. What is important is that those in our industry at least remember the day and what it means--paying respect to something bigger than us all, thinking about how much damage we have caused to the planet so far, and how we can undo the damage now and in the future. It may sound cliché but we should indeed remember Earth Day every day--not once a year. The good news in our industry is that reducing our impact is so easy to do. Any lodging establishment can incorporate what is considered "low hanging fruit" into its operations that have significant impact.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow bathroom fixtures, amenity dispensers, guestroom energy management systems and recycling programs are just a few examples. What I would consider higher hanging fruit are cool roofs, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling technology, and food waste decomposition systems.

As I have written over and over again in Green Lodging News, going green equals smart business. It is a more profitable way of doing business. The fringe benefits are the positive marketing buzz and stronger employee morale.

Don't wait until Earth Day to remember what you should be doing to reduce your environmental impact. Make conservation a part of your daily business practices and a part of your work place culture. Train it and enforce it. It will be good for your bottom line and good for the planet. Measure your progress. Knowing how far you have come will create a sense of accomplishment. Celebrate your victories and share your best practices.

In an industry hell bent on growth, we need to be ever mindful of reducing our net impact. What new steps will you take in the coming year to reduce your environmental footprint? Be sure to leave your comments here.