As part of this year’s Green Lodging Trends Report, Greenview and Green Lodging News asked hoteliers if an ozone laundry system is in place for laundry operations. Seven percent said yes; 6 percent said they plan to get such a system. In the survey for the report we also asked the following question: “If you considered an ozone laundry system but then later decided against it, what was the biggest obstacle(s) to its implementation?” They all said cost. That common answer struck a nerve because I have written about ozone systems before and know that the return on investment can be quick when implementing ozone in the laundry. There are just so many benefits to using ozone: a dramatic reduction in energy consumption being a primary one. Perhaps our industry just needs to be better educated about ozone?
Be sure to read my article this week entitled, “Suppliers Agree: Cost Should Not Be Barrier to Ozone Laundry Implementation.” For the article I spoke with three suppliers of ozone laundry systems and got their opinions on whether ozone laundry system costs are prohibitive. Of course their answers were a resounding “no.” Here are just a few comments that stand out from the article:
“If you use our rental program, you will have an immediate cash flow,” says Ralph Daniels, President and CEO, Aquawing Ozone Disinfection Laundry Systems. “The return is greater than the rental fee.”
“Cost is not an obstacle,” says Jim Gross, President, Ozone Water Technologies Inc. “The ROI in a typical 100+ room hotel is from 18 months to three years. In Hawaii—three months. If I can tell you I am going to save you $2,000 a month and the system costs $12,000, it is a no brainer.”
Use the Savings for Other Projects
“The ROI discussion is key,” says Marc De Brum, Sales Manager and Applications Engineer for ClearWater Tech LLC. “We understand that hotels and healthcare facilities operate on a tight budget. However, when there are funds available, they are often used for the front of the house and not necessarily the back of the house. What we attempt to promote is installing the ozone laundry system first; this way the savings that it provides can help pay for those upgrades around the facility.”
With rebates or other incentives of course the investment return time is shorter and De Brum addresses that in my article.
Also emphasized by all was the need to be careful about from where you purchase your ozone laundry equipment. There are companies willing to sell you systems that do not fit your needs and that are not backed by a support network of technicians who know what they are doing.
“If you are in the market for an ozone laundry system, do your homework,” De Brum emphasizes. “Be sure that what the supplier is proposing is apples for apples against other products. Some suppliers offer small ultra-violet light ozone generators with a small price tag, which are supplied as more of a gimmick than they are actually producing ozone to benefit.” In other words, trust those companies that have been around and that are going to be around—companies like those mentioned in this article.
“With ozone laundry everyone is a winner, from the environment by reducing the amount of water, energy and waste, to the customer that uses the cleanest linens possible, to the hotelier that has a satisfied customer (while saving on their expenses), to the distributor of the ozone equipment supplying a happy customer for life, to us as the manufacturer providing equipment that meets our corporate social responsibilities as we are always looking for new ways to reduce our negative dependencies and increase global sustainability,” De Brum concluded.
Sustainability Seminar Finalized for HX: The Hotel Experience
The sustainability seminar, “2020 Vision—Lodging’s Leaders Set the Sustainability Bar Higher,” has been finalized for HX: The Hotel Experience. The event will take place on Monday, November 13 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Hotel stage at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Don’t miss this seminar including Denise Naguib, Vice President, Sustainability & Supplier Diversity, Marriott International, Inc., Gardner Jackson, Assistant Vice President, the Nalco Water division of Ecolab USA Inc., and Lindsay Wilkinson, part of InterContinental Hotels Group’s Corporate Responsibility team focused on Environmental Sustainability. I will be moderating the session. Attendee registration for HX: The Hotel Experience, November 12 to 13, 2017, is now open at the newly redesigned website, www.thehotelexperience.com.
How to Search on Our Website
Similar to other search engines you find online, a search using one word will produce articles with that word included. If you would like to search for something that is more than one word long—ozone laundry, for example—you will need to put quotation marks around the words or phrase. Ozone laundry would then be “ozone laundry” in the search.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2017 or 2018?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2017 and 2018. Many excellent spots are available on our new website, in the weekly e-mail newsletter, and Green Lodging Survey. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2017 or 2018 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 9,092. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There are “subscribe” links on the Green Lodging News home page. You may also e-mail editor@greenlodgingnews.com to be added to our list.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,762 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 871 Facebook likes.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
