Can your choice of towels significantly impact the carbon footprint of your lodging establishment? That is what I am currently trying to find out in my research on “green” or “greener” towels. I am chatting with suppliers who sell towels that require less wash time, fewer chemicals and that dry faster and last longer. Of course I am curious to know if any of you have experimented with such towels. Send me an e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. I would love to learn about your experiences.
I have written about towels before. The growing of cotton requires a lot of water and pesticides. The lifecycle of a towel can be quite carbon intensive if you think about the hot water, gas and/or electricity needed to keep a towel clean and ready for a guest. We all know that getting a guest to opt out of towel replacement can make a huge difference but what about where the towel comes from, how it is made and from what materials it is made? These can also have a significant impact. (In what equipment the towels are laundered can also have a big impact but that is a story for another day.)
I know a little about bamboo towels and how they are made. One supplier told me he successfully sold a bunch to a hotel and ended up having to take them all back. A fast lesson for him; he no longer sells bamboo. Not to say there are problems with all bamboo towels but the production methods often use toxic chemicals. What about organic cotton towels? These have environmental advantages but what about cost? In my article I will explore the cost of organic cotton versus standard cotton towels.
In my initial research I have been very impressed by the innovation taking place in the design and manufacturing of towels. How fibers are woven, whether and where polyester is used, and how pre-consumer cotton waste and cutting scraps are integrated are having an important positive impact. And, at least one supplier is using fibers from eucalyptus tree pulp.
Be sure to watch for my article soon on Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Adds ClearWater Tech Case Study to Website
Green Lodging News has added a ClearWater Tech case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Holiday Inn Express in Atascadero, Calif. and its implementation of an EcoTex™ ozone system from ClearWater Tech. The system is saving the inn substantial amounts in gas, water, and other expenses.
“The ClearWater representatives thoroughly covered how the process worked, how the installation would proceed and how much money I would start to save, primarily in gas for hot water,” explained the hotel’s General Manager, Amar Sohi. “Right away, I could see savings on my statements with the number of therms in daily usage. My overall daily usage gas therms have actually decreased even though our overall occupancy rate has risen.
“I know I’m also saving money on water, chemicals and labor,” Sohi added. “These aren’t as easily measured and calculated, but I’m confident we are saving money and resources, while becoming a greener operation.”
“All of this has come with zero breakdown in the integrity of my linens and no negative quality issues whatsoever,” Sohi said. “Here, too, I know I’m saving money—and will continue to save—in replenishment costs. We use top-line bedding, so extended linen life will have an impact. Exactly how much will become more evident in time.”
To read the entire case study, click here.
Call (805) 549-9724 or (800) 262-0203 or go to www.ecotexozone.com for more information.
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 1,760 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 873 Facebook likes.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
