I will be moderating a panel discussion at HX: The Hotel Experience on Sunday, November 13 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. that is entitled, “Greenwashing or Nothing But the Truth—The Untold Story of the Greening of Amenities.” I am excited about the session because I have a great group of panelists: Ian Wallace, President of Dispenser Amenities; Guido Bonadonna, CEO, GFL SA; and Ray Burger, President, Pineapple Hospitality. Interestingly, I had a number of suppliers who will be exhibiting at HX decline participation. Maybe it was the “greenwashing” part of my session title that scared them away? I have always found amenities to be a fascinating topic. It is a very competitive space in our industry, with many companies vying for your business. From an environmental standpoint, there are many issues to consider: product content, packaging and waste being several main ones.
Visit the website of just about any amenities supplier that sells “eco-friendly” product and you will find explanations of what is not included in ingredients—parabens, phthalates, etc. In the session at HX I will explore what all of that means and why it is important. Packaging can have a huge environmental impact. How much plastic, paper and cardboard is there? What kind of ink was used? Is it easily recyclable? Were recycled materials used? How easily biodegradable is it all? Of course the gazillions of plastic bottles that end up in landfills each year is a concern. So too is the partially used soap bars. Yes, we have Clean the World to manage some of that but is that really the best solution?
Dispensers are a great alternative to the plastic bottles and soap bars but they only have about a 10 percent adoption rate in our industry. You can bet I will be asking Ian Wallace about the obstacles his company runs up against when trying to sell dispensers.
With all we know about plastic and soap waste and its impact, you have to wonder at what point enough is enough. At what point does dishing out waste to guests become unethical? I hope you join us at HX.
