MOUNTAINDALE, N.Y.—Forty-two properties in five New York Catskill Watershed Region counties are participating in phase one of a green lodging certification program called The Green Concierge Project. The program was launched last month in Sullivan, Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, and Ulster counties and is managed by Mountaindale, N.Y.-based Hospitality Green LLC. The initial two-year project is being funded through grants from the Catskill Watershed Corp. and the Empire State Development Fund. The types of properties eligible to participate for free include hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, camps, campgrounds and rental condominiums.
Participating properties receive one-on-one technical assistance to improve economic and environmental sustainability practices through pollution prevention, resource conservation, recycling and toxic chemical reduction. Each facility will take part in training throughout 2011 and will receive a customized facility improvement plan that will include recycling, purchasing energy efficient and recycled products, conserving energy and water and employing non-toxic cleaning products. An important aspect of the certification is the diagnostic tool that helps a business track measurable environmental improvements and target opportunities for reducing costs. In addition to lodging establishments, other tourism-related businesses are also eligible to participate in The Green Concierge Project.
The Green Concierge Project certification process is structured in three tiers—Bronze, Silver and Gold—with each tier providing a realistic benchmark and advancement to subsequent tiers dependent upon a business’ commitment, its verifiable resource tracking through the online diagnostic tool, and dedication to increasingly rigorous sustainable practices. Prior to receiving certification, participating properties must undergo an on-site inspection. A review committee will make the final selection decision before a plaque is presented. Participants in The Green Concierge Project will also benefit from group discounts from local vendors.
“It’s wonderful to see so many lodging facilities making a real commitment to going green,” says Evadne Giannini, principal, Hospitality Green. “The process will not only improve their green practices, it will make their operation more efficient and ultimately save them money.”
Website Coming on June 1
Giannini says a website for the program will be up and running by June 1.
In the fall of 2009, a separate Green Lodging Certification program, one that relied on the Audubon International’s GreenLeaf Eco-Rating Program for Hotels, was launched in New York State. The New York State Green Hospitality and Tourism Partnership, a combination of state agencies, business associations, and academia, worked together to initiate that program. According to Fred Realbuto, director of Audubon International’s GreenLeaf Program, funding for the statewide Green Lodging Certification program is no longer available although properties in the state can still qualify for an Audubon GreenLeaf Program discount as members of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
