Thousands of years ago, in ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Egypt, pillows were made from materials such as wood, jade, bronze, or porcelain. Hard pillows were preferred because people thought soft substances robbed the body of vitality and were bad for everything from blood circulation to keeping demons away. Later on, the rich and powerful in Greece and Rome used softer substances including straw, reeds and feathered down. Thank goodness for the Greeks and Romans.
Given the population and the way people lived thousands of years ago, there was no need to worry about the environmental impact of the pillow. Today, however, hoteliers and innkeepers need to be concerned. In the United States alone, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, there are 4.7 million guestrooms in the United States. That translates into a lot of pillows.
As mentioned in my article this past week on pillows (also see earlier article), there are many environment-related issues to consider: where the pillow was made and how far it had to travel to get to your property; the composition of the ticking and the filling; how well the pillow is maintained throughout its life; the energy expended in washing and drying the pillow (some pillows dry much faster than others); and how the pillow is managed at the end of its life (at least one company takes its pillows back for recycling).
Transition to Greener Pillows
I suspect most of you have not yet transitioned to pillows made from materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, or fiber from bamboo or Eucalyptus trees but I encourage you to do so. The prices for many eco-friendly pillows today are very much in line with what you have been paying—possibly just slightly higher—but they can be an additional selling point for your green property. Try to purchase pillows made closer to home. What’s the point of buying a pillow with organic cotton ticking and 100 percent recycled polyester inside if it has traveled half way around the world to get to you?
If your supplier does not offer an eco-friendly pillow alternative, ask them to do so. Shop around; there are some great products out there with a great feel—even a silk-like feel—at a reasonable cost. Ask your supplier where their green pillows are made, what makes their pillows eco-friendly, and whether or not they take back product for recycling. If enough of you demand an end-of-life solution, vendors will be forced to offer take back programs.
Reducing pillow waste and minimizing its associated carbon impact is important. Combined with other green purchasing steps at your property, eco-friendly pillows can have a significant positive environmental impact and make it easier for us all to sleep well at night.
GLN Adds Star Linen & Supply, Ecker Enterprise as Directory Partners
Green Lodging News welcomes Star Linen & Supply and Ecker Enterprise as Green Product & Service Directory partners. Star Linen & Supply offers the Marquis Green Terry Collection. The company collects pre-consumer textile waste and through its patented Enova Process restores the fiber to its original state. The result is a product with the look, feel and strength of the towels one uses every day without pesticides, fertilizers, land use or wasted water. The towels are available in many styles, sizes and weights. For more information, e-mail gogreen@starlinen.com, call (800) 782-7999, ext. 249, or go to www.starlinen.com.
Ecker Enterprise offers the Moso Bag as a way to help keep guestroom air smelling clean. The unique fragrance-free bag works naturally to remove odors, bacteria, harmful pollutants, allergens, mold, mildew and moisture. The charcoal used in the bags is from Moso bamboo plants that grow back completely within five years after harvesting. The carbon in each Moso Bag is self-activated to absorb and filter out harmful pollutants and odors. Each bag lasts two years and covers approximately 300 square feet. For more information, e-mail erubin@eckerenterprise.com, call (877) 322-6911, or go to www.eckerenterprise.com.
See You in Portland, Oregon or Orlando?
I will be attending and exhibiting at the Green Meeting Industry Council’s 2011 Sustainable Meetings Conference in Portland, Oregon from February 20 to 23, 2011. The event will take place at the Portland Doubletree Hotel. To register for the conference, go to www.sustainablemeetingsconference.com. I will also be moderating a panel discussion on certification programs for carpet and fabric at the NEWH Leadership Conference on January 14 in Orlando, Fla., at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios. Click here for more information on the conference.
Advertising Opportunities
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots in 2011. Several new slots have opened up on the Green Lodging News website—two skyscraper ad spots on the right hand side of the site, the home page bottom banner ad spot, and the Featured Product ad spot in the lower center area of the home page. Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com if you are interested in these ad spots. There are also many Green Supplier Spotlight dates available, and other spots on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. The 2011 media kit is available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter
Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Green Lodging News now has 618 Twitter followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
