PARSIPPANY, N.J.—As part of its evolving “green” strategy, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts announced the launch of a new ecologically-friendly uniform line for hotel staff using recycled polyester fibers spun from plastic beverage bottles. Select Wyndham hotels will introduce the new uniforms beginning this fall by job category. Front desk and other customer-facing employees are required to begin wearing the new uniforms by the end of 2009 and housekeeping and other back-of-house staff by 2010. All new properties are required to provide the new uniforms upon opening.
The textiles are produced from post-consumer products, including recycled plastic beverage bottles, which are processed into flakes, then filaments that are spun into yarn and ultimately woven into very soft fabrics. Recycling polymers keeps more plastics out of landfills.
The uniforms, which do not require professional laundering, minimize the use of chemicals during cleaning and provide a cost savings to hotel operators. Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp. will design and manufacture the uniforms and continue to introduce new eco-friendly fabrics for the Wyndham apparel program.
First Company to Make Commitment
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is the first national upscale lodging chain to mandate the Cintas eco-friendly uniforms systemwide.
“As part of our quest to find new and innovative green practices, we challenged Cintas to design a program that reflected our three Wyndham brand-defining pillars of innovation, personalization and flexibility,” said Faith Taylor, Wyndham Worldwide vice president of sustainability and innovation. “Cintas answered the call by selecting trendy, eco-conscious garments that are machine washable, easily modified and mixed-and-matched for a more personal look.”
The end result is a “fashionable suit that is cost-effective and extremely comfortable,” added Taylor.
The program offers two collections: Trend, an urban line with solid and pinstripe styles emphasizing dark and light blue colors with red accents; and Fresh Air, geared at resort locations, featuring nature-inspired earth tones with a core color palette of brown, coral, yellow and celery hues.
Different Design Options Available
Hotels may select among several design options within each job category to create a customized uniform program based on location, climate and décor.
“We tested the uniforms at several Wyndham hotels and found staff appreciated the comfort of the garments but also the retail-inspired, upscale contemporary look,” said Peter Strebel, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts president. “Introducing a sustainable uniform is not only consistent with our vision to be more mindful of the environment, but also educates employees on the importance of being green-minded at all levels of the organization.”
The new Wyndham uniforms will be displayed at the 2008 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show to be held in New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Nov. 8-11, at the Cintas Corp. trade show booth.
In addition to its “green” uniforms, the Wyndham chain incorporates several ecologically-friendly initiatives including use of energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting; low-flow water practices; an “Earth Smart” guest linen reuse program; and numerous recycling efforts. The chain recently announced its Wyndham ClearAir initiative to offer allergy-friendly guest accommodations designed to remove up to 98 percent of allergens. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is the first national upscale lodging chain to mandate allergy-friendly rooms systemwide.
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