Greening the Hospitality Industry

Green refers to practices considered environmentally responsible because they reduce our ecological footprint or demand on natural resources and ecosystems.

Reducing our ecological footprint involves thinking bout a product's life cycle from "cradle to grave." That is how much energy and natural resources are used to produce, use, maintain, and dispose of a product. In the lodging industry it includes consumptive practices such as laundry, heating, cooling, lighting, paper, and shampoo bottles, and products such as a television or even a banana or bottle of water. Disposable products, such as plastic water bottles, have a larger footprint than reusable, refillable bottles.