April 10, 2000, Houston, Texas - Thousands of tons of slightly-used bar soap is discarded each day by hotels around the world. A usable product is being wasted and filling our already burdened landfills. "Green" Hotels Association® suggests that hotel guests take the partially-used soap home to use it themselves.

Bar soap is one amenity offered by hotels that is in actuality all but mandatory. The reason that hotels feel they must offer bar soaps is because travel associations such as AAA and Mobil set requirements for hotels listed in their guidebooks. The hotels want the business that the guidebooks bring, so they offer bar soap and other amenities as required for the diamond or star level at which they operate. For instance, if a hotel chooses to reach AAA's Three Diamond level, they must offer "two bars of soap greater than 3/4 oz." in each guest bath.

Any used bars of soap are, unfortunately, usually discarded by the housekeeper. Every conceivable idea has been batted about as to how to make use of these discards. Some of the ideas for making use of used bars of soap include making it into liquid soap by chopping it or flaking it and soaking in water. The soap can also be given to homeless shelters, or carried to less fortunate countries to be given away. The bars can be used in crafts projects to make carvings. However, none of these ideas make use of more than a tiny percentage of the tons of bar soap discarded every day.

The simplest, most obvious answer to this problem has clearly been overlooked. Hotels should ask their guests to take the partially used soap home.

"Green" Hotels Association® suggests that hotels post a sign saying "Save the Wrapper." The card should inform the guest of the waste, and ask them to take the soap home in the wrapper in which it came and use it.

"Green" Hotels Association® suggests that soap manufacturers print on the wrapper "Save the Wrapper So You Can Take the Soap Home." "Green" Hotels Association® suggests that soap manufacturers imprint the hotel soap bars with "Take Me Home and Use Me."

Help stop the waste. Help save our one and only Earth and all our valuable resources. Patronize "Green" Hotels Association® member hotels and participate in their environmental programs.

"Green" Hotels Association® (encourages, supports and promotes ecological consciousness in the hospitality industry through its trade association and its "Catalog of nvironmental Products for the Lodging Industry". Because general managers, chief engineers and executive housekeepers generally do not have time to seek out all the ideas and suggestions for conserving water and energy and reducing solid waste, "Green" Hotels Association® (has devoted itself to that task.

For further information on "Green" Hotels Association® (and its environmental program or a list of its members, call 713/789-8889, fax 713/789-9786 or visit www.greenhotels.com.

Lodges at Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Others Join

February 7, 2000, Houston, Texas - 20+ lodging properties located in America's most awesome, breathtaking national and state parks have joined the elite corps of "Green" Hotels Association® members. All the resorts, hotels and lodging properties in Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers and North Georgia State Parks and Conference Centers and others managed by Amfac Parks & Resorts have recently joined "Green" Hotels Association®.

Commitment by the management of these fabulous properties and their staff for "greening" these properties is the result of their enthusiasm for learning and instituting important, new ways to protect and preserve these locations for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.

Located in national and state parks stretching through nine states (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Utah and Wyoming) and encompassing 37 lodging properties with 5,723 guestrooms, many of these properties are popular throughout the year.

Amfac is the largest park-management company in the US, and employs approximately 7,200 people during the peak season. Their mission is to be recognized as the leader in park and resort hospitality, and they want guests to be assured of professionally-managed hotels. With continued emphasis on environmentally-friendly tourism, Amfac's environmental preservation and recycling programs at national parks have achieved widespread acclaim. More than 341 tons was recycled at Yellowstone in 1997, including aluminum, glass, cardboard, newspaper, computer paper, office paper and magazines. The Lied Conference Center uses bio-mass, a renewable fuel source, to generate heat, cooling and hot water.

With over 5,700 rooms committed, these properties normally accommodate hundreds of thousands of guests each year. Over 2,100 guestrooms in 9 locations at Yellowstone National Park and over 1,100 guestrooms at 9 sites in Grand Canyon National Park are included in the new membership. When the environmental program is in place, these guests will be able to participate which will help care for and protect these fabulous destinations. The overall results are expected to be far-reaching because guests, employees and vendor's representatives will take new "green" ideas to their homes, businesses and communities.

"Green" Hotels Association® encourages all lodging guests to participate in environmental programs. Guest participation can mean not having towels and sheets changed every day. Guest participation can mean participating in lodging recycling programs. Guest participation can mean enjoying spectacular destinations while helping to protect them "by taking nothing but photographs, and by leaving nothing but footprints".

Amfac Parks and Resorts' Judi Lages, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, stated, "We are reaching out to our guests, employees and vendors with our environmental program to help safeguard and preserve these majestic locations for future generations' enjoyment."

"Green" Hotels Association® President, Patricia Griffin, says, "GHA is proud and pleased to have this extraordinary and impressive group of properties in locations of unique natural grandeur join our association. Their decision to join will result in clearer water, cleaner air and less litter as well as reduced use of our natural resources at these pristine locations."

The first goal of all GHA member hotels is to save water, save energy and reduce solid waste. Then, we work in every other area of the hotel and its setting to care for and protect the environment. "From adding "drinking water served on request only" to the menu to installing new HVAC systems, and every measure in between, "Green" Hotels Association® advocates the greening of the lodging industry," says President Patricia Griffin.

"Green" Hotels Association® encourages, supports and promotes ecological consciousness in the hospitality industry through its trade association and its "Catalog of Environmental Products for the Lodging Industry". Because general managers, chief engineers and executive housekeepers generally do not have time to seek out all the ideas and suggestions for conserving water and energy and reducing solid waste, "Green" Hotels Association® has devoted itself to that task.

For further information on "Green" Hotels Association® and its environmental program or a list of its members, fax 713/789-9786, call 713/789-8889, or visit www.greenhotels.com.

Help Protect Your Favorite Travel Destination

May 26, 1998, Houston, Texas - "Green" Hotels Association® is encouraging all travelers to green up their travel. The U. S. Travel Data Center estimates that 43 million US travelers are "ecologically concerned." These travelers will be especially interested, but all travelers can take part in this important mission(the greening of the travel industry-whether away for business or pleasure.

Managers of all businesses react and respond to requests of guests, customers and clients who voice their concerns. So, when you write a note or speak directly to management regarding our environment, you are casting a vote. You can write a note to the general manager of the hotel, to the captain of the airplane and to the manager of a tour company or cruise line with compliments or comments regarding their green program. Thank them for their green program if they have one. Or, ask why they don't have a green program. As a paying customer, it is important that you let them know that you want them to lower water and energy usage and reduce solid waste-and that you want to participate.

"Encourage businesses to think as you do by choosing where to spend your travel dollars. Spend your dollars with travel businesses that are interested in protecting the beautiful destinations we all love to visit", suggests President Patricia Griffin.

Hotels and airlines which have an environmental agenda deserve your patronization. Book your guestrooms and meeting rooms with hotels that are clearly interested in protecting our environment, and let management know that's why you've chosen their hotel. "Green" Hotels Association® member hotels are encouraged to implement water-saving measures, execute energy-saving techniques and reduce solid waste. Rather than putting all these measures into effect "behind the doors", GHA encourages all lodging accommodations to get guests and clients involved. Hotels can offer towel and sheet-changing options, soap and shampoo dispensers, guestroom recycling baskets and reduced food-related waste. Almost all guests realize that we need to help protect our favorite destinations. Those guests are more than willing to participate in a hotel's green program. Choose "green" hotels by calling or faxing "Green" Hotels Association® for a list of members. Or, check out GHA's Internet site-www.greenhotels.com.

"Further ideas for greener individual travel", says Ptricia Griffin, "include: during your hotel stay, let management know that it is not necessary to change your towels and sheets every day. When you leave the room, turn off the AC/heat, lights and TV. Leave the little bottles of shampoo, if you don't use them. Avoid room service."

Book flights with airlines that recycle the waste created when serving food and beverages to passengers. British Airways, for instance, has a very strong environmental agenda. Southwest Airlines recycles all cabin waste, and was the first to offer electronic ticketing systemwide.

Use the hotel van instead of renting a car. Use public transportation in your destination city.

Before you leave home, you can take the first steps to green up your travel by turning down the thermostat on your hot water heater, adjusting your AC/heat thermostat and stopping your newspaper.

You can help protect the beautiful business and pleasure destinations we all love to visit. You can help protect Mother Earth. You can help protect our environment for future generations. For a free list of "green" ideas for travelers or a free list of member hotels, contact "Green" Hotels Association® by writing to P. O. Box 420212, Houston, TX 77242-0212, faxing 713/789-9786 or calling 713/789-8889.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME:

Turn water heater to "Vacation" or lowest setting.

Turn off AC/heat or adjust the thermostat to protect plants, etc.

Turn water off at outside connection (to prevent flooding should a pipe break while you're gone). When you return, turn on the water slowly and check for problems.

Appliances, such as TVs and cable converter boxes, should be unplugged because they can draw or "leak" as much as 40 watts per hour even when they're off.

Turn icemaker off (lift wire) to prevent flooding should it break while you're away.

Lower the temperature of waterbed heaters at least ten degrees.

Stop your newspaper. You may be able to donate it to a school.

TRAVEL:

Purchase electronic-tickets for airline travel whenever possible. Less waste. If paper tickets are lost, they may cost $75-100 to have replaced.

Enjoy walking tours. Walk where sensible.

Use public transportation when available.

Use the hotel van instead of renting a car. Use the bus or local transit system. Share taxis. Less pollution, and you can leave the driving to others.

If you're driving, turn your motor off when idling. Encourage tour/bus drivers to turn the motor off when idling.

Don't allow anything to be thrown out of your car windows--ever.

HOTEL STAYS:

Participate in hotel linen programs, or let the hotel know that it's not necessary to change your sheets and towels every day.

To keep track of which towel belongs to whih family member, pack a handful of safety pins and small colored beads. Attach a pin and bead to each towel, using a designated color for each family member. Remove the pins before checkout.

Reduce the amount of water used for bathing or showering.

When you leave your hotel room, turn off the AC/heat, lights, TV and radio. Close the drapes.

Participate in hotel recycling programs by placing recyclables in appropriate bins.

Carry a dry cleaning or grocery bag with you in which to carry dirty laundry home.

Leave little bottles of amenities in the guestroom if unopened.

Pack a permanent marker and write each person's name on the cups in the hotel bathroom. It's also handy for writing names on water bottles and lots of other things.

Keep bar soap wrappers so you can take used bars soap home.

Let hotel management know, by speaking directly to management or writing them a note, that you want them to conserve and that you want to participate.

Patronize hotels, airlines, tour operators who support "greening" programs. (contact "Green" Hotels Association® at 713/789-8889 or go to their web site for a current listing of hotel members (www.greenhotels.com/members.htm).

Instead of leaving bathroom lights (and fans) on all night, it's wise to pack night lights for hotel stays.

If the hotel provides complimentary newspapers, pass yours on to someone else, or leave it in the lobby for another reader. Ask the hotel to see that it's recycled.

Be sure to turn off exercise equipment, sauna, whirlpool, Jacuzzi or tennis court lights when you're through.

Check out of the hotel via the hotel's electronic program available on the TV in some hotels. You can view your bill, approve it, and help reduce paperwork.

Environmental programs or events may be listed on "things to do in the area" portion of the in-house TV programming.

FOOD/RESTAURANTS:

Carry bottled water with you. Refill as needed.

Reduce fast food waste whenever possible.

Pack a few plastic bags. They come in handy for saving half-eaten treats, used hotel bar soaps, keeping salt and pepper packets dry in the cooler, and many other uses.

Avoid styrofoam. Carry your own cup.

Avoid room service and carryout.

When offered individual packages of condiments, take only what you'll use.

If you commonly take home leftovers from restaurant meals, carry a container, a square of aluminum foil or waxpaper with you. You'll be responsible for putting less styrofoam into the waste stream.

ECOTOURISM:

Take only the brochures or maps necessary. Return others to the brochure stand.

Don't buy endangered species products such as tortoise shell, ivory, animal skins orfeathers. Don't purchase star fish or turtle-shell related souvenirs or any creature that may have been put to death for the sake of a gift shop sale. These animals may have been killed specifically for tourist trade. Sea shells are questionable. The U. S. Customs office offers a list of items which cannot be imported or brought into the country.

Make a pledge to yourself not to maim or kill any living creature other than enemy or pest insects. Educate yourself as to which are "beneficials" and which are truly "pests."

Use binoculars and cameras to "hunt" animals.

Take only photographs. Do not take "souvenirs" from natural areas, historical areas or hotels.

Leave only footprints. Take everything out that you brought with you. No graffiti, no litter.

Support conservation programs.

Pick up at least one piece of litter every day-especially at national tourist locations which are vulnerable to huge tourist populations.

OTHER:

Take photos with a regular camera. Disposable cameras are very wasteful and expensive.

Buy rolls of film with 36 shots rather than 12 or 24. Packaging waste is reduced, and you'll save about 40%*.

Write legibly on your film package. Kodak discards 400,000 rolls of film annually because the return address is illegible.*

Expensive cosmetic bags are unnecessary and often do not prevent or control spills. Use zippable plastic bags for cosmetics. Separate bath needs and makeup needs.

Rather than buying small size toothpaste tubes, squeeze some toothpaste into a clean contact lens case or contact lens cleaning capsule. These are also handy for carrying salves or pills. Be sure to mark appropriately.

Give yourself a pat on the back for doing all you can to help protect the beautiful destinations we all love to visit and Mother Earth!

* ULS Report, Use Less Stuff, P. O. Box 130116, Ann Arbor, MI 48113
(c) 2003 "Green" Hotels Association®

September 30, 1996, Houston, Texas - "Green" Hotels Association® is celebrating its success in filling its Charter Member posts with its first 100 hotelier members. These environmental leaders within the hospitality industry deserve to be recognized. "These leaders represent the most devoted environmental leaders in the hospitality industry, and they deserve to be honored", says Patricia Griffin, president.

Regarding GHA membership, Janet Byrd, Director of Marketing/Environmental Program at The Colony Hotel, Kennebunkport, Maine, says, "Being environmentally responsible really does increase the bottom line and guest satisfaction at knowing they are contributing to helping our planet. Business has increased 15%+ since 1994". "My favorite benefit of GHA membership is the savings we've achieved in the few months we have been members", reports Russell Hong, Sales Manager/Owner, Econo Lodge Silicon Valley Suites, Santa Clara, California.

Each member received a copy of GHA's Membership Conservation Guidelines and Ideas, a booklet filled with bulleted lists of ideas and suggestions on ways lodging accommodations can save water and energy and reduce solid waste. Guideline areas covered include employees, guestrooms, public areas, lawn and garden, pest control, restaurants, laundry, swimming pool, solid waste, composting, offices, purchasing, maintenance, meetings, new construction/refurbishing, community, periodicals and contacts. The Guidelines grow in a continuous, evolving process, so that as members renew, the list of ideas has expanded. LTC Jim Anderson is at the NATO School (SHAPE), NS(S) in Oberammergau, Germany, a GHA member where military personnel from 14 countries are trained. He says of the Guidelines, "The cross-fertilization or sharing of ideas within a specific industry has proven very beneficial in that all activities mentioned blend service, the bottom line and their environmental responsibility into a common goal".

"Specifics of accomplishments resulting from use of the Guidelines include use of towel and sheet cards which allow guests to decide when linens will be changed, using a non-toxic ionization process in a swimming pool and purchase of a mulcher to chop up all landscaping clippings. We are extremely proud of the earth-saving ideas, suggestions and tactics that our Membership Guidelines and Ideas encompass", Patricia continues.

Approximately 75% of the members are in the United States-from the Atlantic coast of Maine to the Florida Keys to California's beaches and Washington's mountain lodges. International properties are located in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guyana, Germany and eleven islands in the Caribbean. The properties range in size from 4 guestrooms to 1,820 guestrooms.

Chains represented by "Green" Hotels Association® Charter Members include Best Western, Clarion, Colony Hotels, Comfort Inn and Suites, Days Inn, DoubleTree, Econo Lodge, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Quality Hotels and Inns, Radisson, Sleep Inns, Super 8 Lodges, SuperClubs, TraveLodge and Wyndham. Many independent hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts have joined with GHA in their commitment to help save our planet. The first 100 Charter Member properties represent 15,338 guestrooms in 25 states of the US plus members in the Caribbean and around the world.

An up-to-date list of GHA members alongwith other pertinent information will soon be found on the Internet at http://www.greenhotels.com.

Cost of membership for hotels is $1 per guestroom per year, with a minimum of $100 and a maximum of $750. GHA guarantees that members will save more money than the membership costs through implementation of the ideas and suggestions offered in the Guidelines.

"Green" Hotels Association® encourages, supports and promotes ecological consciousness in the hospitality industry through its trade association and its "Catalog of Environmental Products for the Lodging Industry". "Green" Hotels Association® welcomes all hoteliers who are committed to helping the environment through reducing energy and water usage and lessening the burden on landfills through reduced solid waste. For further information, contact "Green" Hotels Association®, P. O. Box 420212, Houston, TX 77242-0212, Internet: http://www/greenhotels.com, e-mail: green@greenhotels.com, 713/789-8889, Fax 713/789-9786

June 3, 1996, Houston, Texas - "Green" Hotels Association® is offering a free Meeting Planner's Questionnaire to all meeting planners, convention coordinators, tour guides, travel agents and individuals who are interested in helping save our planet. Anyone who is interested in our environment and spends money with hotels can do more by choosing "green" hotels for guest stays, meetings, conventions and family events.

The "Meeting Planner's Questionnaire for "Green" Lodging Establishments" asks 36 pertinent questions which will reveal the "greenness" of a hotel, lodging establishment or convention center. Areas covered by the questionnaire include recycling, purchasing of recycled or recyclable items, food and beverage service, bottle deposits, leftover food, meeting materials, guestroom amenities, guestroom linens, water and energy conservation. Each question may be answered "Yes" or "No" and examples or further information may be inserted.

"When planning meetings or conventions", "Green" Hotels Association®'s President Patricia Griffin suggests, "the questionnaire can b faxed to four or five hotels. When the planner is making a final decision between perhaps two hotels, the planner should call or fax again to ask management if there is one further "green" accomplishment the hotel will offer to obtain this business. The hotel can perhaps install low-flow aerators on one floor of rooms, add a recycling bin for aluminum by the pool or in a public area, stop using paper doilies on serving trays, delamp vending machines or even contact "Green" Hotels Association® for further information."

Any environmentally-interested group can "walk their talk" by choosing a "green" hotel for meeting and convention sites. Meeting planners heavily impact hotels' bottom lines by spending millions of dollars each year with hotels. These meeting planners can very easily and simply influence the environmental awareness of the whole lodging industry by the careful placement of their meeting dollars with hotels that are "green". Demands by environmentally-aware meeting planners will help "green" the lodging industry by making lodging management aware that conservation by hotels is required and appreciated.

Individuals interested in our environment can have an impact by choosing "green" properties when planning weddings, family reunions, church events, bar mitzvahs, association meetings, etc.

Patricia Griffin further suggests that "hoteliers use the form to their benefit in order to obtain environmental organizations' meeting and convention business. Hoteliers should fill out the form, keep it updated and make the "green" information a part of their meeting-planner package so that all environmentally-interested groups will be immediately aware of the property's greenness".

This questionnaire was adapted from one developed by the National Recycling Coalition, Alexandria, Virginia, with their generous permission.

A free "Meeting Planners' Questionnaire for "Green" Lodging Establishments" along with a list of "Green" Hotels Association® members-hoteliers who are committed to helping save our planet-may be obtained by contacting "Green" Hotels Association®.

"Green" Hotels Association® encourages, supports and promotes ecological consciousness in the hospitality industry through its trade association and its "Catalog of Environmental Products for the Lodging Industry". Because general managers, chief engineers and executive housekeepers generally do not have time to seek out all the ideas and suggestions for conserving water and energy and reducing solid waste, "Green" Hotels Association® has devoted itself to that task. For further information, contact "Green" Hotels Association® at P. O. Box 420212, Houston, TX 77242-0212, 713/789-8889, Fax 713/789-9786.

Meeting Planner's Questionnaire for
"Green" Lodging Establishments

<d> 

Item/Question	Yes	No	Example(s)
Does your property regularly purchase reusable and durable products?
Does your property regularly purchase products that can be recycled?
Does your property regularly purchase recycled products?
Does your property have an in-house recycling program? If yes, what materials are collected for recycling?
Does your property have a recycling program which allows guests to participate? If yes, what materials are included?
Does your property recycle any other materials (linens, phone books, oil, pallets, etc.)?
Will your property provide recycling bins for our meeting? Circle which materials we will have recycling bins for: aluminum, glass, newspaper, white paper, plastic, steel cans
Will your property commit to seeing that the above items collected from our meeting are actually recycled?
Does your property have a contract with a recycling hauler or business?
Does your property donate, sell, or recycle old "durables" (i.e., furnishings, etc.)?
Will your food and beverage services use reusable items such as cloth, glass, ceramic, etc. rather than disposable items such as styrofoam or plastic for our meeting?
Will your property serve food buffet-style? One large plate? Without garnishes?
Will your property use cream pitchers, sugar pourers and reusable spoons rather than individual ceamer and sugar packets, etc. for our meeting? Jelly servers rather than individual packets? Other?
Will your kitchen purchase fresh rather than packaged produce?
Are vegetarian or vegan menus available?
Does your property purchase and serve beverages in returnable refillable containers?
Who pays for bottle deposits-the client or the property?
Does your property donate leftover food to a local non-profit organization?
At the close of our meeting, is your property willing to distribute meeting materials and sample products left behind to a local charity that can put them to good use?
Will you provide cloth rather than disposable table drapes for display tables?
Will you provide meeting tables WITHOUT tablecloths?
Will your property use chips or coins rather than disposable paper tickets for coat checking and auto parking?
Does your property have guestroom dispensers for soap and shampoo?
Is your property willing to remove all small plastic amenity bottles from the guestrooms which our participants will occupy?
Does your property give guests a choice on having bath linens exchanged?
Does your property offer guests a choice on having bedsheets changed?
Do guestrooms have low-flow showerheads? Low-flow sink aerators?
What other water conservation measures have been taken?
What are you doing to reduce dry cleaning and laundry paraphernalia?
Does your property offer double-sided copying at a reduced rate (less than two single sheets)?
At the close of our meeting, is your property willing to distribute meeting materials and sample products left behind to a local charity that can put them to good use?
What percentage of your property's lighting is fluorescent?
What other energy conservation measures have been taken?
What other conservation measures have you incorporated?
Is your property a member of "Green" Hotels Association®?
Has your property contacted "Green" Hotels Association® (713/789-8889) for information regarding being "green"?
Is there anything further in regard to being "green" that your property will offer us?
Property Name:
Address:
Contact:
Phone:		Fax:

 

Top