7 Ways to Make Your Hotel More Sustainable

Introduction

It is with no surprise that sustainability is a part of this year’s top trends in the hospitality industry. The topic has been talked about for a few years now and is, today, more relevant than ever. With guests’ expectations changing and turning towards an eco-friendlier lifestyle, hotels must adapt to those needs and expectations. According to Booking, “almost everyone wants travel to be more sustainable”. Indeed, their latest report on Sustainable Travel in 2021 shows that 80% of travelers intend to choose a sustainable accommodation, and 73% of travelers are more likely to book a stay if the accommodation has some sustainability initiatives. Therefore, it is crucial for hotels to implement more sustainable practices.

But how, you may ask? Sustainability is a complex topic and to create an impact, you cannot simply ask your guests to re-use their towels in the bathroom. It has to be bigger than that and it has to involve the physical infrastructure: hotels are now being built with a real sustainable impact. Of course, we are not asking you to re-build your hotel, but going step-by-step in your change towards a more sustainable facility.

Changes to Implement in Your Hotel To Make It More Sustainable

Avoid Plastic

Most places are now almost completely plastic free. This practice has been implemented a few years ago and started with replacing plastic straws. Many alternatives are available such as biodegradable plastics, stainless steel, bamboo straws or even no straws at all. Careful though, depending on the drink, it is not always practical for the guest, and they might ask for a straw. However, it is the best solution available as some alternatives to plastic still have an impact on the environment.

But straws are not the only problem, water bottles, toiletry and all sorts of containers are to be banned. A solution to replace water bottles is to filter tap water and make it available for everyone so they can refill their stainless-steel bottles at any time. Or even, create your own stainless-steel or glass bottles to sell. As for toiletries, many hotels are now providing guests with biodegradable amenities, it has way less impact than single-use plastic sets. And for shampoo, refillable dispensers are a great alternative.

Sadly, those are not the only products that contain plastic, it is everywhere! Fortunately, a lot of biodegradable options are available for all sorts of products such as trash bags, you just need to be careful with what you choose.

Eliminate Unnecessary Paper Consumption

One thing that the pandemic did well was reduce paper consumption. Instead of a printed menu, we would find a QR code with all the needed information. And that was also the case for a lot of other services. No more paper, just scan the code.

How many changes does your menu go through in a week? How many times do you print a flyer to make sure it looks good? How often do you have to re-print everything because you noticed a typo? You probably don’t even count anymore. Hotels are known to consume a lot of paper; whether it is to print receipts, newspapers, menus, it is a lot.

The pandemic has introduced us to QR codes. If many facilities used that technology before, it was not very well-known or at least, not in the hotel industry. But don’t stop at only using QR codes, use other digital solutions like e-mails. Instead of printing receipts, send them by e-mail, and have your guests sign documents online instead of printing them. TV screens are also a great way to display information rather than printing flyers.

Reduce food waste

Did you know that the hospitality industry creates 18% of the annual food waste? That is a lot of food. But don’t worry, there are many solutions to reduce that waste. One of the most important being to make your F&B employees aware of that issue. Also, analyze your operations and try to understand where that waste comes from. Is it because you serve buffet breakfast, and a lot goes to waste? Or maybe is it from room service? Once the source is identified, it is easier to control.

However, even if you’re measuring and controlling everything, there will still be some waste. A great way to save it is by serving it in your employees’ cafeteria. Of course, we are not talking about giving them half a bread or half a steak. But if you have a breakfast buffet, it is more than likely that you will end the service with some pancakes, eggs, or sausages left. Therefore, not only does it prevent the food from going to waste, but it also benefits your employees.

Other solutions include training your chefs into cooking with all the parts of a product, simply compost all the food that remains or give it to farms as an exchange for other products.