How to be a good green guest at any hotel

We’ve talked about what hotels are doing to green up their businesses. But what can we as travelers do to keep our hotel stays as environmentally conscious as possible? I’ve congratulated myself on numerous occasions for participating in hotel linen- and towel-reuse programs, but, yes, I know –- picking my towel up off the floor doesn’t make me an eco-warrior. So, I wondered what else I could do when staying at a regular ol’ hotel, when one of those lovely, holistic, fancy eco-resorts just isn’t where I need it to be, location- or budget-wise.

I consulted experts from around the Web and am passing on their useful tips about how to make your hotel stays better for the Earth-at-large.

- Just say “no”: If your stay is short, ring up housekeeping to decline cleaning and turn-down services. [Hotel-Online]

- Turn out the lights (and TV and A/C): Before heading out for the day, switch them all off. [Green Globe]

- Reuse your cup without swapping germs: Bring a Sharpie with you and, if using the plastic cups in your room, mark each user’s name on them. [Green Hotels Assn.]

- Don’t be a bed hog: If your room has two double beds and you have the room all to yourself, pick a bed and stick to it, avoiding messing up the bedding on the other. That way, housekeeping won’t have to remake it, wash the sheets, etc. [Hotel-Online.com]

- Recycle: Ask hotel staff about their recycling protocol and sort your trash and recyclables accordingly. If the hotel doesn’t recycle, take your recyclables home with you, if you can. [Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection]

- Let them know you care: Tell the management that you support their environmentally conscious choices. [Global Stewards]

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: D. Joseph / For the Los Angeles Times]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 3:30 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Business Travel, California, Eco-Travel, Global, Luxury Travel, News, Tips & Advice, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.