Many chain hotels are following their European competitors example and reducing the use of small plastic shampoo containers. Other hotels ask guests to reuse towels and linens during their stay.
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Flickr Creative Commons: yokoaoki
PULLMAN, Wash. – Most hotels now post signs in the bathroom, suggesting guests conserve water by reusing towels during their stay. A new study has found that many chain hotels are saving money by “going green.”
The Washington State University study found that larger chain hotels are implementing more environmental measures than independent ones. That’s mainly because bigger businesses can buy in bulk and spread cost out. Professor Dennis Reynolds says green practices can have a trickle-down effect.
“Not only can hotels be more sustainable, can be more environmentally-friendly, but that’s translating into customers, too,” Reynolds says. “If they go to a hotel and see, ‘Oh, you’re using a water system that now the brown water can be used for irrigation.’ People are translating that into personal use, too.”
Green cost-saving measures include: energy-efficient appliances, light bulbs and temperature controls. Reynolds says consumers still choose where to stay based on price, but green hotels win out when all else is equal.
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