“Green” tips

Solomon Ioannou

For The Tourism Accommodation Sector

Energy tips1. Familiarise yourself better with your energy consumption

equipment. Draft out a long-term replacement investment plan and ensure that every time your budget allows you to replace your equipment, you consider buying energy efficient ones. Energy requirements of new purchased equipment should be an integrated part of the purchasing decision making process of your business;

2. Switch off anything that can be switched off. Ascertain what you actually need and only cool and ventilate as much as you really need; Remember, fresh air during the night cools rooms free of charge;

3. Install central switches in guest rooms so that energy is disabled when the guest are not in need to use their rooms;

4. Maintain a temperature policy by setting the thermostat of the guest rooms at 25°C that provides the most comfort for the least cost. Remember reducing the room temperature by just 1°C could cut your bills by up to 10 percent;

5. Use energy saving light bulbs. Just one can save you money over the lifetime of the bulb - as they last up to 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs;

6. Set your hot water cylinder thermostat no higher than 58-60°C. The World Health organisation states that there is no risk of legionnaires disease at these levels of temperatures;

7. Insulate hot water pipes effectively;

8. Check the washing temperatures by washing at 55°C and rinsing at 80°C;

Energy tips

Energy tips

9. Use more gas appliance as gas is cheaper than electricity;

10.Keep refrigerators well stocked. Do not refrigerate large spaces for only few items;

11.Do not put warm food in the refrigerators. It will need more energy to cool it off;

12.Remember, preventive maintenance helps keep your equipment “fit” at all times and secures their efficient use of energy;

13.Ensure that walk in refrigerators doors have an automatic closing system and that when are opened you have energy escaping air curtains turn on automatically to save cooling air from escaping.

Water tips

1. Familiarise yourself better with your water consumption equipment (e.g. dishwashers, ice-cube machines, floor cleaning equipment, etc). Draft out a long-term replacement investment plan and ensure that every time your budget allows you to replace your equipment, you consider buying energy and water efficient ones. Energy and water requirements of new purchased equipment should be an integrated part of the purchasing decision making process of your business;

2. Offer guests the option of reusing their linens and towels which helps reduce water usage, saves energy and reduces chemical consumption;

3. Avoid using large water consumption simultaneously. This will assist you to reduce the peak demand and save you money if you are charged through a peak consumption rate;

4. Install water recovery for washing machines;

5. Install timers on taps. Automatic shut offs will prevent the unnecessary flow of water;

6. Use water saving devices in the wash-hand basin taps and shower nozzles. This will enable your consumption to be reduced by 50%;

7. Don’t fill up the rinsing tanks for the dishwashers with warm water on the evening before. Instead wait until just before work starts;

8. Off season unused swimming pools may be covered temporary to reduce evaporation;

9. Install water meters to monitor your consumption. If you can do that by department you will then be able to monitor each department’s progress with regards to water consumption;

Water tips

1. Adopt in your purchasing process a requirement that request suppliers to provide their products in large containers as opposed to small individual packaging designs. Bulk purchasing of goods should become a norm in your business;

2. If you can not reduce packaging then reuse it! Ask your suppliers to bring goods in reusable packaging materials. For example vegetables may come on reusable and washable plastic boxes while milk containers may come in reusable glass bottles, etc;

3. If you can not reduce and or reuse, then recycle. Carry out a recycling programme, Identify possible contractors who are willing to enter into an agreement with your business to collect and recycle all non-organic materials;

Waste tips

4. Ensure that the packaging materials of chemical substances are not being disposed into landfills. Ask your supplier to enter into an agreement for their collection and proper disposal;

5. Compost all your organic waste and use that rich material for your garden needs or sell it to interested local buyers (for example farmers);

6. Install refillable shampoo and soap dispensers in bathrooms rather than using disposable plastic bottles or individual bars of soap;

7. Support recycling by purchasing recycled paper for menus, table tents, guest checks, inventory sheets, calculator and cash register tapes;

8. Make use the recycling symbol on printed materials to inform guest of your hotel’s commitment to the environment.

Waste tips

Toxic management tips

1. Adopt a “non-toxic” purchasing policy. Inquire with all you chemical suppliers to provide you with Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) in order to identify the toxicity of the products you purchase;

2. MSDS can also be used as a tool to increase your know how on the environmental impact of the chemical products you use on site and what type of immediate action is needed in the case of an emergency;

3. Evaluate your MSDS. Make sure that they contain at least the chemical characteristics, a description of the impact on the environment and a description of action needed in the case of a spillage or an accident;

4. In your purchasing process prefer buying non-toxic inks, unbleached and chlorine-free papers, non-toxic, biodegradable correction fluid, equipment that does not require batteries, rechargeable batteries for small calculators, communication radios and flashlights;

5. Dispose of chemicals per label instructions;

6. Reduce the need for pesticide applications in guest rooms and employee work areas by removing food containers, garbage and recycling containers daily;

7. Purchase cleaning products that contain the least amount of hazardous chemicals;

8. Dispose of used appliances to scrap dealers who recycle CFC’s;

9. Purchase refrigerators, freezers, and coolers which are CFC-free;

10.Use dry, concentrated dishwasher chemicals in dispensers to reduce chemical spills and waste.

Toxic management tips

Biodiversity tips1. Landscape your hotel gardens with indigenous plants adapted to the

local climate and soil conditions. Your water requirements are reduced when you avoid using water dependent plants such as green grass;

2. Plant indigenous species rather than non native ornamental ones. This reduces the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers because the plants are adapted to the area;

3. Contribute through donating funds to programmes that carry out restoration in areas that have been damaged or degraded by past activities;

4. Promote biodiversity conservation training for tour guides carried out by local organisations;

5. Promote exchange of information with regards to biodiversity to your guests.

Community tips

1. Create new job posts that will assist you in implementing effectively your environmental action programme (e.g. recycling material handling officers);

2. Contribute through donating funds to programmes that carry out restoration in areas that have cultural and social uniqueness;

3. Promote cultural conservation training for tour guides;

4. Promote exchange of information and awareness publications to your guests.

Thank you