Green Hotel Guide: 8 Step Recycling Program

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Hotels can make a significant impact on waste reduction and recycling. A waste audit conducted in six properties by the Florida Energy Extension Service indicated that waste generation in guest rooms varied from 1/2 to 28 1/2 pounds of waste per day. One hotel in their pilot proje ct saved about 1.25 billion BTU of energy in six months by recycling. This reduction in energy use (which is 125,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity) is the same as energy consumed by 1,250 100-watt light bulbs burning continuously for 42-days. Imagine the savings!!

 

Let’s get started! Follow these eight steps to create your hotel’s recycling program – you won’t regret it, trust us!

 

1. Select a Recycling Coordinator

Accountability is key to the success of your green hotel’s recycling program. Who is going to be at the forefront of this effort? This is especially true at the beginning. Finding the right person to head this up is crucial. The ideal recycling coordinator will be:

 

•         Enthusiastic about recycling and/or the environment

•         Well organized

•         A good communicator

•         Familiar with starting, overseeing and maintaining programs

•         In contact with the company’s waste haulers, janitorial staff or contracts

 

How much time does this position take? Well, that really depends on your employee’s participation. One hour per month is usually enough to maintain a successful hotel recycling program. Ask for volunteers, and we bet you’ll find a great candidate quickly.

 

2. Decide What to Collect

Consider that paper makes up an average of 37.5 percent of the waste stream. What else does your hotel use? What supplies do you have on hand? What do your guests and employees use? Take a walk around and start making a list.

 

Here are a few possibilities:

                 

•         Computer paper

•         Aluminum cans

•         Bathroom amenities

•         Batteries

•         Light bulbs

•         Computers and accessories

•         Glass bottles

•         Inkjet/toner cartridges

•         Plastic bottles

•         Scrap metal

•         Paper or plastic cups

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