What Does Green Mean?

I was in Tampa, FL last week, attending a conference on sustainability and stayed at a hotel that was a proud member of the "Florida Green Lodging Program". I wondered what that meant and started noticing what the hotel was doing, or not doing, to achieve this distinction. As I started looking around, I realized that being green is the newest label in a long line of labeling the new, trendy practices. and it is often just that, a label. So, I began to think - if you are really going to be green, wouldn't you...and came up with a tick list of items for the hotel (at least for this blog entry!) and the list grew as I began to pay attention everywhere, hence the blog and not just one random post somewhere!

So, if you are really going to be green, wouldn't you... is an idea about how to have the conversation, moving the needle past a label and toward real action and real change. It's also about remembering the role that each person plays in this movement toward sustainable practices. I believe that the actions of individuals are far more powerful and impactful than any label or mandate, sometimes we just need to be reminded of it!

As I prepared my breakfast at the hotel, on styrofoam plates and bowls, I jotted down my observations and began my idea for a blog. The five things that jumped out at me about hotels as I looked around: no recycling, not for paper, plastic, cans or any other materials; newspapers at every door, including many that had still gone unclaimed by 2:00 in the afternoon; breakfast served with all styrofoam and disposables; no individual temperature controls and single-switch light controls in the room. While some of these things are out of an individual's control, there are some things that can impact your personal footprint at a hotel - do you leave the TV on for background noise? Do you leave computers and/or eletronics powered on when not in use? Do you bring your at-home behaviors on the road? You know the ones I am talking about - things like turning the water off while you brush your teeth and shutting off the lights when you leave the room. While the hotel's efforts can be, and really should be, improved, our actions can make an impact, regardless of the hotel's practices so don't forget the importance of your own behavior!

The next time you stay at a hotel, think about some of these facts: for all the advertising about reusing your towels, research shows that the actual number of people who do for multi-night stays is less than 30%; almost 70% of hotel guests would use a recycling bin if it was in their room and people are more likely to participate in green practices if they know their fellow hotel guests are doing the same. Now, the question is what will you do to make an impact?