Element Hotels Green Approach

Element Hotels has a new approach for minimizing the environmental impact of hotel stays. They have some GREAT ideas and I would be a happy guest with the initiatives provided.

• Shampoo and conditioner dispensers will eliminate multiple mini-bottles. This is a FANTASTIC move. I’ve always been bothered by the overuse of supplies when in hotels. I don’t need a new bar of soap every day.
• Low-flow sink faucets and dual flush toilets and/or low gallonage toilets will allow guests to optimize water use during their time away from home. This small change conserves an estimated 4,358.6 gallons of water per room each year.
• The ELEMENT design incorporates eco-friendly materials wherever possible, from the floor, which will feature carpets with up to 100% recycled content and recycled carpet cushions, to the walls, where art will be mounted on a base made from recycled tires and where low VOC paints will improve indoor air quality for guests and staff.
• About 50% of the waste generated in hotels is recyclable, but most hotel rooms don’t have recycling bins. ELEMENT guest rooms will include bins to help guests maintain their home recycling ritual. Wow.
• CFLs (compact florescent lamps) light bulbs will be used throughout the hotel instead of incandescent light bulbs. This small change will result in up to 75% less energy used.
• Biophilic design, which maximizes natural light and sightlines to the outdoors, will help guests thrive and connect with their surroundings. I like this idea provided they have good blackout curtains so you don’t wake up at the crack of dawn.
• Finally, an education program will help guests make smart decisions for the environment while traveling and at home.

I hope they also use some method of providing coffee supplies other than the package containing sugar, sweetener, cream, etc. in which you use part and the rest is thrown away. Other than that, I’m SUPER excited about the above and I know it will go well.