As we progress in our lives, we recognize that the Earth’s natural resources are limited. We will continue to use it for as long as feasible. Industrial advancement has had a profoundly adverse impact on the environment. The waste we are generating goes to landfills. Our automobiles’ emissions are still there in the air we breathe. The plastic water bottles we so conveniently use every day stay in the environment for up to 500 years (or more). All of these are common practices and are vandalizing the atmosphere at a breakneck pace. Therefore, today’s generation is putting more thought into becoming environmentally conscious.
What does being eco-friendly mean? Being eco-friendly entails giving attention to how your activities may affect the environment. And how long that effect may last, being conscious of the things you use, devoting time to lessen your ecological footprint, and so on. In layman’s terms, the act of living with intent can be defined as being eco-friendly. The mere acknowledgment that Earth needs to be conserved for the upcoming generation and that we need to be careful how we live our lives comes under living with intent. The Mars colonization projects might seem promising, but why would one leave a perfectly good planet to move to another planet with far fewer resources?
Another side to environmentally friendly living is carrying the practice everywhere you go. These days hospitality businesses are becoming thoroughly eco-friendly to reduce their ecological footprint and cater to their environmentally conscious clientele. If you happen to travel to Tennessee, check out hotels in gatlinburg, as they’re popular for their green architecture and eco-friendly practices. Being surrounded by nature is also a significant part of green-living, and it’s therapeutic too. Read on to know what makes a hotel environmentally friendly?
1. Water Conservation Measures
Hotels use thousands of gallons of water per day. Most tenants are very negligent about their water usage. They leave the water running while they brush their teeth, wash their face, etc. Hotels that use water conservation showerheads and faucets (commonly known as aerators) save up to 50 percent of their water every year. These faucets combine air and water to give you just the right pressure but save lots of water simultaneously.
Moreover, hotel bathrooms that have instructions about reusing towels are also considerate towards water conservation. Less laundry means less water usage. Hotel bathrooms may also have a water reusing feature. It conserves water used from the shower or the sink that can get used for flushing the toilet.
2. Renewable Energy Sources
Hotels that use renewable energy sources to generate electricity are stars of eco-friendly accommodation. These renewable energy sources include solar energy, wind energy, and hydro energy. More and more hotels are using some form of renewable energy to lower their utility costs and avoid the consumption of fossil fuels. Some hotels even use solar heating systems to heat water in pools naturally and hot tubs to save on electricity costs.
3. Recycling And Composting
Hotels that have active recycling programs are the best example of environmentally friendly accommodation. Recycling can be enforced on customers by the provision of segregated trash cans. Customers can separately dispose of their tin, paper, and plastic waste to make it easier for the garbage collectors to sort the trash and send it for recycling.
Keep an eye on what kind of composting techniques hotel kitchens are employing. Hotels that preserve fruit skins, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other compostable materials are ideal. These materials are saved from ending up in landfills and can enrich the soil for better plant growth. Compost is a wonderful substitute for artificial fertilizer as it encourages beneficial bacteria and suppresses plant diseases.
4. Encouragement To Use Green Modes Of Transport
Hotels that provide discounts on using public transportation are consciously reducing the emissions from vehicles used in individual transport. Look for hotels that offer bicycles to their tenants to encourage sustainable travel. Moreover, hotels may also provide perks to people who use their dedicated transport service to and from the hotel, for example, a welcome drink.
5. Less Grey, More Green
Hotels that feature beautiful gardens and substantial green courtyards are good for the environment and your physical and mental well-being. Green sights are therapeutically pleasing to your mind. Plants and trees also absorb carbon dioxide making the air around you purer. An open environment with lots of greens allows you to breathe cleaner and fresher air. Nature also helps to revive your memory and help you focus better. Hotel kitchens can also use herbs freshly grown in their garden, again, sustainable addition to the supply chain.
The Bottom Line
Being environmentally conscious shouldn’t just be limited to the boundaries of your home. If you’re concerned about our planet, you will look for eco-friendly accommodation everywhere you go. Hotels that implement water conservation measures to save water are a wonderful example of sustainable accommodation. They use sprinkler faucets and recyclable water methods to save or reuse water in the bathrooms. Using solar energy to heat water in pools is also a nice way to save energy and emissions from fossil fuels. If you’re looking forward to a therapeutic vacation, go for hotels that include nature in their infrastructure. Lastly, look for hotels that put profound thought into their waste management systems.