Our world is approaching an ecological tipping point that demands attention, and many people have come to understand the importance of maintaining an environmentally friendly business strategy in light of the changes in the planet. The hospitality industry is an example of a marketplace where excessive waste can lead to harmful effects on the surrounding environment, and hotels, in particular, are potential sources of vast amounts of waste in the form of food, energy, and manpower.
The importance of environmental awareness is seen in nearly every facet of the hotel industry, and taking advantage of certain strategies to reduce waste can help those facilities operate at maximum efficiency while offering a minimal negative impact on the world.
Why go green?
It’s no secret that the socially conscious thing to do is treat the environment with the respect it deserves, and that idea has to be translated into the business world in order to ensure safety, standards, and effectiveness. Hotels are especially able to benefit from utilizing ecologically responsible business practices, and those benefits include:
- Increased brand value: It won’t be long before green initiatives are no longer voluntary to the average business. Hotels need to begin using as many green practices as possible while they’re still voluntary, and by doing so, they will remain ahead of the competitive curve when new sustainability requirements come about.
- Regulatory compliance: New sustainability regulations are constantly added to the weight of responsibility on the shoulders of the hotel industry. By implementing certain future compliance measures ahead of time, hotels can make the transition significantly easier for themselves.
- Customer loyalty: Customers have grown to expect certain things from the businesses and services they use, and many of those customers are not only aware of environmental sustainability issues, but they’re deeply concerned with them as well. Hotels that show they not only care about these issues, but that they actively take part in methods of environmental protection, could influence customers deciding where to stay, and where to go back for multiple visits.
- Employee retention: The hotel industry’s employees are much more sophisticated than many may assume, and they pay attention to the practices of the hotel for which they work. In many cases, it’s exceptionally easy for employees to see the green standards built into a hotel since they often implement those standards through their job. It’s been shown that socially conscious employees prefer to work where they feel they are making a difference to the environment.
- Risk management: Risk management is famously connected with corporate social responsibility strategies, which nearly always involve some level of environmental protection or conservation practices. The fact of the matter is that good CSR strategies will inevitably lead to less risk, and higher safety standards.
Controlling food waste in the hotel industry
Modern hotels nearly all provide some form of nutrition, either in the form of a marketplace, a breakfast service center, or a full restaurant and bar. Just about any type of food and beverage service can be found in hotels, and those sources of waste tend to trump many others, especially where proper food processing equipment and techniques are ignored.
It’s been estimated that nearly one-third of all prepared food in the world is wasted every year, and some countries actually waste more than other poorer countries produce in total. The amount of time, energy, and the value wasted through discarded food could be used to feed the nearly 900 million people in the world without enough to eat. To better control food waste in the hotel industry, the following methods should be followed:
- Measure waste: Keeping track of the food waste generated by a hotel can greatly help when deciding what actions to take and what areas need further attention.
- Develop a plan: Using the data you’ve found regarding food waste, create a system that counteracts areas of weakness that you’ve identified. One common area for improvement is the use of food packaging equipment to prevent spoiling, as well as organizing a menu that inherently produces minimal waste.
- Maintain vigilance: Continue to pay attention to the level of waste production, and make sure that your plan is effectively preventing as much waste as possible.
- Spread the word: By sharing how effective conservation techniques can help boost profitability and increase brand recognition, a hotel can pave the way for others to follow on the environmental path.
It’s not difficult for a Green hotel to maintain an environmentally centered business strategy. By focusing on eliminating waste through proper food handling, packaging, and processing, hotels can take advantage of many of the benefits that are associated with green practices.
About the author
Are Morch specialises in social media management for hotels. He works closely with hotels to create social media strategies that fit their needs and properties. Through social media, hotel blogging and hotel communities, Are identifies the values that will make your hotel’s performance stand out. He helps hotels build a social media foundation that impacts occupancy and revenue, and makes the social media tasks for your hotel easier.
