As 2019 comes to an end it is important to make a conscious review of the water usage and other resources and how to decrease waste. The new year, 2020, is the perfect chance to implement new practices to make your hotel more sustainable and reduce your hotel’s water footprint. As we know water is a precious resource and along with its usage other resources such as electricity are constantly being used as well.
To put some perspective, on average in a single hotel room occupied by two people 200 gallons of fresh water are used per day. That comes up to 73,000 gallons per year per room. Now multiply that by the number of rooms in your hotel and that’s not counting the water utilized in your facilities such as washing machines, gardening, and the pool. These numbers are astonishing but as more practical sustainable practices arise it is important to implement them. Not only will you see the monetary benefits but it but the environment will appreciate it too!
Empowering a Sustainable Philosophy
Water is an indispensable resource that is crucial for living creatures but it is also critical for the well being and comfort of your hotels, resorts, private clubs, etc. Imagine what a sudden water cut can do to your facility, even if it’s just for a few minutes it can cause a lot of angry guests. So managing to always have water access but at the same time implement sustainable efforts in order to waste as little as possible. These practices will cut unnecessary costs caused by waste.
In the constant efforts to be more sustainable and saving water, you will also save energy. Therefore, reducing the number of fossil fuels and chemicals in the process which will lead to a decrease of greenhouse gas emissions. But enough with the science lesson, let’s get to what you can do to truly put this into practice.
Sustainable practices also involve minimizing expenditures in set expenses such as furniture for your hotel. But finding the right fit can be a challenge. You can start with buying furniture that is made out of sustainable materials and at the same time highly durable. In the long run by investing in durable furniture you will save money and help the environment. For example, very durable yet sustainable material is bamboo. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing but from its plantation to its cultivation and its process to become furniture it is highly sustainable compared to similar plants. For starters, it requires less water to grow, and once it’s cut it is easy to mold and break down, therefore using less energy to produce it.
How About Modular & Linenless Furniture
Mogogo’s highly modular and mobile buffet stations make the investment worthwhile. While everything is made out of a bamboo core, all furniture is linenless which will cut your budget by significantly. Tapestry and linens are a large part of the F&B budget and how nice would be if your furniture didn’t need it at all. By completely dropping the linens and exposing the real material of your stations you will not only save a lot of money but it will give your display a natural and unique look. Tablecloths are repeatedly getting dirty and it involves constant washing machine loads that use an incredible amount of water. In one load with the newer and more efficient washing machines, you use up to 30 gallons! That’s a lot!!!
Expose your furniture including your round buffet tables and service carts which are items that due to their use are constantly getting dirty. By avoiding the linens your staff will be more efficient since they will spend most of their time serving your clients and guests instead of worrying that the tops are constantly clean and spill-free.
Additionally, Mogogo allows you to buy each part separately and replace single parts as needed instead of having to purchase a whole new configuration. This way you minimize waste, save resources and money.
At the end of the day, It is about making small changes and respecting the environment. Water is a precious resource and even though a lot of the eco-friendly changes might have initial expensive costs such as changing water filters, acquiring new linenless banquet tables and completely transforming your irrigation systems, in the long run, it will definitely pay off. You can start by implementing small changes and then taking on bigger challenges.
Check out our board for more linenless furniture!
Water-Saving Techniques for 2020
Looking into the new year a lot of green initiatives are available for implementation. Considering that there are many, it’s a good idea to start by capitalizing on one and then move into other efforts. When it comes to water-saving techniques in the later months of 2019 some hotels put limits on shower flow to 10 liters per min as well as limiting the water used in each toilet flush to six liters. In the past, an average flush used over 4 times the amount. To ensure the shower has control there are special showerheads that have a WaterSense label which ensures the saving is taken place. The average person takes up to 10 minutes in the shower and by replacing all your hotel showerheads to this new technology you could save up to 12 gallons per shower which comes up to around 1,400 gallons per month for an average family of four members. And that is only in one room, now try calculating that for your entire hotel.
Another large water usage goes into the beautiful landscape and green areas in the hotel. In 2019, the implementation of Xeriscape landscapes that involves less grass and more plants such as cacti and succulents that require less water had an astonishing impact on the amount of water utilized. So it might be a good idea to invest in some landscape renovations that can save up to 88,000 gallons of water a year! Learn what the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is doing!
Initiatives to reduce your water footprint
Some hotels have already started intensive initiatives to try to reduce the amount of water used and wasted at their properties. For example, The Ritz-Carlton Beijing has done multiple changes to become more water-efficient. Implementing changes does imply incurring costs and therefore you might be hesitant about implementing them. And yes, it is understandable. But in the long run due to water savings, the ROI will be greater plus morally due to becoming greener will put you way ahead of the curve!
Here are some of the changes they implemented:
- Changing the boiler room equipment to a more efficient system
- Changing the sea sand filters of the pool and fitness center to white quartz
- Conducting regular checks of their facilities where they have found and fixed leaks and other water wastage.
- Placing notes reminding guests to turn off the lights and water before leaving the room
- Discouraging using running water to unfreeze foods in the kitchen.
*Source: Global Times