Make Your Hotel Visit Eco-Friendly
Learn what you can do to make your hotel stay more "green."
Aug. 30, 2007 — -- According to AAA, nearly 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from their homes this Labor Day weekend.
While the holiday usually symbolizes the official end to the summer travel season, you can learn how to travel all year round in an environmentally friendly way. You can help your hotel become eco-friendly by following a few green travel tips.
Pack your own bath and body products. The average-size hotel produces more product waste in one week than 100 families in a year. To avoid unnecessary waste, bring your own refillable bottles of shampoos, soaps and lotions.
Hang your towels to dry and request that the hospitality staff not change the sheets. This will save water and lessen the dumping of bleach and detergents into the environment. Hotels that have linen card programs save 5 percent on their utility bill.
The hospitality industry spends $3.7 billion per year on energy. Treat your hotel room like you are paying the bills and turn off unnecessary lights. Keep heaters or air conditioners off or on low and close the drapes when you are not there to keep out the heat of the sun.
Save your hotel on electric and energy by taking along a solar charger. It's great for charging electronics like cell phones, cameras, a Global Positioning System and MP3 players while you're on the road. A solar power charger is a great tool in a foreign country so you won't have to worry about voltage converters.
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