If you’re in the business of accommodating and entertaining paying guests, then sustainability might be something worth thinking about. Increasingly, your customers might be looking for hosts that share their environmentalist values. As such, measures that you can take to drive down your environmental impact will improve your reputation, and help you to remain competitive.
But exactly which sustainability measures are worth taking? Let’s consider a few of the essential ones.
Implement Energy-Efficient Systems
The more energy-efficient your premises are, the less energy you’ll spend, and the less emissions you’ll generate.
As such, it might be worth upgrading your premises. The installation of modern HVAC can be particularly worthwhile, especially if your existing systems are old and inefficient. Insulating the premises, and installing smart thermostats to control the temperature more intelligently, might also be hugely beneficial.
Of course, you might also need to maintain these systems after they’re installed. This might mean paying a contractor to come in regularly and ensure that everything is working optimally. You’ll be paying not only for their expertise, but for essential supplies like cabling and bus bar connectors.
Adopt Sustainable Waste Management Practices
If your business is to be truly sustainable, you’ll need to have a system in place to deal with all of the waste you’re generating. You’ll need to divide your waste into categories so that it can be dealt with appropriately. This might mean composting organic materials, and recycling wherever possible.
You might also cut down your waste to begin with, by limiting your use of disposable products. Plastic and paper straws are an obvious place to start.
Your customers might be valuable partners in your battle against waste. Try to communicate your mission through notes and messages. Provide recycling bins to make it easier to dispose of paper cups and the like responsibly. Put messages in the bathrooms reminding guests not to flush wet wipes down the toilet!
Utilize Renewable Energy Sources
If you can generate your own energy on-site, then you might be able to make significant energy savings in the long term. The technology you use to do this will depend on the location and arrangement of your premises. In some states, solar panels might be an obvious choice.
In others, wind turbines might be worthwhile. As a hospitality business, you might need to consider the aesthetic impact that these items might have on your buildings. However, these technologies have been widely installed in hotels throughout the country, and so many guests will already be used to the sight of them. In some cases, the presence of a solar panel or two might even be expected. You might even choose not to conceal them!
