This is a guest post by Sam Marquit of Fair Marquit Value.
Environmental sustainability is not just a project for big businesses and corporations. Everyone can take action through voting with his or her dollar. By vacationing at eco-friendly resorts, visitors show businesses the types of companies they believe in.
After years as a commercial contractor, I know this works. In the last few years I have seen a rise in environmentally sustainable businesses. As more consumers demand greener companies, hotels are responding to that demand.
The green Marriott experience includes water-saving toilets and shower heads,
laundry bags and soap dispensers made of recycled plastic and an optional linen reuse program.
The Marriott —one of the largest hotel chains in the world—is making an effort to go green by conserving energy, reducing waste and using environmentally friendly materials. One example: greening their key cards. Each year, a hotel with 100 rooms will throw away an average of 10,000 key cards… or 50 pounds of plastic. To lower this waste, the Marriott invested in key cards made from a biodegradable corn by-product. This sustainable solution will keep 66 tons of plastic out of our landfills.
A large solar thermal system provides hot water for swimming pools and spas
at Las Vegas’ Palazzo and Venetian.
Another hotel that is making a difference is the Palazzo Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas. Visitors at this hotel can enjoy rooftop solar panels and lower carbon dioxide emissions. The hotel reuses its own waste and has a water recycling system installed. With all of these environmentally sustainable features, the LEED-certified Palazzo was recently dubbed the “Most Eco-Friendly Yet Stylish Hotel in America.” Other Las Vegas hotels and businesses are catching on to being green.
Suites at the eco-friendly Palazzo boast low-flow showerheads,
energy-efficient LED lighting, high-efficiency toilets and occupancy sensors.
Rising green initiatives like Eco-Innovation Europe aid in sustainable development. This organization saw a disconnect between what researchers worked on and what companies produced. Their goal is to bridge the gap and get both parties on the same page. Eco-Innovation Europe supports research of environmentally friendly products and processes. They promote recycling, reduced carbon dioxide emissions and efficient resource management. Through the work of this company and others like it, new techniques are being developed that can really change the world.
As tourists, we can also make a difference in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution by choosing hotels and businesses that are environmentally friendly. (Search for green hotels now!) Going green provides benefits to customers as well as to a company’s bottom line. It is important to continue this trend to also better our planet for future generations.
About the Author: Sam Marquit is a New York independent contractor and home renovation/remodeling expert who aims to reduce his (and others’) carbon footprint. Sam shares his knowledge about sustainable building on his blog at http://fmarquitv.tumblr.com/
