What is sustainability?
Sustainability is the idea of peacefully co-existing with nature for long time without compromising the needs of future generations. In simple words, it refers to using and reusing resources without harming the environment. Over time, it has also become a cost cutting model. With increasing awareness about recycling, businesses have started leaning towards greener alternatives to save money in the long run.
Simple ways to make your hotel more sustainable
Hotels of all sizes can do their part in saving the environment. Installing costly solar panels is not the only way to go green. In this blog post, we have mentioned 7 simple and effective ways for hoteliers to practice sustainability.
Rainwater harvesting
Rainfall is nature’s greatest and cheapest resource. Imagine the amount of rainfall we receive in a year. Now, think of all the ways in which water is used in a day in your hotel. If you can store rainwater and use it for all your hotel operations, calculate the money you will save. Sounds good?
Rainwater can be used for laundry, irrigation, bathing and flushing. There are numerous methods to collect rainwater that are easy to follow.
List of rainwater harvesting methods.
Say goodbye to paperwork
This is tricky to follow as we are used to paperwork. Billing, internal notes, kitchen orders, room service instructions – the list goes on. You can switch to digital services to track everything instead of printing out copies. It saves time and money.
Modern day cloud-based hotel management software can help you digitise every hotel operation. So, you will never have to spend a penny on paper again.
A big NO to food wastage
It takes hours to cook delicious food. It takes minutes to eat it. But it only takes seconds to toss the leftover food in the bin. Imagine the amount of food wasted after every meal. If you think about it, all the leftover food from your hotel can feed hungry people.
Did you know that there are various NGOs that collect leftover food and donate it to the needy? This is a win-win situation for everyone. You no longer have to throw all the leftovers in plastic bags and dump them in bins. All you have to do is call these NGOs. They will come to your premises and collect the leftovers. You can conserve and do a good deed at the same time.
Make your own compost pit
It might seem easier to dump all the waste in a big, plastic bag and toss it in the bin. However, it is both unfriendly to the environment and your pocket. The kitchen waste from your hotel can be turned into manure with a compost pit.
Firstly, pick a good location for the pit. You do not want your guest to smell the stench emanating from the pit. Add tick layers of soil at the bottom of the pit. Then, form a team to segregate the waste and throw all the bio-degradable waste into the pit. You can even add soil in between the waste materials. Make sure to add in earthworms (vermicomposting) to speed up the process. Make sure to keep the pit moist and turn the pile every few weeks. Once the soil pile turns earthy, you can use it as manure.
If maintaining your own compost seems tedious, you can find a composter near you.
Use contactless technology
‘Contactless’ became the norm after the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone became conscious of what they touched. Most of the restaurants opted to go contactless with their menu and food service. The dining tables had a QR code sticker. Customers scanned it and ordered food from their phones. They also settled the bill through UPI applications. Once the restrictions were lifted, some of them went back to traditional ways while the others stayed with contactless technology.
It is not just limited to restaurants. Contactless technology can be used in your hotel. Hotels like Hilton, have their own mobile application. With the application, customers can check-in, check-out, pay bills, order room service and book taxis. Other features include using their mobile as a remote to control the TV, lights, fans and room temperature.
If getting a mobile application seems like a lot of work and money, you can always prefer QR codes as they are equally efficient and fast.
Appreciate your team with rewards
A little appreciation can go a long way if you want to keep up with your green practices in the long run. Time and again, we have seen all the ‘GO GREEN’ campaigns start off with a bang but lose steam after a while. Everything seems exciting in the beginning, but as time goes on, it takes a lot of dedication and discipline to stay on track.
To make sure that your staff do not lose interest, reward them with incentives. Let’s say your housekeeping staff have segregated biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Reward them for their sustainability efforts.
Spread the word
The ultimate goal of any business is to generate more revenue. Hotels are no different. All your eco-friendly practices should attract more guests to your hotel. The best way is to spread the word on social media. In this day and age, anything and everything can be found online. People trust reviews and photos uploaded on review platforms. So, maintaining a good reputation online is essential. However, you don’t need a digital marketing expert for this.
You can start off by creating a social media account for your hotel. Make sure to upload photos and videos consistently of your eco-friendly practices. If you have a Google Business profile, ask your guests to leave reviews. But keep in mind to not come off as pushy as your efforts can backfire.
Another simple way is to collaborate with online influencers to talk about your brand. Collaborating or sponsoring green events will ensure more visibility. Google Ads can be used to create impressions. Instagram can be used to upload attractive photos of your hotel.
You can also mix traditional marketing methods like newspaper advertisements and pamphlets.