5 Ways to Be More Eco-friendly in a Hotel

When we are at home, it is much easier to be more green. It becomes such a part of our lives that we get so used to it and forget that hotels and travel destinations don’t often have the same accommodations as we do at home. This is changing, though! As more and more hotels become more Eco-friendly, there are some real shifts happening in how many hotels, even the national chains, are being managed and run. In any case, you can still take your green attitude with you and try these 5 easy ways to be more Eco-friendly in a hotel.

5 Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly in a Hotel

Don’t have your linens washed daily while you are there- This one is probably one of the easiest things to do that’s green in a hotel room. In fact, many hotels, even those that don’t profess to be green are starting to remind guests that this is good practice, One way to indicate you don’t want your towels washed that day is to hang them up. Towels left on the floor often are an indication that you are done with them.

Skip one time use items- Hotels have lots of one time use items from soaps to cups. Skip using these whenever you can so as to not add to the waste. Instead, bring your own shampoo, soaps, etc.

Bring your own water bottle- I find that when on the road, it is too easy to buy disposable drinks in bottles. One way to curb this is to bring a reusable bottle for everyone on the trip with you and fill it up over and over. Not only is this super green, but also saves you a ton of money as well.

Recycle if possible- If you are able to, recycle what you can. Some hotels even have tubs for recyclables in individual rooms now! If yours doesn’t, ask if they have one at the front desk. They may just have one for guests to use that is not widely advertised. Ask what is able to be recycled in the area so you know what to save.

Don’t run your heat/air conditioning when you aren’t there- This seems like a no-brainer, but many hotels have those temperature control systems that make you think they are Eco-friendly, but in my opinion those things never really work. Instead, just turn off the heat and AC when you leave for the day. Hotel rooms usually have strong heat/AC systems so it won’t take long to get it the proper temp when you return. You may even find that you don’t need it at all if you are traveling in a temperate climate/time of year.