A new concept is in fashion that says travel for pleasure yet keep in mind that your pleasure trips do not harm the environment, particularly the flora and fauna of the country you are visiting. The buzz word is travelling green; this does not mean that you wear green clothes or take luggage that is green. It means that you keep in mind the environment concerns when you take vacations away from you home. The best way to be eco friendly is to choose a hotel that believes in the eco friendly concept. Eco tourism is the growing sector in the tourism industry and many people are opting to visit and stay in hotels who seriously believe in using eco friendly materials that are expensive but are non toxic.
There are some parameters that a hotel must follow in order to be considered an eco friendly hotel:
Efficient use of energy: Does the hotel uses energy efficient or not? In other words, do they use appliances that save energy, do not use ordinary blubs but use blubs that are fluorescent. The best eco friendly hotels make extensive use of solar energy.
Have an adequate management system for green waste: During the tourist season, a hotel generates a lot of waste that could be recycled and reused. Using effective ‘green waste management system’ means reusing all small bottles of shampoo that are given as a complimentary to each guest instead of throwing them in the waste.
Using cleaning material that is not toxic: Lots of cleaning material and detergents are used in a hotel to keep it clean and hygienic. Most hotels buy, in bulk cleaning materials and bleaches, because they are cheap. However, these materials are very toxic and are likely to pollute the environment. Green hotels avoid using toxic cleaners and opt for non toxic cleaning material. This not only helps the environment but it helps to keep the cleaning staff healthy as well.
The hotel needs to sort the trash: Finally, it is good, if the hotel follows the basic principles of sorting its trash into separate containers. A basic concept of trash management is to separate trash into different bags.
It is good to find a hotel that is environmentally friendly, but the quests can also help the hotel to conserve and reuse and stop wasting recourses. For example, if you are using toiletries provided by the hotel you can carry half used bottles and use them during the trip or take them home and use them. It is always good to turn off lights, fans, heat or the appliance you use to conserve energy. If possible find out the waste management system of the hotel and sort out your trash into different bags. Conserve water, turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth and take short showers. This would help the hotel to conserve water; it would help local population as well, particularly in the areas where there is a chronic shortage of water. Taking eco friendly vacations and staying in green hotels is one way to stop further degradation of environment. Your contribution can be motivation for others so keep going and spread about this as much as possible J
