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WasteCare Corporation
WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING TIPS FOR HOTELS
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When it comes to taking care of the environment, the hotel industry has long considered themselves to stand apart from other types of businesses. Because of the diversity of functions and staff positions, the endless 24-hour operations schedule, and the immediacy of good service, hotels tend to have a hard time separating recyclable waste from their trash.
In recent years, the hotel industry has seen a turnaround with several notable hotel chains demonstrating they have the means and know-how to effectively conserve resources through waste management programs.
So what is the key to recycling success for hotel management? Take advantage of motivated manager and staff through incentive programs, improve recycling markets, and create innovative community partnerships to succeed in recycling goals.
The hotel industry is seeing the benefits to the bottom line through initial recycling programs. Hotels that have used the enthusiasm of their staffs have seen significant rewards, from a hotel in San Diego, California which cut its costs by over 50% in only two months, to a 300-room hotel in Miami which diverts 150 tons of waste a month, reducing costs by 60%. Hotels are making recycling efforts successful, and they are making money at it.
For anyone in the hotel industry looking to make a difference commercially, read on.
Recycling Tips
By creating a successful hotel recycling project the rewards will outweigh the initial start up work. What can a hotel expect to benefit? Resulting cost savings, good company PR, and employee incentives are all worth the effort.
If the benefits are outstanding then why is that a majority of hotels still have not joined the recycling movement? The easiest answer may be the difficulty in coordinating a program that spans across so many layers. Hotels employ a great number of people in different areas of operations that handle waste disposal. Here are tips to soothe the craftiest recycling naysayers.
- Inform employees about proper recycling procedures by issuing a memo and reviewing procedures at staff meetings or at the beginning of shifts.
- Designate weekly or monthly follow up to ensure that procedures are being followed and further educate employees as necessary.
- Set up a log book or a receipt system to record the volume of recyclables leaving the premises. This will enable you to receive proper compensation for your materials and to take appropriate action if volumes decrease.
- Include recycling information in your orientation for new employees and in guest information packets.
- After policies have been established, explain the recycling program to your housekeeping staff. Train them by showing them what to do with new containers, how to collect waste separately and where to take separated materials. For a 24-hour operation, plan pick-ups on appropriate shifts so that you do not have a problem with overflowing containers.
- Ask for assistance from your housekeeping staff in monitoring the recycling program.
- Have janitorial staff inform you of areas with major contamination problems or where employees are not participating, and follow up with improved recycling education in these areas.
Waste Reduction Tips
A hotel's waste stream is as varied as it is large. Office paper, on-site food waste, amenity bottles, plastic and aluminum beverage containers, countless cardboard packaging boxes, heavy machinery, and guest room furniture all find their way into a property's dumpster.
Although a hotel’s waste is diverse, the typical hotel generates a consistent type of waste. The majority is paper and food waste, and there are lesser amounts of metals, plastic and glass. This profile is similar to the standard municipal solid waste stream coming from residential communities, largely because a hotel is much like a big house.
Variations in a hotel's waste composition can be attributed to differences in the scope of operations and target market of the hotel. For example, limited-service hotels and motels often do not offer an on-site restaurant. This eliminates most of the food waste that makes up a large portion of a full-service hotel's waste stream. Some hotels cater to business travelers who leave office paper-type waste behind; other hotels cater to families on vacation who leave a lot of container waste (take-out boxes and bags, soda bottles and cans); and others cater to the convention and trade-show market which generates significant cardboard waste.
Tips for a hotel to get started in creating a waste reduction program:
- Hotel management should perform an easy waste review. Walk through your hotel or motel noting what type of waste is discarded in each area. This will help you determine which types of containers are needed. Typical waste management programs are likely to involve some of the following:
- Administrative and office areas - office paper, corrugated cardboard, other paper, cans, bottles, toner cartridges.
- Food service areas/laundry - glass, metal, cans, plastic containers, corrugated cardboard (make sure that food waste is separated from recyclables).
- Public areas/guest rooms - newspaper, magazines, bottles, cans.
- Based on the results of the waste assessment, set up appropriate recycling programs in all areas.
- In addition, make sure that all containers are well-marked for guests and staff to use. For public areas, it is best to choose containers with specialized openings, such as a hole for cans or a slot for newspapers. It is also important to place containers where recycling is most convenient, near exits and on each floor of the hotel near the elevator.
- Make sure the hotel grounds crew knows to keep yard waste separate from other waste.
- Ask the hotel’s garbage hauler for advice about keeping recyclables and other types of waste separate.
- Remind hotel staff to keep food waste out of recycling containers and trash. Food waste should be handled separately from trash and recyclables.
So can the hotel industry overcome obstacles to recycling and waste management? The answer is yes and it lies in the steps to success outlined in this article. Just remember these keys:
- Employee education;
- Management commitment to the recycling program;
- Hands-on monitoring of programs set in place;
- User-friendly systems such as using clearly labeled containers and visually unique bins for collecting recyclables (e.g., specially colored bins); and
- Make sorting recyclables part of every hotel employee's job description.
Hotels which utilize their solid waste programs and think pro actively for solutions with clear goals will make the most of recycling opportunities and reap environmental benefits for everyone involved