Setting and achieving sustainable goals has been wildly popular in recent years. You can prove this by obtaining sustainable certificates. That is why we see these coming by more and more often. For instance, there is EU Ecolabel, Green Globe, BREEAM and perhaps the best known, Green Key certification. All these certificates show that a company, or in your case a hotel, is sustainable, but what does this mean for you as a guest. Does it perhaps make your stay less pleasant? Or will it still be just as pleasant to stay in a hotel? We looked into it for you.
One of the best-known sustainability certifications in the hospitality industry is Green Key. In a previous blog post, we explained that Green Key tests venues on 12 points. Here we will now go into a little more detail.
The second point focuses on communication. The word says it all, internally everyone is informed of the sustainability ambitions the hotel has. You as a guest are also informed of these sustainable ambitions, including through the Green Key shield that is visibly displayed to you. Have you not yet planned any activities during your stay? No problem, your hotel will inform you of local activities in terms of cultural attractions, social activities, activities in nature and other sustainable activities.
In the third point, hotels are required to be socially engaged. They have to contribute to this in 3 different ways. As a guest, you don't notice anything about this. Apart from the fact that you hear how good a hotel is with its social environment. Hotels are free in how they make that contribution. Some examples to make a contribution are sponsorship, donations, a contribution in kind or participation in an activity such as Warm Sweater Day.
The fourth point focuses on water conservation. For hotels with a Green Key, this means the following for your shower, tap and toilet:
So do you see double flush buttons by the toilet in a Green Key hotel? Then you know they have taken a measure to reduce water consumption in the toilet.
Upon arrival of your stay, you will enter a clean, fresh hotel room. Hotel cleaning is at the heart of the fifth point. Did you know that your room is cleaned in an environmentally responsible way? Hotels with a Green Key use:
Most hotels have soap and shampoo in the bathroom for guest use. If it has a sustainability mark, the Green Key hotel meets this optional point. So next time you shower, pay attention to the sustainability mark.
We stay in the bathroom for a while. At Green Key hotels, point 6, waste, requires one waste bin to be placed in the bathroom. In addition, hotels may choose to place separate waste bins in public areas. The hotel will communicate the correct way to separate waste to you. Placing separate waste bins in public areas is an optional point to be achieved. Behind the scenes, in kitchens or offices, for instance, separate waste bins are mandatory. Even better, of course, is if separate waste can also be left in your room. Think for instance of all those paper brochures or business papers after your visit.
At breakfast, products such as muesli, cereal, cheese, cold cuts, coffee creamer, yoghurt and milk are offered without packaging as much as possible. However, are these products offered with packaging? Then they should be made of reusable material such as paper. Furthermore, the hotel should offer 3 dairy products, 2 items of fruit and/or vegetables, 1 red and white wine and coffee and tea with a sustainability label. This is tested in the tenth item, food and drink. Are you having lunch or dinner at the hotel? Then you will find on the menu:
The seventh point looks at energy saving. Does your venue have a swimming pool? Then the hotel is obliged to also implement energy-saving measures in and around the swimming pool. For example, heat recovery on ventilation air or pool rinse water. In addition, light sensors are applied to exterior lighting, in refrigeration and freezer rooms, the lift and all other areas where you as a guest will not often come. So the light in the lift is only on when you as a guest are in the lift.
The eleventh point is about sustainable procurement. When purchasing, the hotel makes sure that the following products have a sustainability mark, e.g. Nordic Swan:
In addition, the hotel is taking 6 other measures to reduce paper consumption. Examples of these for you as a guest are:
Did you know that foam fire extinguishers in your hotel come with an environmental mark?
For the last point of the Green Key we go back to the bathroom anyway. The hotel limits the amount of laundry from the bathroom. They do this by communicating the procedure around changing towels with you. For example, "Put your towel on the floor if you want to change it, hang it on the rack if you don't want to". Apart from Green Key, did you know that hotels affiliated to Hotels for Trees plant a tree if you skip an interim room cleaning?
Going back to the question, what does Green Key mean for you as a guest? Your stay will still be just as pleasant, while contributing to the environment. A win-win situation.
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