Comic production acknowledgement: Abacus In Motion Company Limited

Enjoying the cozy hotel services is definitely a pleasant when travelling; put down the heavy baggage and enjoy a nice sleep after a warm bath; this will surely ease the tiredness of a long trip.

To make customers feel at home, most of the hotels or hostels are well equipped with disposable slippers, throwaway toothbrush, comb and shower cap with delicate packaging, as well as 24-hour air-conditioning and hot water supply. Even towels and bed sheets are replaced every day so as to provide customers with the most comfortable and thoughtful services.

Many tourists like to make full use of all room facilities and resources, which are already included in hotel fees, to prevent from suffering losses. It is common that people turn on all the lights in room, set air conditioner to a low temperature, turn TV on while sleeping, keep water running while cleaning up, bath in the tub, and so forth.

According to Greening the Lodging Industry programme, which launched by Green Seal in U.S. some years ago, the consumption of hotel supplies products in one week is more than what one hundred U.S. households consumed in a year. A survey also reported daily water used by the hotels in Taiwan reached 902 liters, which is three times of the average water consumption of Taiwan people. Also only in the hotels of Beijing, over 100,000 packs of disposal toothbrush and razor are used in a day.

To utilize earth resources effectively, and to reduce carbon footprint during travelling, besides choosing low carbon transportation tools (see previous article), you can also start by changing accommodation habits, such as bringing your own toiletries to avoid using disposable products; informing the hotel staff that no need to change towels and bed sheets daily if staying in the same room for consecutive days to reduce the use of water and cleanser; bath in shower instead of in tub to conserve water resource; make good use of bed lamps, which consume less electricity; adjust air-conditioner to appropriate temperature to save energy.

In fact, Green Hotel is not something new. Early in 2004, Beijing Olympic Committee has launched Hotel Service Environmental Guidelines (Chinese Only) for the industry. In Taiwan, some hotels have designed environmental protection travelling package years ago. Customers are encouraged to reserve hotel rooms on-line in exchange for discounts; they agree to bring take public transportation tools, use their own toiletries, do not to replace towels daily, and so forth. Buffet breakfast or non-limited hours of bicycle renting will be rewarded to the customers who support such environmental protection actions.

Hong Kong also has green model in the industry, such as Hotel Nikko Hong Kong of FoE (HK) Earth Partner. They put efforts in strengthening employee awareness on environmental protection, and received Green Globe Recognition Award from the World Travel & Tourism Council in 1997.

Covering 83 countries and established in 1992, the global environmental certification Green Globe Certification, developed 248 environmental indicators for the industry to implement Green Hotel. Measures on energy saving, electricity saving, water conservation, sewage volume, waste disposal methods, environmental product proportion of total procurement and other eco-friendly manners will be evaluated.

It’s predicted that there will be 10,000 Green Hotels in China by 2010. It’s a global trend that the hotel industry is going “Green” and “Low-carbon”. Don’t forget to bring your own toiletries on your next trip and choose “Green Hotel” for accommodation in order to avoid wasting resources, and reducing carbon emissions.

Bring your own toiletries to avoid wasting resources, and reducing carbon emissions.

Don't waste electicity and other valuable resources when we go aboard.