Welcome to the third week of our Green Series! If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, here on the IHS blog we’re looking at how the hospitality industry can operate in an environmentally-friendly manner while both running successfully and saving money. A tall, but very possible order! This week we’re checking out the benefits of window film and smart use of drinking water on hospitality properties.

Window film

Similar to the “smash and grab” coating on your car windows, a film can be applied to the windows of a building to reflect and filter the sun. This film reduces:
•    Glare
•    UV penetration
•    Fading of furniture and linen

A product called Charcoal 50% makes the following difference to a room:
•    43% visible light transmittance
•    50% solar energy rejection
•    14% visible light reflected
•    98% UV rejection

Green and economic benefits
•    Furniture and linen will last longer
•    Room temperature will be more regulated, requiring less air conditioning and heating
•    Up to 90% of costs can be saved on cooling and heating depending on the number of people in the room, opening and closing of doors and heat generated within the room

Water

Water in South Africa is a scarce resource and it’s vitally important both to conserve it and prevent waste. Some of our IHS students did a fascinating study on drinking water in the rooms of a particular hotel property. Here are some of their thought-provoking discoveries.

Water jugs
Filling a 2l water jug in every room, every day of the month will cost a 220 room hospitality property over R34 000 per year. Much of this water is wasted. A better system would be to place a jug and drinking glasses in each room and allow guests to use the jug and glass system as they please.

Branded water bottles
Purchasing branded bottled water such as Bonaqua for the rooms of the same hotel will cost in the region of R309 000 a year. Besides the astronomical cost, there is also a problem with wastage of half-finished water bottles as well as the issue of plastic bottles taking up unnecessary landfill space if they’re not recycled.

Water coolers

A water cooler on each floor will cost R2499 once-off and R2.40 per tap refill. Glasses would be on hand at the cooler and the guest could pour the amount of water he/she wants. The water cooler table would show guests that the hotel is serious about its environmental responsibilities.

Green and economic benefits of the water cooler system
•    No litter or health issues from plastic water bottles
•    Landfill space is saved
•    Considerably less water wastage
•    Costs are saved on water
•    Good environmental responsibility marketing tool

For more info on ways to green the world of hospitality (or your home), check out [download id=”1″]