Green travel
How to Make Your Car Greener
How to Make Your Car Greener
Green living doesn’t mean you have to give up your car. While walking or using public transportation are likely the greenest options, there are many things you can do to lessen the environmental impact of your automobile. Here are a few ideas for making your car greener.
– Choose a fuel-efficient car. Small cars use much less fuel than big ones. Also, newer cars are usually more fuel-efficient than older models. Of course, a hybrid or full-electric car will be even better for the environment.
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Green Business Case Study: Kimpton Hotels
Company: Kimpton Hotel Group
Company Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Industry: Hospitality — Hotels and Restaurants
Overview:
Kimpton Hotels is the parent company for a growing collection of upscale boutique – and very eco-friendly hotels. With its innovative programs, out-of-the-box thinking, and commitment to the environment, Kimpton has emerged as a leader in the green hotel industry in recent years.
Though they are a large corporation with properties all over North America, the green practices that they incorporate into their business model can be successfully duplicated by businesses and organizations of all sizes. Below you’ll find a list of 7 best practices that you can adapt to your own business and position yourself, like Kimpton, at the top of your industry as a green business.
Eco-Friendly Hotels Strive for a Better Future
By Barbara Wade
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that most families of four use at least 400 gallons of water a day. The EPA also advises switching to energy-saving light fixtures, pointing out that bulbs in your home can reduce electrical costs by 75%. Now imagine that usage multiplied by hundreds or thousands of hotel guests. At hotels with considerable convention activity that stay fully booked year round – like the hotels near Moscone Center in San Francisco – the expense of energy from lights, kitchen equipment, laundry and more is astronomical. With a thought to the future, some of these hotels are leading the way by converting to eco-friendly practices with benefits that can affect us all.
Anyone who has stayed at a hotel in recent years is familiar with the option of reusing towels rather than receiving new ones each day. This saves energy, detergent, and water that are otherwise used in large quantities. The use of low-flow showers and toilets is an additional way hotels save water.
In some hotels, guests are afforded the ability to recycle right in their rooms. One San Francisco boutique hotel offers in-room designer bins so guests can recycle, thus reducing trash in local landfills. In many hotels, the glass, bottles, cardboard and paper discarded daily are prepared for recycling behind the scenes. Reduced waste is one way hotels are delivering environmentally friendly service. Plus, to diminish water and air pollutants, some hotels are switching to cleaning products that are safer for the earth.
Are YOU an Eco-Friendly Traveler? Read These Tips!
Written by Kathy Steinemann
Scientists have spoken: Mankind is destroying the planet. It seems simple enough to cut carbon emissions while we are at home, but what about vacations or business trips? You can be kind to the environment even while you travel.
Here are some tips that will steer you in the right direction.
Plan and Prepare Well in Advance of Your Travel Dates
1. Forego paper tickets and book electronically via telephone or online. You will save paper (and time).
2. Discontinue the newspaper while you are gone or have it delivered to the local library or doctor’s office instead.
3. Before setting out on your trip, reduce the heat on the hot water tank, lower the thermostat, and unplug all electronics (like cable boxes, cordless telephones, and DVD players).