Better World Shopping Guide

We all know that our consumer habits have some impact on the environment. Now, Dr. Ellis Jones, who teaches sociology at UC Davis, has developed a shopping guide that helps us make better choices for the planet and humanity.

The book is called "The Better World Shopping Guide" It ranks every product on the shelf from A to F so you can quickly tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys” — turning your grocery list into a powerful tool to change the world.

As an example, I've attached the rating for airlines. To find out more, you can buy the book ($10) and see other ratings at www.betterworldshopper.com

Study Shows Guests Think Kimpton Has Best Green Brand

Based on questions added to the Market Metrix Hospitality Index survey, performed by Market Metrix LLC, guests weighed in on the importance of green initiatives and which brands in their eyes have the best green programs.

As more hoteliers get on board the sustainable operations movement, their efforts are not only improving the environment, but cutting their electricity costs and other expenses. Based on the survey, “Eco-friendly” or "green" initiatives are most compelling to Luxury hotel guests with 20% of these travelers claiming these programs are “Very Important” when selecting a hotel.

Least affected by these program are guests in the Midscale w/o F&B segment (9% consider these programs “Very Important”). Therefore, it appears that customers who can afford to care about green are more willing to change their behavior. Across all hotel segments 12% of guests rate these programs “Very Important” when picking a hotel. This level of general market acceptance signals an opportunity for brand differentiation, especially among lower priced hotels.

Market Metrix

For More Information on Green Hotels, Go To Greenlodge.Org

Hotel Uniforms Made of Recycled Plastic Bottles?

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is going "green" by going plastic...Starting this fall, front desk employees and other staffers who interact with guests at select locations will start to wear uniforms made with polyester fibers spun from plastic beverage bottles. All such employees chainwide will be required to wear the new uniforms by the end of 2009. Housekeeping and back-of-house workers will be donning the new duds by 2010. The apparel, which does not require professional laundering or chemicals to clean, is designed and manufactured by Cintas, Cincinnati.

"As part of our quest to find new and innovative green practices, we challenged Cintas to design a program that reflected our three Wyndham brand-defining pillars of innovation, personalization and flexibility," Faith Taylor, vp of sustainability and innovation at Wyndham Worldwide, Parsippany, N.J., said in a statement. "Cintas answered the call by selecting trendy, eco-conscious garments that are machine washable, easily modified and mixed-and-matched for a more personal look. The end result is fashionable suit that is cost-effective and extremely comfortable."

The material is made from recycled plastic products, including beverage bottles, which are processed into flakes, then into filaments, which are spun into yarn that is woven into these soft fabrics. The uniform program will join other green initiatives that are becoming common in the hospitality sector like the use of compact fluorescent lights, low-flow water practices, and giving guests the option to reuse linen and towels rather than changing those items during each day of a stay.

Wyndham incorporates several ecologically-friendly initiatives, including use of energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting, low-flow water practices and an "Earth Smart" guest linen reuse program.

Wyndham also offers Wyndham ClearAir, a program launched last month that features rooms that are 98% allergen-free thanks to a cleaning regimen and an air purification system designed by Pure Solution, New York. Wyndham properties will be required to convert 10% of room inventory into ClearAir rooms by the end of 2009.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

For More Information on Green Hotels, go to Greenlodge.Org