Environmental Guidelines and Best Practices: December 2008
Environmental Guidelines and Best Practices: December 2008
Environmental Guidelines and Best Practices: December 2008
December 2008
Hyatt's Commitment to the Environment
We believe it is our shared responsibility to combine astute asset management with a
passionate commitment to genuine and strategic stewardship of the environment.
We are committed to designing, building and managing innovative hotels that provide
our guests with authentic and comfortable accommodations and that respect the natural
environment and the local communities in which we operate.
We engage and motivate our colleagues around the world to be our ambassadors in
achieving these goals, we work with suppliers to develop and provide innovative
products and solutions, and we strive to offer our guests unparalleled service in
surroundings that reduce our impact on the environment and positively contribute to the
community.
A. Introduction 4
E. References 32
Note: To view a particular section, click on it from the contents or page number above.
These guidelines are intended to help hotel managers make changes that will not only
protect the environment, but also enhance the hotel’s bottom line. Some changes are
easy and low-cost, while others will require more effort but show an impressive return
on investment over time. No matter how big the change, it demonstrates a commitment
to the health of our environment and to the well being of our guests, our staff and our
communities.
• If certain items in these guidelines are not applicable to your hotel, simply skip
them and move on to other items; you need not be implementing every measure
in order to be recognized as a “green” hotel.
c. Prioritize the plan into actions that are easy to implement, that bring real
benefits and that are measurable.
d. Engage all employees in the waste reduction effort. Provide proper signage
and identify the appropriate staff to manage the sorting process.
e. Finally, if recycling is not an option in your community, identify opportunities to
implement a program in your area. Work with private companies, engage
your local government or hotel association or collaborate with other
businesses or charities in your area.
Following are some guidelines to help you to reduce the waste generated by your
facility.
For the most part, we have focused on actions that achieve the greatest savings for
the least cost. However, we have included some steps that do require a greater up-
front investment for those properties that are in a position to make greater
commitments.
1. Get Organized
a) Understand your property’s daily and monthly energy consumption and trends.
This will help you to understand where your greatest energy costs are and where
you have the greatest opportunity for reduction. An audit conducted by an
outside consultant is recommended.
2. Schedule
a) Match source to loads to reduce unnecessary consumption. Establish
operating schedules for all types of equipment in all departments based on time
of day and occupancy.
3. Tune Up
a) Improve your buildings systems efficiency by recalibrating individual sensors
(temperature, pressure, flow, dampers, VAV boxes etc) and control sequences
(economizer, temperature reset, programmed start-up etc.)
b) For immediate impact, focus on the following:
• Boiler System
• Chilled Water and Cooling Tower System
• HVAC
• Energy Management System/Building Automation System
• Building Envelope
• Refrigeration
• Electrical
• Laundry
• Kitchen
2.4 Lighting
Dept. Task Check
√/X
E 1) Install occupancy sensors and time switches to reduce
lighting requirement in meeting rooms and back of house
areas.
E 2) Retrofit incandescent bulbs with halogen par lamps,
compact fluorescent, low voltage track lighting, wherever
applicable. Savings of up to 67% can be achieved with no or
minimal reduction in light output.
E 3) Replace T-12 fluorescent tubes with high performance T-8
lamps and electronic ballasts. Energy savings of
approximately 40% is possible. Replace standard T-8 lamps
with high performance T-8 lamps and energy savings of
approximately 25% are possible.
E 4) Retrofit exit signs with LED or fluorescent bulbs.
Water is essential to the daily operations of our properties, to the comfort of our guests
and to the health of our communities and the surrounding environment. However, as our
population increases rapidly and urban development continues at a rapid pace,
significant strains are being put on our water supplies. Water conservation is therefore
an urgent priority to maintain our economic and environmental sustainability and daily
operations.
To ensure that your property is following the best possible water conservation practices,
we recommend that you implement a program with the following steps:
1. Get Organized
a) Understand your property’s daily and monthly water consumption and trends.
This will help you to understand where your greatest water costs are and
where you have the greatest opportunity for reduction. An audit conducted by
an outside consultant is recommended.
b) Set targets based on your evaluation of historical data and where you see the
greatest opportunity for reduction.
E 11) Utilize shower heads with a flow rate no greater than 9.5
liter/ Minute (2.5 gallons/ minute)
2. Obtain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all cleaning products, building
maintenance materials, pesticides, fertilizers, and laundry products you use. Identify
harmful products and look for safer alternatives.
3. Survey each department of your hotel and identify actual and potential sources of
pollution. Catalog your findings and establish a plan to minimize pollution in these
areas.
4. Demonstrate what percentage reduction you were able to achieve on your annual
pollutant releases (hazardous waste generation, industrial discharges and air
emissions).
E 15) Please list and, monitor the use and disposal of following
toxic products as applicable to your property:
a) Indoor Treatment
Sustainability checklist
Ecotel http://www.concepthospitality.com/ecotel/E
COTEL.htm
Ecotel homepage
EEBA www.eeba.org
WHO http://www.who.int/en/
E. References
1) http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Gallery/WastePrev
2) Environmental Management for Hotels – The Industry Standard for Sustainable
Operations
3) Guidelines for preparation of an Environmental Management Plan (EPA)
4) Green business standard checklist
5) Resource conservation & pollution prevention checklist for Hotels
6) A practical guide to good practice – The center for Environmental Leadership
7) Green Hotelier magazine
8) Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions (CERS)
9) The American Hotel and Lodging Association Environmental Recommendations