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Eco-Friendly Lodging: Green Tips for Hotels
Guest post by Bryn Huntpalmer of Modernize.
From filling out paperwork to selecting vendors and managing staff, if you own a hotel, you are certainly busy. With so many elements to juggle, environmental friendliness can slip down the ladder of importance. It may seem daunting to address the term “eco-friendly” when it involves company-wide changes, so we at Modernize have a few tricks to maintain a greener environment without sacrificing your guests’ comfort and satisfaction.
Boost Your Energy Efficiency
Let’s face it; hotels require significant energy levels to function, from heating and cooling to laundering and powering electronics. Monitoring utility bills is the first step in making a change. Set a goal to reduce energy consumption and design an action plan.
One of the biggest users of energy is a hotel’s HVAC system. Go eco-friendly by upgrading to an adjustable, green system that will keep both you and your guests comfortable. Innovative HVAC systems are equipped with digital thermostats that guests can set, just like they would at home. The revolutionary “unoccupied” setting is the key to conserving energy. Smart systems can sense when a guest leaves the room, reset to a standard temperature, and then sense when the guest returns and readjust accordingly. This eliminates wasted energy when no one is even in the room to enjoy that cool blast or cozy heat.
You’ll love the lower utility bills, the raving reviews from guests and the clear consciousness of doing your part to protect the world we love.
Stock Your Kitchens with Organic Food
Food can be a decadent part of the hospitality industry, from buffets to room service, breakfast bars and restaurants. Improve the taste and quality of your cuisine by shopping for organic ingredients. Guests will appreciate how much you care and enjoy the deliciousness of your meals. It may seem like a small change, but supplying your business with organic food is actually better for the environment, too.
Organic gardens are more sustainable over time, and farmers don’t use harmful chemicals and nonrenewable energy sources to grow their crops. Agrochemicals, which are often used for non-organic produce, contribute to global warming and water contamination. Supporting organic farmers and local vendors will reduce these harmful effects.
If you are ready to make a huge change, you can even grow your own garden and pull herbs, produce and legumes right from your own backyard!
Recycle and Reuse
Switch to green paper products crafted from recycled material to eliminate paper waste. Unbleached and recycled paper towels, coffee cups, plates and straws are a few of our favorite eco-friendly hospitality products.
Promote recycling in your hotel by training staff and setting up recycling bins in each guest room. Don’t forget to encourage eco-friendly practices by placing recycling bins in the lobby, gym, pool room and other common areas. Order supplies in bulk to cut down on the amount of packaging waste.
Reduce waste by reusing items and donating to the local community. When it’s time to update your hotel’s decor, donate unwanted furniture and linens instead of tossing them out. You can also donate wrapped, unopened groceries to local food banks, benefitting both the planet and your neighbors!
Best Practices for Eco-Friendly Hotels
Establishing green practices is a team effort, so train your staff to be on team Earth. Establish rules for turning lights off when exiting a room, unplugging unused electronics and reducing personal waste levels. Offer incentives for staff who are dedicated to eco-friendly practices, and applaud their efforts regularly.
When choosing vendors for supplies like toiletries, coffee and tea, support local, fair-trade businesses. Keep everything bright and shiny by switching to non-toxic cleaners to improve indoor and outdoor air quality, so that you and your guests can literally breathe easier.
Bryn Huntpalmer is a mother of two young children living in Austin, Texas where she currently works as an Editor for Modernize. In addition to regularly contributing to Home Remodeling and Design websites around the web, her writing can be found on Lifehacker and About.com.
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Learning, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide platform to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Water waste -STP (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) solutions as well as other green destinations innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.
For more information and assistance, contact us.
Asian Ecotourism Network offer Eco Lodges Standards Training
5 Ways Modern Hotels Can Use Renewable Energy
Climate Change Mitigation 101 – our series on Climate Mitigation for Sustainable Tourism
Foreword. The tourism industry has a key role to play in confronting the challenges of climate change. There is now a clear understanding that the travel sector can be part of the solution to the global warming crisis, by reducing its green house gas emissions as well as by helping the communities where tourism represents a major economic source to prepare for and adapt to the changing climate. Mitigation in the tourism sector can be achieved by reducing energy use, through changing travel behavior, by improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, carbon offsetting strategies, as well as changes in business practices. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, not only the typhoon devastated Estancia, Iloilo but also second man-made disaster, an oil spill from a bunker fuel barge has wrought havoc to the town and its surrounding seas. In this guest blog post, by Sam Marquit, of Fair Marquit Value, we show how the tourism industry, in particular the hospitality sector, can use renewable energy.
5 Ways Modern Hotels Can Use Renewable Energy
Companies throughout the world are beginning to use renewable sources of energy. Renewable power, including wind and hydroelectric power, are set to rise by 40 percent over the following five years. Energy Department records already show that renewable energy accounted for 12 percent of United States electricity over the past year. Of this 12%, 5% came from wind and solar sources while 7% was taken from hydroelectric plants. It’s clear that renewable energy is here to stay as more companies embrace it. In this group, the travel industry stands out. Here’s a look at how renewable power is being used by the travel industry to lower operating costs and support a sustainable future.
Daluyon Beach Resort, Zero Carbon Resorts member and ASEAN Green Hotel Awardee
Solar Energy
The solar energy industry is set to grow to $65 billion by 2016. Today, three-quarters of solar installations in the United States are less than two-and-a-half years old. Hotels of all sizes are quickly taking to this technology. One 16-room boutique hotel, which invested $80,000 in its solar panels, cut its energy bills by 60 percent, or $1,000 per month. Although solar power installations can take as long as a decade to pay for themselves, more hotels are choosing this option.
Green Hotels Best Practices: low impact efficient energy management & savings
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is ready to double in size as countries around the world embrace it. In Reno, Nevada, the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino heats itself with a geothermal aquifer located 4,400 beneath the surface of the desert. As much as 1,200 gallons per minute are heated this way, saving the company about $2 million each year compared it’s previous natural gas heating. For now, the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino is unique for its sole use of geothermal heating. This area is certainly a hotbed of green innovation especially within the hotel industry. Hotels in the area are continuing to be built and all are green structures.
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, Travel+Leisure Global Vision Awards Winner
Bio Fuels
Biodiesel is quickly becoming more popular, and the U.S. economy reaped about $4 billion from it in the past year. The Hilton Stockholm Slussen, in Sweden, turns its organic waste into biodiesel at a nearby plant. Increasingly, the biodiesel that results from this and similar projects in Sweden are powering the nation’s vehicles.
Eco Agri Bio Fuel Implements
Reuse
Waste management is an important issue at hotels, which are increasingly running programs to reuse linens and towels. Guests can choose to dry their towels and keep the same bed linens rather than getting new ones each day. To deal with waste from gardens and kitchens, the Taj Hotel’s Mahal Palace in India is sending waste to biogas plants and even offering facility tours to guests.
Nature’s Village Resort, Negros Occidental, ASEAN Green Hotel Awardee
Companies such as Warren Buffet’s MidAmerican Energy Company are building billions of dollars worth of wind farms. In Kansas, a hotel was destroyed by a tornado, but its owner rebuilt a greener version of the hotel with wind energy that covers half of its electricity bill each month.
Six Senses Resort Con Dao Vietnam, Multi-awarded Eco Lodge & Sustainable hotel
Renewable energy sources are becoming popular with consumers and companies around the globe. Hotels, which are major energy consumers, have taken a lead in embracing these new sources of energy. Along with saving money, renewable energy sources boost customer perception of hotels and support a healthier future for everyone.
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Learning, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide platform to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Water waste – STP (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) solutions as well as other green destinations innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.
For more information and assistance, contact us.
Climate change mitigation in the tourism sector
An excerpt from the UNEP Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Tourism Sector.
Tourism threatening white sand beaches, coral reefs in Asia. Photo via The Asahi Shimbun
Tourists are traveling more often and to more distant destinations, using more energy-intensive, fossil fuel-based transport and the sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) contribution has increased to 5 percent of global emissions. Other unsustainable practices, such as excessive water use, waste generation, and habitat encroachment are threatening ecosystems, biodiversity, and local culture.
But if done right, tourism can be a positive force for both the local economy and the environment. Sustainable Tourism aims to reduce poverty by creating local jobs and stimulating local business, while establishing ecologically sustainable practices that preserve resources and reduce pollution. Currently, only a minimal of tourism profits touches the people living in and near tourist destinations. Increasing local involvement can not only generate income but also encourage communities to protect their environment.
Boracay Island Garbage. Photo via The Asahi Shimbun
Investing in energy efficiency and waste management can reduce GHG emissions and pollution and also save hotel owners and service providers money. Under the right circumstances, natural areas, biodiversity, and cultural heritage—three of the main reasons people travel in the first place—can all reap the benefits of sustainable tourism.
Boracay Island Drainage on White Beach. Photo Via The Asahi Shimbun.
The sustainability of coastal tourism destinations depends partly on their ability to adapt planning and management practices to the impacts of climate change and also to increase their ability to reduce disaster risks.
Why The Boracay Initiative? To save Boracay Island from more Environmental Degradation
Climate Change Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases. Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. Protecting natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans, or creating new sinks through silviculture or green agriculture are also elements of mitigation.
Mitigation by the Tourism sector can be achieved by reducing energy use, through changing travel behavior, by improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, carbon offsetting strategies, sustainable destination planning and management, tour operators’ choice of destinations and packaging of travel products, as well as other changes in business practices.
Learn to Lead the Green Way forward: Green Leaders Forum: Green Hotels, Zero Carbon Resorts, Sustainable Design and Purchasing
A number of studies present strategies available for increasing the effectiveness of mitigation activities in relation to tourism and climate change. Best practices from case studies for different stakeholders and local context have been formed as a guide to mitigation tools, covering techniques, policies and measures in various scenarios. Various mitigation strategies in the transportation and accommodation sectors as well as for tour operators, consumers and destinations have long been available and should be implemented.
The Coron Initiative UNEP APFED Showcase Program for Sustainable Tourism Development and Stewardship, Environmental Conservation and CSR
The overall objective of climate change mitigation strategies, policies and activities in the tourism sector is to contribute to the achievement of “carbon neutrality” in the sector. For hospitality and tourism establishments, “carbon neutrality” can be defined as a set of policies that it uses when it estimates its known greenhouse gas emissions, takes measures to reduce them, and purchases carbon offsets to “neutralize” those emissions that remain. Carbon neutrality signifies an establishment that has a zero net contribution of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. This includes all activities directly controlled by the company, including travel, purchasing of goods and services, and daily behavior of staff. Carbon neutrality can be achieved by improving the way the organization operates (e.g. through “green” procurement), by improving efficiency of operations (e.g. communications and meetings) and equipment (e.g. vehicle transport and building). Carbon neutrality also recognizes offsetting as an option (last resort) to achieve full neutrality.
Eco Friendly, Sustainably Sourced, All local products by EchoStore.
The Tourism Sector is composed of a wide range of businesses, from small, local operations that service a single local market to very large transport, hotel and tour operator companies that serve global markets across entire regions and which sell or facilitate millions or tens of millions of tour packages to foreign destinations each year. The industry provides tourists with products and services such as accommodation, transport, food and drink, attractions to visit, and souvenirs to purchase.
Fresh Start Organics, Negros Occidental Organic Farm and Products Showcase
It is clear that the industry shapes demand through its marketing strategies, but consumers (tourists) ultimately make the final choices. Recognizing that tourists have an important role in creating business interest in sustainable tourism products, the sector must consider mitigation options and should be increasingly proactive in addressing climate change.
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Training, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide capacity building and solutions to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Waste water (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) Solutions as well as other green destinations solutions and innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.
Green buying and gifts guide
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Note: First published in December 2010, we have updated this blog with some news and great green items! Enjoy!
Deck the halls with boughs of holy, fa la lala… ti’s the season of extreme enterprise just like everywhere in the globe. For a non-Christian country, Japan celebrates Christmas to the max, but not for traditional or religious reasons. Not to mention that most Christmas trees and decor are depressing blue color lights, though thankfully have low energy consumption! Singapore inaugurated the Orchard Christmas light up with no less than their President, a national event to herald shopping hoarders. In the Philippines, they put up the Yuletide trimmings as early as September, to bring the holiday cheers early amidst typhoon time. It’s simply a silly spell of trash and bash for profitable purposes. So before your Christmas becomes just a blur of stress and duress, get guided by these holiday eco ethos and lighten your impact to the environment.
1. Buy green gifts. Consider eco-friendly and socially-conscious products and think about impact and environment when buying gifts. Remember the environmental effort and message gives more meaning, so look for a green approach for each gift: i.e. organic products, reusable, recyclable and really useful, like products from Handmade Gallery (photo below.)
2. Reuse, reduce & recycle. Be creative in practicing these principles: reuse gift wrappers, reduce waste, recycle unused gift items and give them off. These 3Rs in gift giving is not only economical but less stressful!
3. Eco shopping bags. Bring your reusable shopping bags when heading out to your gift buying spree this season and avoid plastic bags abound. Check out these ideas from Echo Store, Serendra, Philippines.
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Reusable gift box from Echo Store
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Reusable Gift basket from Echo Store
4. Shop online. Save fuel and energy. Instead of charging out in traffic and lining up kilometric queues in stores, shop online instead! Items purchased online can be delivered straight to your recipient, so it can also cut down effort in personal delivery and again, fuel in driving around to give those gifts!
- Save energy, avoid rush crowds, buy online!
5. Cool gift certificates. Instead of buying ordinary gifts, buy something special like a concert ticket, spa certificate, book club or gym trial and the like. Your friend will think of you as a cool and considerate giver.
Buy Green Gifts for a Cause.
6. Gift of charity. As a great alternative to buying another picture frame, mug or socks for the person who may not need more of the same, give them the gift of charity, a donation to an environmental project or to any other organization for the needy. Donate to these charities or purchase gift cards in their name.
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Green gift giving: donate to our environmental conservation & protection educational programs.
7. Christmas cards from recycled paper. Thousands of cards each year are bought every yuletide season. Consider the alternative E-greeting card and if you must, buy Christmas cards from recycled paper. Think Amazon Forest and deforestation before you buy that Christmas card.
- Macrame Bags made by Aeta Community
8. Biodegradable wrappers and bows. Use recycled paper and natural materials instead of plastic or metallic wrappers and bows. Needless to say, they’re easier to dispose and less harmful to the environment. These calls again for creativity: reuse materials, or make the wrapping part of the gift, such as scarves, baskets and or reusable decorative boxes.
9. Re-chargeable batteries. When buying battery operated toys, encourage use of re-chargeable batteries; educate children as early as tots about the proper use of recharging – they’re not only eco friendly but also economical.
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Handmade Gallery Holiday Centerpiece
11. Live or Recycled materials instead of plastic Xmas tree. Purchase a live tree to use as Christmas tree and it doesn’t have to be a traditional fir. Santa will not scold you if you use other foliage as Christmas tree as you can re-plant them in your yard after the holidays. Besides, it serves a natural indoor air purifier. And oh, use natural décor non-plastic, non-hazardous materials and low consumption lights.
12. Avoid wasteful consumption. Think.Eat.Save. as the UNEP campaign goes. Christmas is a garbage fest. Before the gift opening and feasting begins, set up your garbage disposals accordingly – for cans, bottles, paper etc. Again, practice the pre- and post party 3Rs. Remember to be thankful, not wasteful.
13. Last but not the least, if you are planning to spend Christmas holidays elswhere, travel green and make your vacation more meaningful with our Green Travel ideas. Support our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc. – SSTDI genuine green initiatives, helping grassroot communities.
Genuine Green: Social equity & local economic growth, climate change solutions, the grassroots way.
Christmas has almost lost its essence due to over- commercialization and excessive hype. Make your Yuletide more meaningful and less stressful. Think outside the gift box a little and you can have greener Holidays that may benefit the environment and humanity. Is your Christmas green? Share your eco holiday season tips, please add them to the comments section!
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc. -SSTDI offers Capacity Building and Training programs to public and private stakeholders, host communities and grassroots in sustainable tourism development & stewardship to include Good Governance, Climate Change Mitigation , Disaster Preparedness and Management. Sustainable Purchasing: Green Supplies & Suppliers Presentation was delivered by Guest Resource person, Ms. Reena Francisco of Echo Store in Coron, Palawan, Philippines during The Coron Initiative – Capacity Building Series in 2013.
Waste to Energy projects are also offered to LGUs for their ecological solidwaste management and renewable energy solutions. For more information and assistance, contact us.
Photo Credits: Echo Store for the Reusable Gift Packs, Gift Bags & Handmade Gallery for Holiday Centerpiece.
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Easy to be Eco! Ways to be environment-friendly
Foreword. Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Learning, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide platform to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Water waste – STP (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) solutions as well as other green destinations innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.
For more information and assistance, contact us.
Sustainable tourism development and stewardship. Open to all interested on triple bottom line & social enterprises.
“Be the change that you want to see in the world” – Ghandi
Let’s start at home. Do your part to help mitigate effects of climate change, for sustainability and resilience of your ‘hood or city.
There is so much hoopla about the “rape of the ocean”, switching off lights on “Earth Hour”. We get overwhelmed by disaster news such as super typhoons, landslides due to deforestation and mountains of garbage and plastic during floods, that we are just getting confounded and confused by the day on how we can start doing our part for the earth.
Flooded coastal_village. Climate change + global warming.
We complain no end about smog and pollution, filthy floods on typhoons aftermaths, brownouts/blackouts, water shortage, epidemics and uncollected garbage, yet we do not even know where to begin to solve these “environmental” and basic utilities issues.
Every election, we try to choose public officials who are supposed to bring progress to our cities, but end up mostly with broken promises. Then, when a natural catastrophe happens, it is the only time we see them again, “working to the rescue” and aid their constituents, but mostly for publicity and ratings. We are supposed to know better.
So, how do we really begin to do our part, in being eco-friendly and help protect the environment? If Kids found organization to save endangered species and college students become “Green Ambassadors”, for sure we can do it, too! Simple, we begin at home, with our families and with our own neighborhood. Here are some easy, no-brainer, beginner eco steps:
Live frugally. Just buy the basics.
1. Live frugally.
Eco also means economic, and in these hard times, we have to learn to live simply. We don’t have to wait for a disaster (such as the Japan earthquake) to start saving electricity, water; go prudent on clothes or shoes shopping and the like. Just buy the basics.
2. Start your car pool and commute wisely. Save up on gas, parking expenses and carbon emissions with commuting. Avoid taking taxis and you will be surprised how much transport savings you will have at the end of the month.
Reduce toxins. Identify and segregate.
3. Practice proper waste segregation. Here in Tokyo, garbage will not be collected if you don’t separate correctly Avoid using plastics, BYOB. Bring your own bag. Not just to the supermarket but every time you shop. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Be an eco-model among your neighbors and teach them as well. Clean and green your neighborhood.
4. Save electricity. Un-plug all appliances including your PC when not in use. Best to use power strips for multiple appliances and un-plug these so you cut-off most if not, all at the same time. You will see a dip your electricity bill when you start doing this.
5. Save on water. During rainy season, practice rain catchment and store clean rainwater to wash your car or water your garden. This is big water savings for the next dry season!
Rainwater catchment systems
6. When going on a trip, start travelling responsibly. Pack light to avoid excess baggage fees and carbon emissions. Travel to cultural and natural sights but make sure your activities do not destroy the traditions and environment you visit. Start giving back to communities whose natural and traditional resources are threatened or endangered, or even join volunteer trips.
The Coron Initiative – volunteer vacation
7. Last but not the least, get educated, enlightened, pro-active in being green. Make sure to learn at least one sustainable tip a day. There are millions of resources online. Yahoo Green is a great portal with many useful sources on living green, nature, food & health, recycling, energy, technology and other essential topics. You can also follow us on Twitter for more on sustainability practices.
These may be small and simple steps, but if done altogether with your ‘hood and city, and serve as an example for your province or region, more people will take notice and before you know it, millions in the country will follow suit. When we make a difference in our own small way, collectively, this will make a big impact and perhaps, we can convince our so called “public servants”, to start doing their jobs, too.
To know more about green, eco-friendly and sustainable practices for your community, join our Society!
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Learning, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide platform to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Water waste – STP (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) solutions as well as other green destinations innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.
For more information, contact us.
Sustainability 101. Towards sustainable cities and communities
Foreword. Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Learning, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide platform to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Water waste – STP (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) solutions as well as other green destinations innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance. For more information and assistance, contact us.
Greening a destination – for the tourism industry, how do you make a city or host community sustainable? For real estate developers, how do you build an eco-town or sustainable subdivision? Check out the essence of a green cities and environmentally sound sites.
For simplicity, we are using the UN’s definition of sustainability: A sustainable society meets the needs of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
According to Wikipedia a sustainable city, is a city designed with consideration of environmental impact, inhabited by people dedicated to minimize the use of energy, water and food, and production of heat, air pollution – CO2, methane and water pollution.
Cities or towns compete with each other globally for the attention of investors. Almost every municipality sites sustainability as one of its key targets, but it is often not clear as to how this declaration translates into action, or if the actions that are taken go beyond green window dressing.
The first step when steering towards urban sustainability is visible greening: planting trees, promoting subsistence gardening or saving wetlands for birds.
The next steps environmental measures which bring social and economic benefits. Health concerns must put emphasis on quality of water, provision of ecological waste management and cleaner energy.
Waste management can also turn into business, when sorting produces material for local crafts and bio waste becomes a source of energy. Clogged sewers lead to a ban on plastic bags while lessons about ecosystem services are learned when rivers are cleaned and watersheds are managed in an effort to prevent flooding.
Almost every city in the world is dealing with an influx of people from different ethnic backgrounds and cultural events play an important part in creating a sense of pride in the community and are promoted as a means to support minorities. Cultural heritage is increasingly understood as a resource to be kept alive, both for visitors to cities and for the people who live there.
In the cities that try to fake it, the grassroots heritage aspects and authenticity disappear as events grow bigger and more commercial. Major events that require substantial investment, such as festivals and sporting events do not always enhance quality of life for local communities after the television cameras have left.
Some cities are aware of the links between global targets and local actions. Sustainability measures are taken at the local level, including investment in renewable energy and efficiency requirements for local buildings. More advanced cities broaden the focus to cover social impact and how sustainable development policy is delivered. Watch Tokyo solid waste & recycling management video. Incredible!
Refurbishment of existing buildings becomes big business, public transport systems are improved and sustainable public procurement practices are introduced.
Shanghai Manual – helping leaders of the world’s cities use integrated urban planning, management, financing and technology to green their economies and build climate and economic resilience.
While all these aspects constitute progress, it is misguided to think that they combine to create urban sustainability. True systemic change is missing from the picture. Progress to date has been far too slow and incremental changes to business as usual don’t go far enough.
The tough road ahead will have to include holistic visions, integrated planning and brave strategies to implement them. For this to become a reality, the language of money must become more about sustainability, renewable energy sources must be fully integrated into urban infrastructure and the pedestrian must become king of the road. Source: The Guardian
DO POSITIVE. Learn the lessons from disasters: take action. Demand from your political representatives to do their job, work towards healthy, clean environment and community. For Metro Manila, hope is seen at the horizon with the Green Print 2030, and people should take action towards livability and sustainability.
Party Like There IS Tomorrow – Greening Events and Festivals
Do you know if your event is helping or hurting the environment? Include a Sustainable Events Management with CSR in your next big meeting or feasting! Not only the local host community but also their future generations will thank you for this.
An APEC Philippines 2015 party in Boracay Island hosted by Department of Tourism. When will the tourism and hotel industry start to green their meetings, events and expos?
Concerts, sporting events, conventions, festival and big outdoor gatherings are an essential part of community life that has a positive effect on society. Unfortunately they can have negative impacts on the environment. Events generate garbage, use electricity, require a lot of materials to run them, along with plenty of travel by the audience and/or participants that leave carbon footprints.
Bacolod City “Electric” Masskara. Is this a sustainable event? Does it minimize energy consumption? Genuinely benefit the grassroots?
Sustainable Events: think planet, people, profit AND the future generations.
Sustainable Events Management. Any event can be managed sustainably, whether small or large, a conference or caucus, an annual festival or something that is ongoing, like a series of spectator sports – the concept of minimizing impacts of purchasing, energy production, transport, waste and sanitation can be applied in almost any situation. A green meeting, sustainable festival or eco-friendly live event seeks to minimize its resource use and all the potentially negative impacts on the environment.
“Greening” an event or meeting involves all aspects of the planning process, a detailed collaboration of everyone involved, from producer to supplier, from venue to viewers.
At the First Events Asia, talking about “Greening Meetings”. Educate participants to do green and eco-friendly practices.
Practice Sustainable Events in order to satisfy the needs of attendees and host community alike, while protecting and improving future opportunities. Simply put, minimize and reduce the environmental cost of your events and embed the concepts of sustainability into your purchasing and operational decisions. Educate all participants to avoid careless and negligent behavior like leaving trash, using plastics and causing heavy impact to the already fragile environment to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Purchasing. When purchasing, buy sustainably. Buy local.Purchase from local vendors and buy products manufactured within the province or region to reduce carbon footprints.
Buy local. Support local. Our “Certificate of Appreciation” for our First Environmental Forum in Negro Occidental were placemats courtesy of Handmade Gallery. Very handy and useful.
Waste management. Practice the new mantra of RETHINK, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE AND REPORT.
Re-think giveaways – Ensure they are useful, utilize recycled materials, and have minimal packaging. Reduce or limit paper communications.
Energy. Use sustainable energy. Use ecological alternatives to diesel- and gasoline/petrol-powered generators. Reduce power consumption. Adopt procedures to reduce the total energy consumed by the event.
Skylanters are beautiful as they fly across the night sky, but environmental impacts and hazards can be ugly.
Sustainable Transport. Reduce the carbon emissions in transport. Provide participants, audience, staff, and volunteers with public transport and ride sharing options, and encourage cycling and walking to the event.
The Coron Initiative Green Leaders. Training the trainers for Environmental Conservation, Sustainable Tourism, Hospitality and Events. Sustainable Purchasing & Green Products & Suppliers talks from Echo Store Managing Partners, Ms. Reena Francisco & Ms. Chit Juan.
Lean and green. Even in an economic crisis, green practices and long-term sustainability goals should not take a backseat to the bottom line. Incorporating green and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) practices into events and meetings can be beneficial —not only to establish their companies as good corporate citizens, but to actually save money!
Green Hotels_ Low Energy, Efficient Energy
These are just some of the many ways to green your events – the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Do you know if your event is helping or hurting the environment? Include a Sustainable Events Management with CSR Workshop in your next big happening!
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc. -SSTDI offers Capacity Building and Training programs to public and private stakeholders, host communities and grassroots in sustainable tourism development & stewardship to include Sustainable Events, Festivals and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions). Waste to Energy projects are offered to LGUs for their ecological solidwaste management andrenewable energy solutions. For more information and assistance, contact us.
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“In the long term, the economy and the environment are the same thing. If it’s un-environmental it is uneconomical. That is the rule of nature.” ~ Mollie Beatty
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Waste not, want not: ecological solid waste management
ECO series on Sustainability: Solid Waste and Climate change
“According to a new U.N. report, the global warming outlook is much worse than originally predicted. Which is pretty bad when they originally predicted it would destroy the planet.” –Jay Leno
Garbage = GreenHouseGas emissions. Photo from King County Solid Waste Division.
Let’s start in our homes. Much had been reported, blogged, FB posted and twitted about the worsening problem of solid waste in Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines. There had been scores of seminars, conferences and fora conducted to “discuss” ways of solving the problem but not fully implementing them. For how long will it take the country to attain a zero waste economy, no one knows. But, one thing is sure – time is running out and WE need to act. NOW.
Bag-O Plastics. Recycling plastic to crocheted bags in Bago City, Negros Occidental
Why WE?
The answer is simple, but at the same time, tricky. Consider this: Metro Manila’s solid waste based on studies made by the National Solid Waste Management Commission Secretariat at the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), is estimated that per capita wasteproduction daily is 0.5 kg; meaning every person living in the metropolis generates half a kilo of garbage a day. With an estimated population of10.5 million, total waste generated in Metro Manila alone could run up to 5,250 metric tons per day, or 162,750 metric tons per month, a total of1.95 million metric tons per year. Definitely, a whole lotta waste!
Let’s start in our HOMES. WE must be part of the SOLUTION by reducing our waste. In Tokyo, if our garbage is not segregated, they will NOT be collected AND we will be fined!
Our daily waste, our daily RESPONSIBILITY. Based on the EMB study, only about 73% of the 5,250 metric tons of waste generated daily arecollected by dump trucks hired by our respective local government units – that is assuming our LGUs are dedicated to their duties to taxpayers. The remaining 27% of daily waste or about 1,417.5 metric tons end up in canals, vacant spaces, street corners, market places, rivers and prohibited places!
We deserve to live in a cleaner environment, a healthy family, neighborhood, city.
This explains why WE need to act. As we produce garbage ourselves, we are part of the problem. But, we can also be part of the solution by reducing our contribution to the worsening waste crisis and help mitigate climate change effects.
Why NOW?
This measure is in fact 1o years too late. However, at the rate we are producing waste we will soon be having more of our human-made mountains of garbage amidst us or worse, find ourselves buried in our own trash!
Bacolod City has 19 dumps like this – cleanest & greenest city? NOT!
The catastrophic disasters and major typhoons that brought about tragedy and casualties not to mention filthy garbage in its course, should strengthen our resolve to do something about our wasteful lifestyles.
Talks about landfill as an alternative engineering solution to the garbage problem for the so-called residual waste, is fine. But where to site the landfill is another issue.
Mandatory SEGREGATION & 3RS should be done primarily at the SOURCE: household, institutional, industrial, commercial and agricultural sources.
The most important reason why we have to act now on the worsening solid waste problem is their impact on human health and climate change. Health is a basic human right. We all deserve to live in a cleaner environment- a healthy family, neighborhood and nation. The only way to satisfy these needs is to do away with garbage that spreads diseases in our homes and communities.
Landfills and rudimentary incinerators contribute to global climate change by destroying resources. Methane produced from decomposing garbage in landfill is one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses and is 23 times stronger than CO2 in capturing heat. The less we throw away, the less garbage ends up in landfills, the less methane they produce.
Take ACTION. Get your public officials DO THEIR JOB on implementing Eco Solid Waste Management as had been mandated by RA 9003!
Republic Act No. 9003 Revisited. RA 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act” provided the legal framework for the Philippines’ systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program that should ensure protection of public health and the environment more than 10 years ago. It underscored, the need to create the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, as well asimposes penalties for acts in violation of any of its provisions.
How R.A. No. 9003 should HAVE worked for your community:
- Creation of the National Solid Waste Management Commission(NSWMC), the National Ecology Center (NEC) and the Solid Waste Management Board in every province, city and municipality in the country.
- The Solid Waste Management Board of provinces, cities and municipalities shall be responsible for the development of their respective solid waste management plans.
- Mandatory segregation of solid waste to be conducted primarily at the source such as household, institutional, industrial, commercialand agricultural sources;
- Setting of minimum requirements to ensure systematic collection and transport of wastes;
- Establishment of reclamation programs and buy-back centers for recyclable and toxic materials;
- Promotion of eco-labeling in local products and services;
- Prohibition on non-environmentally acceptable products and packaging;
- Establishment of Materials Recovery Facility in every barangay or cluster of barangays;
- Prohibition against the use of open dumps;
- Setting of guidelines/criteria for the establishment of controlleddumps and sanitary landfills;
- Provision of rewards, incentives both fiscal and non-fiscal, financial assistance, grants and the like to encourage LGUs and the general public to undertake effective solid waste management.
How can we help solve the solid waste problem? Are you doing it now?
Adopt the 3Rs of Ecological Waste Management: REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE.
There are many ways to do it. A highly recommended formula is to adopt the 3Rs of Ecological Waste Management: REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE.
In addition, let us avoid doing these PROHIBITED ACTS under the law:
– Littering, throwing, dumping of waste materials in public places like roads, sidewalks, canals, parks and vacant lots;
– Open burning of solid waste;
– Allowing the collection of non-segregated or unsorted waste;
– Open dumping or burying of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials in flood-prone areas;
– Mixing of source-separated recyclable material with other solid waste in any vehicle, box, container or receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal;
– Manufacture, distribution or use of non-environmentally acceptable packaging materials;
– Establishment or operation of open dumps; and
– Importation of consumer products packaged in non-environmentally acceptable materials.
Last but not the least, do positive. Take Action. Demand from your political representatives and public officials to provide the basic services as mandated by RA 9003.
Waste not, want not. Prov. Cliché If you do not waste anything, you will always have enough.
Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SST offers Training, Capacity Building, Educational programs, Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; Private stakeholders – Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality, Tour Operators and Businesses with Green Destinations, Global Leaders Program and Green Travel Guide capacity building and solutions to include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience for the local host community. Waste water (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) Solutions as well as other green destinations solutions and innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.
Source and further information: The National Solid Waste Management Commission Secretariat -ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU, DENR Philippines; King County Solid Waste Division. Meguro Solid Waste Managment, Tokyo, Japan.
Society for Sustainable Tourism-SST 