Green Hotels in the Green Mountain State

Vermont's Green Hotels and Environmental Partners are using sound environmental management practices to reduce their impacts on the environment, improve their bottom line and satisfy customer demand for environmentally conscious lodging establishments.

The programs, Green Hotels in the Green Mountain and Vermont Business Environmental Partnership, provide assistance to innkeepers desiring to achieve the environmental standards set for the program goals.

Green Hotels are about saving - reducing material use, reducing waste, reducing electricity use, and ultimately reducing greenhouse gases often assessed as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2E) - which all add up to saving money and the environment.

Year	Green Hotels			VBEP Partners
2007	65			9
2008	92			3
	Saved Water Gallons	Saved Bleach Gallons	Saved Detergent Lbs.	Saved Electricity KWH	Saved Recycled Lbs.	CO2E Reductions Lbs
2007	4,774,429	2,651	24,381	1,470,918	413,312	N.A.
2008	6,240,865	4,287	32,150	1,347,628	816,178	2,040,308

Tourism is already the world's largest industry and, if current trends continue, travel and tourism will soon be the largest industry in Vermont. Lodging is an important segment of this growing industry, providing tremendous diversity and stability to the state's economy. This sector of the economy, more than most however, is highly dependent upon a clean and scenic environment. This is the magnet attracting many visitors to our state -- and keeps them coming back. The lodging industry in Vermont, with nearly 20,000 guest rooms, is already one of the greenest in the nation. Vermont innkeepers are recognized nationally as leaders in environmental management and environmental protection.

So, what is a Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State? This following excerpt is from one of the Vermont's Green Hotels Strategic Environmental Management Plan:

"...we are committed to environmental improvements within both our business and our lives. We strive to create an environment which makes it possible for all to participate - staff and guests alike. We will continue to scrutinize every area of our operations to find ways to minimize our impact on the earth. We will seek to find ways to educate others, and remind ourselves that every little bit helps, no matter how small the offering. We will strive to continually make a difference – while simultaneously maintaining our commitment to provide our guests the quality service they expect and deserve."

A Green Hotel is any Vermont lodging establishment that solidifies its commitment to environmental excellence by achieving a set of environmental standards. Although each property achieves these standards uniquely, each conducts an environmental opportunity assessment, adopts environmentally preferable practices, and develops an environmental management plan that guides its efforts to continually reduce the environmental consequences of its operations. This statewide voluntary, environmental technical assistance and business recognition program, part of the Vermont Business Environmental Partnership, is designed to promote and recognize the work of Vermont lodgers who demonstrate daily that environmental and economic goals can be achieved simultaneously.

HC Seals Partnership to Promote Green Tourism: Our State, Our Planet, Our Business

Every day it is getting easier to go green, and being environmentally responsible is now picking up steam. In our households, workplaces, communities, nationwide, and globally- “green” is the place to be. Read More...

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