Sustainability

Smart tips for a sustainable bed & breakfast

Creating a sustainable B&B

With a few simple measures, you can make a difference.

Making your bed & breakfast more sustainable, why would you? It’s better for the environment of course, but you can also win something out of it yourself. Here are some solutions that could be implemented in a simple manner and do not cost a lot of money.

Being sustainable creates opportunities for B&Bs to extend their marketing to increase environmental awareness among the guests. It also can help to reduce the costs of running the business. With just small adjustments, that do not have to cost a lot of money, you can make a difference. And through this you can make the guests more enthusiastic to participate in the process.

  1. Water minimization
    Installing water saving devices in the bathroom is an easy way to reduce water consumption. You can educate your guests by making them aware of the water use and water waste. This could be done by – for example – using a water saving showerhead.
  2. Waste minimization
    You can improve your waste management, for example by using sorting bins for recyclable materials and getting suppliers to reduce the use of packaging. Placing three-bin cans in guestrooms will reduce waste and educate guests about recycling and the environmental program as well. You could encourage guests to recycle their newspapers/magazines, plastic, glass bottles and cartons for example.
  3. Acknowledgement of local economy
    Make use of biological products, that are produced in your own region. From buying free range eggs, up to buying Fair trade products, by making use of your own merchants, you strengthen your local economy and support local jobs. Involve the suppliers at an early stage, or work only with those who understand the sustainable concept that is used.
  4. Environmentally safe cleaning products
    You could change the cleaning products in green cleaning products. If you choose to work with products that have a positive effect on the environment and are less harmful for the people who work with them, it helps to reduce the chances of allergies. Besides that the toxic risk is smaller, since many cleaning products contain toxins and poisonous elements. Green products are likely to use less packaging and are often biodegradable. This benefits the environment as well, because the waste can be put to a minimum.
  5.  Start the green dialogue with guests
    Start having green dialogues with your guests! Make the guests aware that they could actually make a difference in the environment and in your B&B. An environmental dialogue could make your guests more enthusiastic, and could excite them to do something about it. For example: separate their waste or take the bus instead of the car. You could point out that little things can make a change.

There are some other solutions, which will need a bigger investment. Read more about it here.

About the author

Janneke Scheepers

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