Skeptics doubt the value of some new green travel initiatives. Do they really help the environment, or do they just save companies money?

Business travelers log more air, rail and road miles than any other segment of the population. For these travelers, it’s important to be aware of options that can make travel more earth-friendly, especially when air travel alone represents 3 percent of the world’s emissions, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.


First, though, you need to know what’s green and what may be masquerading under the green banner. The Oxford English Dictionary defines greenwash as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” (Keep in mind that just because a green program benefits a company, it doesn’t mean it’s a case of greenwashing—the initiative may benefit both the company and the environment.) Let’s look behind five green travel initiatives to determine the eco-friendliness of each.

1. Airline recycling: Is onboard trash really recycled after it leaves the plane?

Two factors influence the ability to recycle onboard trash. First, by law, onboard trash is not permitted to be recycled on international flights because of agriculture issues. Second, if a flight’s arrival airport doesn’t have a recycling facility or the airport is not large enough to sustain a recycling center, the flight’s recyclables may be hauled away to join a local landfill. To avoid this, some airlines contract directly with a waste facility to recycle when this service is not provided by the airport.

Nathan Smith, an industry analyst in the aerospace sector for Frost & Sullivan of San Antonio, Tex., explains, “Airports have been slow to embrace the idea of recycling onboard trash, even though an estimated 80 percent of the waste generated could be recycled, with an added benefit of saving airports millions of dollars each year.”

In 1990, Delta’s informal onboard recycling program began when a cabin crew saw the need and recycled aluminum cans, paper products and plastics. Today, all airlines must use some type of green program because of safety standards enacted by the EPA that mandate proper disposal of harmful chemicals such as oil, fuel and sealants. Delta has had a full-on in-flight recycling program since June 2007. Flights into ABQ, ATL, BWI, CLE, CVG, DCA, DEN, FLL, JFK, LAX, LGA, MIA, ORD, PDX, RDU, RSW, SEA, SFO, SLC, SMF and TPA are part of the program. During a nine-month period in 2008, 500,000 pounds of aluminum, paper and plastics from Delta flights were recycled. The proceeds from the recycling in this period—$80,000—were donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Continental is another airline that does a credible job of recycling. Every piece of onboard trash at the carrier’s Houston hub is recycled, along with food items that are donated to local shelters. American Airlines also demonstrates its commitment to the environment through participation in the Call2Recycle program to recycle rechargeable batteries. A total of 5,000 pounds of batteries have been recycled in the past three years.

What’s ahead: All airlines will move toward onboard trash recycling.


2. Hotel water conservation: Does reusing towels and sheets save water—or just lighten housekeeping’s load?

In 1993, the green hotel movement began when the Green Hotels Association made a commitment to help hotels save water, save energy and reduce solid waste.
“We began with the towel and sheet program, because it saves money, labor and wear and tear on equipment for the hotels,” says Patricia Griffin, president of the Green Hotels Association in Houston, Tex., “but it benefits everyone, because it reduces user resources and in turn allows water treatment plants to last longer.”

Remember, notes Griffin, that hotel stays create a memory of a traveler’s visit—and green programs tend to inspire positive recall, which in turn motivates hoteliers to institute more green programs.

Almost every part of the U.S. has its own water conservation program. Robin
Grantham, the water coordinator for the Southwest Florida Water Management District in Brooksville, Fla., says that her region’s water conservation hotel and motel program (Water CHAMP) began as a pilot program to promote water conservation in Pinellas County, Fla., in 2002.

The truth about water conservation is that the program began to benefit the hotel’s bottom line but morphed into a broader agenda that benefits both hotels and the environment.

“A recent water audit showed that hotels saved 17 to 25 gallons of water per occupied room per day,” says Grantham. “Monetary savings are not only found in the water bill, but money is also saved due to a decrease in the amount of detergent needed to wash the towels and linens.”

Most of the truly effective hotel water conservation programs are on the West Coast, especially in California, due to the relationship between population figures, supply and weather conditions. However, because 43 percent of the U.S. is currently experiencing drought conditions, conserving water during hotel stays is beneficial—even essential—not just for the hotel, but also for the environment.

What’s ahead: Hotels will install faucets with incremental volume clicks and low-flow aerators that save water. Native plants that use less water will become more important to hotels when planning their landscaping needs.


3. Hotel energy: Do key-card light switches do more than irritate travelers?

In a perfect world, every hotel guest would turn off the TV, the lights and the HVAC when exiting the room. But what really happens? Lights blaze, televisions blare and air conditioning turns the room into a meat locker while guests are away.


Hotels can reduce the amount of electricity wasted in lighting empty rooms by instituting key-activated lighting systems and/or motion sensors. The first option requires guests to place the room’s key in a slot inside the door. With the key in place, room lights operate normally—but when the guest leaves the room and removes the key, the lights automatically shut off.

“Very few hotels in this country use activated lighting,” says George Buell, president of WhyGoEco.com, in Charleston, S.C. “This is primarily a European phenomenon and will be slow to gain traction here for several reasons. Hoteliers in this country have the idea that using key cards to turn on and off energy is a bit like being Mom and scolding an errant child by telling him to turn off the lights. In Europe, utility costs are significantly higher and travelers are accustomed to conservation.”

The key-card system of energy control prevents kilowatt-hours from being consumed for no reason, which has a positive effect on the environment. As Buell explains, this system will become more prevalent as new construction practices embrace the technology. “Currently, it is quite costly to retrofit a guestroom with the card readers because the existing in-wall wiring needs to be hard-wired to the card readers.”

Thanks to wireless installation, motion-sensor controls are slowly becoming the next big alternative—but for now, they’re primarily used to turn on and off lighting in guest bathrooms.

What’s ahead: Hotels will increasingly focus on energy-saving programs—including key cards and use of CFL and the LED light bulbs—and guests will be more accepting, as the general population is becoming more educated about green issues.


4. Hybrid rentals: Is renting a fuel-efficient vehicle an extravagance?


With gas prices on the same roller coaster as the stock market, renting a hybrid on your next business trip could be a good move for your wallet and the environment.

Here’s a bonus: Pull up to valet parking in a hybrid at a number of hotels across the country, and you may be in line for free or lower-fee parking because you’re not driving a gas guzzler.

Chris Vick, the guest services manager at Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel, says that his hotel offers complimentary full-service valet parking to overnight guests who rent hybrids. One recent guest told Vick that he always tries to rent a hybrid car when he’s in Seattle to take advantage of the hotel’s program.

“Some hotels provide discounts on standard room rates to hybrid owners,” says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal at Demand Media in Santa Monica, Calif. When you make hotel reservations in a destination where you also plan to rent a car, be sure to ask about any hybrid program that may be available.

“Driving a hybrid can save substantial fuel costs, since hybrids are by nature very fuel-efficient. Actual cost savings vary depending on the model, distance traveled and the cost of gas,” says Cogan, “but savings of $20 to $50 would not be unusual over the course of a rental.” Add this to $35-per-day savings if the hotel comps parking, and the $25-or-so-per-day premium for renting a Prius instead of a Ford Focus is more than covered.

Any time you burn less gas to travel to a destination, you decrease the environmental impact of producing, transporting and refining petroleum. Using less gas also means creating less greenhouse gas emissions. Since hybrids have extremely low tailpipe emissions, they also contribute to air quality improvements in our nation’s cities.

What’s ahead: Automakers will continue to introduce new hybrid models, which will likely be offered by rental companies. We are also likely to see battery electric cars emerging from several automakers in just a few short years, although overall production numbers will probably be low until battery costs come down and auto-makers determine if electric cars can be made at a profit.


5. Carbon offsetting: Do your dollars buy wind energy or just blow away?


Carbon offsets reduce overall global greenhouse gas emissions by paying for an emissions-heavy activity in one place with a project that reduces emissions elsewhere. These offsetting projects may be, for example, generating renewable power or reducing methane gas.

In August 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report on carbon offsets that states, “U.S.-based projects have increased from 6.2 million tons [in carbon equivalent] in 2004 to 10.2 million tons in 2007.” More than 600 organizations develop, market or sell offsets, but no single regulatory body has oversight responsibilities.

“When an airline traveler purchases an offset from a creditable organization, they are offsetting the amount of carbon from their travel,” says Greg Andeck, project manager for corporate partnerships at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in Boston. The EDF recently released a carbon-offset list of high-quality projects that have been carefully reviewed and are used by EDF staff to offset their own greenhouse gas emissions.

Julianne Baroody, coordinator of climate initiative for the Rainforest Alliance in New York City, explains, “If you want to know if you are buying effective offsets, make sure a third party has reviewed the program and calculated the benefits of the offset. Consumers need to educate themselves on the quality of carbon offsets.”

What’s ahead: New standards and regulations will be placed on carbon offsets that evaluate which are credible and which are not. As technology makes extraordinary strides forward, there will be even more programs to offset business travel.