Housekeeping and Maintenance of Good Environmental Practices

By: Dr Trevor Thornton

The community is becoming increasingly aware and concerned over issues such as waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, water conservation and resource depletion.  As a result many industries and businesses have started to assess how their activities affect the environment.  In response to these issues as well as pressure brought by the wider community, many businesses are examining what they do and produce, responding with “greener” products and using “greener” processes.

In September 2008, we used the total quantity of resources that we should have consumed in the full year.  This means that we are continuing to use resources at a far quicker rate than we should.  In 2008, this occurred a week earlier than in 2007 – how much quicker will we continue to use resources and pollute the planet in 2009?

The question is why?  Given the many messages about the need to conserve resources, reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and care for the wider environment, why are we seemingly failing to heed the call for action by each and all of us?

Is it due to the fact that we find it difficult to relate actions and potential outcomes with achieving realistic gains in environmental performance?  If this is so, why do other messages about behaviour change work and environmental ones don’t?

Hotels are one sector, like many others that impact on the environment.  However, unlike a manufacturing company that can simply change raw materials or processes, hotels can’t.  They need to continue to provide the services that guests want.

And this is also where the answer lies.  Many interviews with hotel management indicate that there is a reluctance to change services as the guests may not respond favourably.  Yet, interviews with the wider community suggest that they are in fact looking for, and are sometimes even willing to pay a little more, services that are better for the environment.

This suggests that hotels apart from the benefits to themselves from reducing environmental impacts, should seriously consider implementing options as guests are starting to question why such options are not being introduced.  Quite simply, why when the guest goes to a park there are recycling systems similar to what they have at home, but in the hotel there generally is not.

Someone once said that sustainability is “the slipperiest piece of soap in the shower”.  How appropriate for the housekeeping fraternity.  But what does it mean.  Probably, that no matter what you do, do you ever actually catch the soap and say that you have a sustainable organisation.  Being an environmentally responsible organisation such as a hotel is not easy.  However though, the rewards are great – not only environmentally, but often also economically.

It is important to have good information and data on what is being disposed of in the waste stream so you can make decisions on what actions are needed to reduce wastes, but also ensure that you continue to provide quality services to your guests.  After all, no point in placing an assortment of containers in the guests room for all manner of recyclables if none of them are being generated.

Audits of waste streams from hotels have provided some interesting insights.  In a Sydney hotel, the following was found in the general waste stream:

What this shows amongst other things, is that the housekeeping department is a major contributor to the waste stream and by implementing better systems, there can be greater diversion of materials to recycling – this is a much better approach than in sending them to landfill.

While detailed audits are complex, there are other approaches.  Conducting regularly scheduled waste assessments (or visual inspections), of the waste streams as well as actually measuring the total amount generated, strategies can be developed based on this information.  Just as importantly, by ensuring staff are aware of what to measure and how, these waste assessments can be conducted regularly for all areas of the hotel, nit just housekeeping.

While the waste assessment will provide relatively accurate data on the types of wastes being generated and how they are being managed, it won’t give detail as to why.  For the answer to the “why”, you will need to conduct what is called a “site analysis”.

This is a review of waste management procedures throughout the hotel.  It would be expected that the site analysis would identify whether placement of waste containers is satisfactory, are there signs instructing guests/staff where to deposit different types of waste, are there any potential hazards, are there containers for recyclables etc.  In short, this process is trying to answer “why are materials going into the waste stream and what systems would ensure that these materials are recycled”.

Of course the preferred approach is in avoiding waste generation in the first instance.  If the waste assessment reveals that there is a significant quantity of unread newspapers going into the general waste, don’t just think recycling is the answer.  Question why there are so many, how many does the hotel purchase each day, survey over a month to see if you can actually reduce the volume without detracting from guest needs – this is the preferred approach.

As indicated, data guides the decision making process.  However, it is important to ensure that careful analysis is undertaken of options to ensure the best one is chosen.  In conducting your evaluation of waste minimisation potential, the following questions can be asked:

The most promising options should then be subjected to a feasibility study, during which:

The analysis should consider the following criteria.

It is not sufficient to conduct a superficial analysis of alternatives regarding whether one is cheaper and appears to be better for the environment than the other.  Often you may find that once you have factored in waste disposal costs one alternative that may on purchase price seem cheaper actually works out to be more expensive.

Don’t forget about hotel purchasing policies.  Buying in bulk may look good, but not is stock goes out of date.  What packaging are the products wrapped in – are they recyclable or do they need disposing of in the general waste.  The latter is an additional cost the hotel has to pay.

Education of staff is another critical aspect for the development of environmental strategies.  In terms of waste minimisation/management a permanent change in the manner in which people approach their work is required so that they consider not only the effective management of waste, but to use items for the overall, long term benefits for the environment and wider community.  For example, will their actions contribute to the larger environmental problems, such as the greenhouse effect?  Instituting procedures for “waste awareness” and employee training are two possible methods for achieving waste minimisation.

Staff do need to gain appropriate knowledge and skills and evaluate their attitudes to the various work practices that lead to the generation of waste if waste minimisation is to succeed.

Ecological sustainable development recognises that if improvements are to be made by any organisation, then they must also be compatible with business objectives.  After all, there can be many environmental strategies implemented, but if they result in a reduction of the business to operate and/or even grow, then it is questionable as to why implement them in the first instance.

Strategies to improve environmental performance must be individual to the organisation and include a proper and detailed process to identify all environmental impacts, analysis of options to reduce those impacts and implementation of the selected options coupled with a staff education program.  Having this can make a big difference.

For more information contact Dr. Trevor Thornton, Waste Audit and Consultancy Services on trevor.thornton@deakin.edu.au

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