SORRT: What Hotels, Motels, and Inns can do to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Businesses in Montgomery County generate almost half of all the waste generated in the County. Montgomery County has established the goal of recycling 50% of its solid waste stream. In addition, the County has a policy of decreasing the amount of waste generated by each employee. Currently, businessesin the County must recycle mixed paper, commingled materials (aluminum cans and foil products, bi-metal food and beverage cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastic bottles and containers), scrap metal, yard trim and Christmas trees. Increased recycling of these materials, and voluntary recycling of others, must occur if we are to achieve our 50% recycling goal.

A large portion of materials generated at hotels and motels consist of office paper, corrugated cardboard, newspaper and other paper products and commingled materials, all of which can be easily recycled. While business recycling is mandatory, hotels and motels will find it easy to reduce, reuse and recycle. Employees who constantly move throughout the establishment can be enlisted to pick up collected recyclable materials, and daily practices can be easily modified to include waste reduction techniques. In addition, procurement practices can be modified to incorporate the purchase and use of recycled materials as well as products made with recycled content.

A successful recycling program starts with a commitment from the General Manager and is implemented throughout the organization with participation by all. Most major hotel and motel chains have corporate-wide policies and recycling plans that are readily accessible (and adaptable) by all locations. Appoint a member of the staff to be the Recycling Coordinator, involve and motivate all employees and encourage everyone to participate. Remember to fully close the recycling loop by also buying recycled products and materials. This will create further demand for materials that are collected for recycling, and will promote market growth, and ultimately help foster revenues to generators for recovered recyclables.

Below are various tips that can be implemented to support Montgomery County’s on-going efforts to REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE. Try weaving these tips into your daily operations.

Facility Services

Implement a life-cycle cost analysis program for the purchase of materials and equipment that are of higher quality and longer life, thereby extending replacement periods and reducing maintenance.
Supply all rooms with information on tent cards to encourage recycling.
Supply all rooms with recycling bins for required materials. Guests are more likely to recycle if the bins are conveniently located within their rooms.
Install hand dryers in common area bathrooms in lieu of paper towel dispensers.
Purchase bulk laundry, cleaning and pool supplies in returnable/recyclable containers
Donate used furniture to charitable organizations or sell the items for a minimal fee.
Recycle any and all scrap metal.
Donate sheets, bedspreads, soaps, left over in-room amenities, etc. to charities instead of throwing them away.
Recycle all of the outdated telephone books removed from guestrooms.
Implement an energy and water conservation program through the implementation of efficient equipment and practices.
Convert all incandescent lighting to compact fluorescent or high intensity, low-wattage bulbs, which are more efficient and last three to four times longer.
Monitor trash dumpster content just prior to the regularly scheduled pick up by the trash hauler or collector. You may be paying for more service than necessary. If so, reduce the number of pick ups per week, or change to a smaller sized trash dumpster.

Grounds and Common Areas

Ask your grounds crew or landscaper to “grasscycle” your lawn or grassy areas.
Develop an on-site composting program for your leaves, yard trim and/or clippings. Use the compost on-site as bedding dressing and soil enrichment.
Use vegetative materials for ground cover which generate less waste.
Use low maintenance, alternative landscape materials such as mulches, crushed stone, pea gravel and other similar materials.

Guest Services

When continental breakfast or coffee break services are provided, use durable cups and flatware instead of polystyrene foam cups and plastic utensils. Cups with your company logo and recycling program motto are effective advertisements. In addition, cost savings from fewer polystyrene purchases can outweigh incremental costs for dishwashing.
Implement a promotional plan whereby designated employees reward those customers who are seen recycling. Rewards can be a “We Recycle” T-shirt with your company logo, a free beverage in the restaurant or a coupon for a free cup of coffee at a local coffee shop. Remember that a free beverage often promotes additional purchases.
Work with meeting and event planners to reduce the quantity of brochures and handouts printed and provide recycling information to event organizers when signing contracts.
Promote recycling and encourage all guests to participate in the program.
If complimentary guest newspapers are provided, strategically place paper recycling bins in the lobby, lounge and on each floor for their collection. Place a recycling program tent card adjacent to the newspaper distribution point encouraging all guests to recycle.
Equip guestrooms with small recycling containers along with the trash receptacles. Provide information to guests on the do’s and don’ts of your recycling program.
Place recycling containers wherever soda vending machines are located. This will allow customers to bring their empty recyclable beverage container back for recycling.

Housekeeping

Use non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products.
Utilize durable rags and towels for cleaning. Where not feasible, utilize paper products made from recycled stock with the highest post-consumer waste content available.
Provide rooms with facial tissue and toilet paper made from recycled stock.
Utilize trash bags manufactured from recycled plastic stock.
Provide recycling bins for mixed paper and commingled materials at strategic locations on each floor. Paper collection points can be near the elevator, commingled materials collection points can be near the beverage and ice machines and both can be near centralized housekeeping locations. Each room can also be outfitted with in-room bins, notifications, and/or tent cards promoting recycling and conservation.
Work with local social organizations to employ persons with disabilities as “Chief Recyclers” responsible for the collection and/or sorting of recyclable materials.

Kitchens, Restaurants, Bars

Order and store bulk foodstuffs in returnable, durable containers.
Utilize chalk and erasable boards instead of distributing individual copies of information to convey work assignments, notifications and daily specials.
Provide durable glasses and cups for employee use. Where not feasible, provide paper cups that employees can put their name on for multiple uses.
Provide beverages from bulk dispensing systems, and serve beer and soft drinks “on-tap.”
Provide condiments, creamers, seasonings, etc. from bulk dispensers in lieu of individual serving packets.
Purchase foodstuffs in concentrated forms, where available.
Initiate an alliance with local growers of organically grown foodstuffs.
Supply rendering companies with used kitchen grease.
Donate usable foodstuffs to charities.
Utilize industrial strength sink disposals to minimize outgoing food waste.
Provide recycling bins for the collection of commingled materials.
Recycle the corrugated cardboard boxes received from deliveries. Consider leasing a compactor or baler.
Work with suppliers to use durable shipping containers that can be returned and reused.

Office Areas

Recycle your mixed paper. Remember recycling only 1 ton of office paper saves 17 trees!
Use double-sided copying for documents such as memos, reports and letters.
Provide a bulletin board for memos and notifications instead of providing individual copies.
Use voicemail and email instead of paper memos and faxes to reduce paper usage.
Implement computerized purchasing systems and internet links to eliminate paperwork.
Purchase office paper, letterhead, envelopes, etc. containing recycled content. Look for the chasing recycling arrows enclosed within a circle.
Purchase letterhead, brochures, etc. printed with vegetable based soy inks.
Re-ink and reuse laser printer and copy machine toner cartridges.
Reuse office products, such as inter-office envelopes and folders, whenever possible.

As you implement your program, continually evaluate performance. As your recycling program becomes productive, don’t forget to renegotiate your solid waste disposal contract to take advantage of cost savings associated with reduced tonnage, fewer waste container pulls and positive market conditions. Keep careful records as all businesses with 100 employees or more are required to file Annual Recycling and Waste Reduction Reports to the Division of Solid Waste Services. The County also randomly requests businesses with fewer than 100 employees to file Annual Recycling and Waste Reduction Reports on occasion.

What other hotels, motels, and inns are doing to reduce, reduce and recycle

According to the American Hotel and Motel Association (AHMA), hotels, motels and inns throughout the country have developed programs to recycle and reduce waste, conserve energy - and save money.

We'd like to add your hotel, motel or inn to our list of recyclers, so let us know how you're doing! If you have a concern or issue you wish to discuss or a success story you want to share, please contact us.

For more information:

Please contact the Montgomery County SORRT (Smart Organizations Reduce and Recycle Tons) Program at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556).

Last edited: 3/16/2011