Unique Amenities

RH lodging just found some killer new amenities for our guest rooms.  The company is called Unique Amenities and they are full-bore eco-friendly.  

The line features 100% natural (no petrochemicals), biodegradable, GE-free detergents in the soaps and shampoos, etc; uses recycled plastic for packaging; uses smaller-than-average sizes for single-use packaging; and offers a rebate on all returned, used containers.

The 2nd-best part of all this is that they're 50% less expensive than what we were using before!

What?

I know.  It's exciting.  At least if you're in the hotel business and work toward sustaining your accommodations operations.

Island Paper & Supply

A big kudos to Gerard, at Island Paper & Supply for pointing me in the direction of really good sustainable products for our resort.  

For those of you who don't know Gerard and his (award-winning) efforts you could do no wrong than by chatting him up some time.  RH Lodging and Marina use him for our regular supplies like TP, soaps, office paper, etc.  Although he can get just about anything we need him to, he's been directing us these last few months on a full-bore sustainable product search.  

In the past few weeks, we've moved over all our office paper, paper towels, hand towels and toilet paper to 100% post-consumer recycled; we've moved to GE-free cleaning chemicals for our housekeeping department; and we're switching to a new line of eco-friendly guest amenities for in-room soaps, shampoos and moisturizers.  

We couldn't have done all this without Gerard and his wonderful company.

Thank you!

Green Lodging News

So I spent some time looking at www.greenlodgingnews.com this afternoon.  They are a wonderful resource for us hoteliers.  I hit their blog, which I hadn't seen before, and I noticed that the blog's only getting about a comment every other post--and his is national.  

I don't feel so bad, now, for shouting and not knowing if anyone's listening.

If you haven't been to the website www.greenlodingnews.com you should go.  It's got a ton of useful information that can be applied to any large scale office or building.

Calendar for Events

Trying out a new calendar format.  Since you all have been so vocal in your comments (ZERO so far since this blog started!!!), I thought it would be a good idea to ask you what you thought??

Solid Waste

Nantucket, Mass. is a very comparable island community two hours off the coast, a two-hour drive from a major metropolitan community of several million people.  The island is highly seasonal in nature, relies on a tourist economy, and runs into the same isolation conditions we do with regards to shipping everything on or off the island.

Here's something interesting to know: 

San Juan County Solid Waste budget: $3.8 million

Nantucket Solid Waste budget: $8.2 million

SJC population: 15,000

Nantucket population: 10,000

SJC solid waste spending per person: $253

Nantucket solid waste spending per person: $820

SJC diversion rate for reusables, recyclables and compostables: less than 25%

Nantucket diversion rate for reusables, recyclables and compostables: more than 75%

So they spend three times as much money as we do, and the result is three times as much diversion.  

If we're really going to have a change in our solid waste programs here on the island, it's going to have to be a paradigm shift...

Are you willing to sacrifice an extra $500 to sustain our solid waste systems? 

 

County Council Update

Okay.  Meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 24th at 11am.  

Hope to see you there!

County Council Update

I'm pleased to update y'all on the county council's follow-up to my query on the resolution no. 8: Climate Change.  The council plans to address the topic on Tuesday, March 10 at 10:20am.  I will be there to listen to what they have to tell us about the progress they've made so far.  Exciting stuff, right?!?!

I propose that we pack the meeting with as many people as we can to show the council (with our physical presence) how important this topic is to our community.  If you can make the time, please show up at the legislative office across the street from the courthouse on Monday, March 10 at 10:00am.  And please bring anyone and everyone you can think of that is interested in sustaining our island's environment, economy, and culture.

Remember: decisions are made by those who show up.