Designing a sustainable hotel strategy.

2050

Back-Casting Assignment. Final Report.

Group 5 WM0939TU May 2011

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Index Chapter 1 Preface 2

Chapter 2 Problem Definition and current situation 3

Chapter 3 Our Sustainable Future Vision 7

Chapter 4: Back casting Approach 8

Chapter 5: Conclusions 19

References and Appendices 20

Bibliography 31

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Chapter 1: Preface

Despite the fact that hotels typically represent less than 5% of a country’s building stock, the hotel industry is one of the main national economical strengths within one of the most important sectors being the tourist industry. Within Europe alone, hotels provide accommodation for 160-200 million international visitors per year(Bohdanowicz, 2005). Due to the high level of resource utilization (energy, water, consumables) in hotel facilities, the environmental footprint of hotels is typically larger than those of other types of buildings of similar size. Up to the mid term we want to focus on more efficient systems within and around the building.

In this report we will be looking into possibilities for hotels to operate in a sustainable way and at the same time develop a new conceptual approach for one hotel company. We focus on what actions are needed in order to reach our long-term vision of the ideal situation around year 2050.

For this case we want to create a new concept in the mid and specially the long term: parasite hotels. These are small energy independent, environmentally friendly built units that are scattered throughout the city. For this to happen the current hotel building will be sold and only a head office is needed. The focus will also spread form business to all-round, improving flexibility and spread of the new system.

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Chapter 2: Problem Definition and current situation Problem Definition: The problem we want to address is the waste streams and inefficiencies in cities, specifically in business hotels. The hotel industry’s indulgent nature results in plenty of waste related to food, water and personal product waste as well as high-energy consumption. The focus of this report is to develop a strategy for creating sustainable hotels within urban locations without sacrificing the level of comfort associated with hotel accommodation. The scale of our work is corporate – aimed at creating changes on the level of a business hotel owner.

To help further our investigation, the following questions will be addressed:

- Who are the stakeholders involved in running a business hotel and thus shaping its sustainability strategy?

- What are the currents needs for a hotel and what is unsustainable about these needs?

- What behavioral and technical trends are currently influencing the business model of a luxury hotel?

- What will business hotels look like in 2050, and when looking at sustainability and how can this future vision could be reached?

Stakeholder Analysis Today’s society is becoming increasingly aware of the need to adopt and enforce effective measures in environmental protection. The issue of sustainability should be addressed at all levels, in cooperation with policy makers, academia, industry, the general public and many other stakeholders. A number of factors indicate that the hotel industry has an important responsibility in this process.

- Hotel owners are the main stakeholders on the business hotel industry. Their basic approach on sustainable development is based on their desire to continue providing services of the same level while reducing their impact on environment, without reducing profit. They try to implement strategies for reducing costs or improving quality of services. The current industry stigma regarding

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sustainability in hotels is that it’s too expensive to build green and that initial costs don’t pay themselves back in time, resulting in bad business decisions.

- Guests: the current perception of green technology in hotel rooms is that the majority of guests aren’t willing to pay more for implementing sustainable practices. According to Deloitte’s 2009 survey “Risks and Rewards for Building Sustainable Hotels”, 40% of citizens would be willing to spend more at a green hotel. Also, some green technologies are taking away from guests’ experiences such as not being able to control the thermostat or key-card dependent lighting. The value of being in a “sustainable hotel” may not be the utmost important factor for guests, but interests are rising.

- Neighborhood: wants better physical environment and community attractiveness. On the other hand, hotel could possibly ruin the character of the existing neighborhood with too many people and traffic congestion.

- Local governments: want improve city’s image as environmentally friendly by reducing energy consumption, providing sustainable public transport, promoting water savings and providing pleasant spaces for leisure. Also law regulators and policy makers can have a key role towards achieving a sustainable future.

- Local businesses: aims to increase revenue from tourists and receive global recognition. They are concerned about keeping local business scene alive in the city and also want to be actively promoted within the community.

- Suppliers for the hotel: respond to consumer trends in products. If consumer’s interest in green products continues rising, suppliers will increasingly respond and will want to be recognized as a green business.

- Business Travel Booking Agencies and Travel Agents: Will direct their advertisements and deals according to consumer trends in hotel industry. They receive commission from the companies that they provide travel packages to rather than the hotels themselves, meaning that they are looking for the lowest price offers for luxury.

Current Unsustainabilities in Hotels:

Water Hotels consume excessive amounts of water within guest rooms using high-pressure showerheads and high-volume toilets. Large amounts of water are also used within hotel services such as laundry and within the kitchen. Measures to reuse building grey water or rainwater are not a common practice within hotels but can considerably reduce water use.

Energy Hotels are abundant energy users keeping unoccupied areas such as hallways and bathrooms lit 24 hours a day. Aside from the public spaces, private guests rooms are also heated and cooled when they are vacant. Energy is a huge component of hotel maintenance budgets and can be drastically lowered with energy-saving measures.

Waste and Materials A large amount and variety of solid waste is accumulated in hotels and heaped onto landfills. Hotels need to significantly reduce their solid waste production and provide proper management in order to recycle waste. Usable linens and furnishings often get tossed due to minor defects or changing aesthetic styles. Using recycled material products is also not a current priority in the industry.

The biggest issue of waste in hotels is food waste including over preparation of food in buffet style restaurants, table scraps, packaging and cooking losses. Hotel restaurants are also known to produce more waste than city restaurants with their extensive menus and unprocessed foods. Over preparation leads not only to material

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waste but also time waste of employees. In addition to solid wastes from the operations in a hotel, other wastes such as construction/building waste and e-waste contribute to landfills.

To see typical waste streams in luxury hotels, see graph in Appendix A.

Air Quality Cleaning products and detergents used in hotels are very powerful but detrimental to our indoor environment, human health and earth. Paints, adhesives and carpets used in buildings can have a massive amount of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) contributing to indoor air contamination.

Transport Inefficiencies in transport affect both the guests and hotel owners. Food for the hotel’s restaurants travels thousands of miles to reach the plate, not only resulting in large amounts of fuel consumption but also a higher price of food and chemical preservatives to keep the food fresh. Transporting goods long distances also contributes waste with the need of packaging to keep goods safe.

The type of transport is also an inefficiency that needs to be addressed. The majority of goods transported between cities in the Netherlands use road transportation, which travels on empty half the time. More fuel-efficient options such as water and air transportation as well as improved travel planning should be considered as a more viable option.

Social Sustainability in the tourism sector has not created much of an impression in the EU. According to the “European and Tourism 2009 Analytical Report” by the Gallup Group, ecological concerns for EU travellers have not made a significant impact on their travels. Only 35% of EU Citizens surveyed have stated that environmental considerations such as eco labeling have an impact on their holiday plans. Older and educated demographics have paid more attention to these aspects, and also those that travel within their home countries.

Many business travellers purchase all-inclusive packages for their trips in their home countries, detracting money from the local economy. Hotels also obtain all their disposable goods, food and furnishings to international companies and workers. The prevalence of global corporate companies providing goods and services to tourists and hotels results in reducing the revenue needed to keep local businesses and jobs alive.

Current Trends and developments

Technical Trends Fossil fuel dependent energy is becoming more expensive The price of energy is rising due to our reliance on nonrenewable and harmful fossil fuels. This puts pressure on businesses to measure their energy use and to consider renewable energy sources. Subsidies for renewable energy In the Netherlands, the SDE (“Encouraging Sustainable Energy”) subsidy provided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation helps fund buildings to run on renewable energy sources. In addition, installing photovoltaic panels are considered an energy investment system for companies where they are seen as property, and helps offset initial costs. Sustainable labels are on the rise Until recently, labeling to provide sustainability performance of hotels and products was not set up yet. With the success of the establishment of the few labeling systems out there today that measure aspects such as carbon footprint, food miles and materials assessment, more are being created for companies to find a

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competitive edge for their products and also to address the growing concern of transparency in business practices among consumers. PV Panels are expected to be affordable by 2015 Photo-voltaic (PV) solar panels are a fast-pace industry today with many investments and researchers working towards improving its performance and making it a typical technology of the future. PV Panels are expected to be affordable without the aid of subsidies by 2015. A graph of its future costs can be found in Appendix A.

Social Trends Carbon and Water awareness among citizens and companies The idea of measuring our carbon footprint has entered our everyday vocabulary in the western world. Currently, concerns in water security and quality are an issue being introduced as well and is being pushed up in the EU’s environmental agenda. The Water Framework Directive’s aim is to achieve high quality water in all of the EU by 2015 forcing businesses to monitor their water use. Online consumer awareness With the ease of obtaining information today using the Internet, consumers are actively seeking information about the products they use and places they visit. They want to know that they promote products and services that they trust in terms of company behavior and practices. The importance of corporate image and transparency is key for holding onto the support of consumers. The image of luxury Although hotel owners are aware of the slowly growing idea of travelling sustainably, they are still resistant to change and undertaking sustainability efforts. An example is that green changes in rooms such as flexible service system such as room temperature changes or less frequent laundry service can affect the image of the hotel and their quality rating in the eyes of the hotel owner.

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Chapter 3: Our Sustainable Future Vision

Statement – Our Sustainable Future Vision of Hotels Our vision of a future sustainable hotel does not contribute any negative impacts onto our earth, gives back to the local community while still maintaining an economically profitable business model. Ecologically, our vision involves a hotel building that does not emit any carbon, recycles all it’s water, uses only recyclable materials. Socially, we will use only local services and materials contributing to our own local economy while also providing educational, recreational and volunteer opportunities for tourists and all residents. Most importantly we aim to also be seen overall as an icon within the realm of sustainable business hotels. By implementing a new model of hotels, the HUB units, these sustainability goals can be met while also be financially attractive and dealing with other issues such as unused space and future tourist growth of the city of Amsterdam. This HUB concept will be detailed further in later chapters.

A graph outlining the terms of reference can be found in Appendix B.

Future projections – How people will live and work

Behavioral People will be more mobile. In its 2007 Global Traffic Forecast, Airports Council International (ACI) says global passenger numbers are expected to surpass 5 billion by 2010 and 9 billion by 2025. Over the next 20 years world passenger volumes are likely to rise by 4.0% annually, with growth rates for international flights (4.5%) to continue to outpace domestic (3.7%). The future changes in fuel types for aircraft to reduce CO2 emissions will also increase the ease of travelling. The need for face-to-face meetings will always be desirable making business hotels here to stay. Sustainable Awareness According to the 2011 Gallup Survey “Attitudes of Europeans to Research Efficiency”, 8 in 10 EU citizens today say that a product’s environmental impact is an important element when deciding which products to buy. In terms of natural resources, 9 in 10 EU Citizens stated that Europe could be more efficient with its use of natural resources. With society’s awareness being this high today, we can assume that all of the EU in the future will be concerned with the environmental impacts in goods, energy production and businesses.

Spatial Density will rise in the city Cities will be more populated and dense resulting in compact multifunctional buildings for tourists and residents. Although Amsterdam has seen a decline in tourism over the past few years due to the recession, the number visitors for business and pleasure are rising in Amsterdam and are expected to grow. The City of Amsterdam’s hotel policy states that 9000 new rooms are needed within the city before 2015. With this rate of growth, hotels will need to develop further from the inner city and also be adapted to house more rooms.

A Mediterranean Climate Climate change will make the Netherlands a much more desirable travel location with a warmer climate and longer summers. This will result in people wanting to be outside more.

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Chapter 4: Back-casting Approach Backwards Looking Analysis. From the Future towards Today. The pathway described in this chapter, is describing the steps that have been taken in order to reach our future vision.

The chapter is divided into 3 parts: long term, midterm and short term actions. In each of those parts, the actions taken on that period of time are presented. In the short term, steps are taken into the direction of implementing already existing technologies and systems in order to reduce energy consumption and improve existing inefficiencies in business hotel buildings. Additionally, smaller or big changes are proposed in order to achieve the goal of reducing energy and other resources consumption.

In the mid term plan, actions are taken further in order to improve the efficiency of the hotel, and changes in behavior and in the business model are implemented. The concept of the HUB hotel is starting to develop, following the trends and needs of the customers and also using the new available technologies.

On the long-term agenda, the HUB hotels is becoming the mainstream business model. The model advances, and implementing the newest technologies has become fully sustainable.

Long Term (25+ years) Reaching the goals set on the vision for 2050, requires a lot of actions to be taken not only in the short term agenda, but also in the future more than 25 years from today. Those actions will be determining the success on reaching the vision but also may reshape it. The long term is the basis for the back casting, and in this chapter we will define our future goals.

Go from fixed to spread.

To really make a difference we want to change the whole system of the hotel. We think we can get into a niche-market by using spaces that otherwise have no use and attach a financially attractive business model to this. Because we are a business organisation, we intentionally develop this concept for our own organisation, and not for the hotel industry in general. If the concept appears to be successful, other companies will follow.

The HUB concept:

In the long term the existing hotel has changed to a spread, flexible system. The environmentally friendly business hotel will get sold and with the money raised small individual units are being built and a smart system will be created. The smaller units are energy independent, sustainable capsules that can be placed at different locations around the city structure. They will occupy spaces like empty office buildings, empty facades, unused gardens and communal spaces like parks and open water. What remains in a fixed format is only the head office of the hotel, all other services spaces, like restaurant and hotel lobby, are eliminated in this model.

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The way it works:

- companies and individuals can check availability of the HUB’s online

- they choose the right HUB and make a online reservation

- after payment they receive a code

- they go directly to the HUB and obtain access with the code

- during their stay they can use the provided electrical transport

- after online log out the energy costs are automatically charged.

We can divide the units, which are called HUB’s, into three categories:

The service packs contain the following services:

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Technical Energy:

- Although the midterm hotel building and HUB units are both self-sufficient, the energy used on the Hub room is much less, because there is no need to heat or cool the building mass of the fixed hotel any more. Also the small HUB is quickly heated or cooled down only if needed. In combination with the smart booking system and distant control possibility the HUB can be brought at a comfortable temperature just before the guests will check-in.

- Integrate highly efficient PV panels in HUB, in combination with strong battery and low energy demanding equipment.

- Adapting to future energy system: for example, a hydrogen powered scooter can be attached to the HUB when the client is there and power the HUB at the same time. Then, when the client leaves on his/her scooter the same power generator is used to move the client around until coming back and plug in the scooter again

Water:

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- Water awareness is of first priority. Water reuse systems are visible. People are responsible for their own usage of potable water. By implementing these transparent systems, there is a societal awareness of water use to guests, in addition to providing economical initiatives for lowering consumption.

- Use grey water loop: with the use of carbon filters the grey water loop can be closed. Every now and then the storage tanks need to be refreshed. Drinking water is separated and offered in bottles/ fresh water tanks.

Waste: - The waste collected in the HUB will be waste the visitors take into their HUBs. About the toilet: all

HUB’s use compost toilets. This dry toileting system is fully accepted in 2050, odorless and easy to use.

Transport: - Less transit distances – because HUBS are located in central popular areas, travellers will have to

travel less to get to their tourist destinations.

- Mobility and Transport of HUB: Energy to move units is not a large concern in 50 years. Technological advances will create cleaner fuel and the HUBS themselves will be lightweight, easy to transport and disassemble.

- More emphasis on public transit, and the city center of Amsterdam becomes car free.

Flexibility and space efficiency - Efficient use of existing services and saving building material and maintenance costs/energy l – by

outsourcing meeting rooms and restaurants to the city we don’t have to construct these facilities within our hotel

- Smart online booking system allows for higher occupation of hubs and also allows control of energy in each unit when they are unoccupied

- Expandable HUB Units – allow for more occupants (ie/ for families)

- Adaptability of location – HUBS move according to areas in demand

Social/Cultural - Benefiting the local economy – promoting local restaurants and services

- Promotion of Sustainable businesses – furthering peoples awareness of different sustainable business practices

- All services and products within each HUB unit are bought and contracted to local businesses

- Cities will be denser with higher populations – mixed-use developments will rise, tourists and residents will share same facilities. The hotel will provide multifunctional areas for guests and the public to save space and allows for social interaction.

Structural / Regulatory: New stakeholders will play a role in the long term:

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- The companies that construct the HUBs

- The green HUB is partly made of recycled materials and has other stakeholders then the business HUB.

- The fashion HUB is designed by artists. The goal is to attract young artists for that.

- The energy company involvement is reduced to maintenance of the installed equipment

- Governments: will not allow unsustainable business practices, but will stimulate businesses that are ahead in being sustainable.

- Governments have new ways of checking the true all-encompassing sustainable performance of companies (not using only one labeling system)

- Independent organizations will significantly increase and diversify. These parties will have dialogues to dictate the measures of sustainable practice

- Companies can check each other’s sustainable performance

- Each hotel will interact with their local neighborhood – they will network with local businesses and community organizations.

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Mid Term (10-25 years) The midterm actions to be taken are of decisive importance, as they are connecting steps between the existing situation with the actions that can be already taken and the future visionary situation. The key goals for that period of time are the drastic reduce of fossil fuel dependence and the energy consumption run down. In that period we want to achieve measurable results.

Key targets for 10-25 years: - Energy consumption reduces by 55%, reliance on renewable energy reaches 65%.

- Involvement with local neighborhood rises and hotel contribution to local societies.

- Waste disposal reduced by 60% and ensure safe disposal procedures.

- Buildings are using higher sustainability standards.

Technical: Energy: The hotel is a zero-energy building, which in this stage the whole energy source comes from on-site energy producing technology like solar and wind (assumed that these renewable energy technology will be have a much better efficiency, i.e. its projected that a flat plate module will be increased by 25% in 2030)

The energy consumption of the hotel will be reduced by 50% and water consumption by 35%. New ways of insulation will reduce heat loss. Smart natural ventilation systems will make the hotel less depending on air conditioning and heating. The necessary heating will be connected to the city heating system, which uses excessive heat from the city power plant. To make these changes possible in the mid-term, the hotel relies on financial support by the municipality of Amsterdam. According to the ‘energiebesparingsfonds’ (energy saving fund) the hotel can get financial support to help achieve the city goal of 75% CO2 reduction in 2040.

Water: The hotel will have a separate water loop. Less water will end up in the sewer system. Rainwater on the roof is used for watering the plant on the roof and on the facade. A grey water system allows us to flush toilets and shower with filtered water. Vegetation on the roof and facade can act as a filter.

Waste: Non-biodegradable waste is brought to the minimum. By obtaining local, biological products and biodegradable products, for example biodegradable tissues, place mats etc.

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Biodegradable waste is collected on site and re-used partly to gain supplements for the vegetation. The hotel will obtain products with biodegradable packaging and the amount of waste that can not be treated/ used on site is collected by the municipality or a company that will use it to gain energy by a bio waste digesting process energy plant.

Transport: The hotel’s vehicle fleet is already based primarily on electric powered vehicles of different scales (or any other better technology available at that time). These will provide the guests with their necessary transportation, but can also be economically attractive by renting the bicycles/ cars/ segways to tourists at the moment they are not reserved by guests. This way, the hotel can also cooperate with nearby offices by using their smaller means of transportation in the weekends, when they are not demanded by the particular business.

Social/Cultural: - Cultural interpretation and education is integrated on the services provided to customers.

- Provide sustainable and cultural tours of the city. This is an activity that gives visitors a unique touristic experience and promotes the area’s cultural and environmental heritage.

- Use urban rooftop farm and kitchen as an educational facility for children to learn about local food production and sustainability issues.

- Be part of a network of other sustainable hotels to exchange new ideas and trends in the field of sustainable hospitality

Structural / Regulatory: - Regulation standards get higher, and because there are more independent organization competitors

the quality of sustainable practices will increase.

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Short Term period (0-10 years) or short term agenda Far before reaching the ideal situation described in our vision, a series of actions can be taken almost immediately towards that direction. The goal of being a green hotel is to eliminate as much as possible your negative impacts on the environment both by reducing your consumption of resources and by changing your practices so that the waste you do produce can be used as raw material by someone else. Some of the actions that can be taken today are listed in this chapter. Implementing already existing technologies and techniques to minimize clean water consumption, increase energy efficiency, and reduce solid waste disposal. They can also result in money savings through increased efficiency or reduced cost.

Most important targets for that period of time - Provide technologies that are sustainable but non-intrusive to guests

- Within 5 years, the hotel’s energy demands will be reduced by 30%

- 100% of energy purchased from the grid for the hotel is renewable

- 50% of energy used in the building is generated on site

Technical: Energy Accommodation for tourist can have large, expensive energy requirements, especially for space heating and cooling systems. There are many ways to conserve energy, from designing for passive solar heating to something as simple as providing good insulation can help reduce or eliminate the need for costly heating and cooling.

Many hotels worldwide started to implement energy-efficiency projects in their daily practices. For example, The Hyatt Regency International Hotel in New Zealand, they found out that guests often left appliances and heating and cooling systems on when they were out of their rooms. Then they started a project to link energy use with room occupancy. After the implementation, all energy appliances shut down, with the exception of refrigerators, alarm clocks, and other essential appliances when the room is unoccupied. The project costs were $16,000, while the payback period was only 14 months, with savings of $14,000 annually (Alexander, 2002).

Another example is the Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers. They found out that daily washing of sheets, towels, flannels, tablecloths, and other linens accounted for 35% of the energy consumed in the laundry process, while drying consumed 65%. They come up with a simple solution to conserve energy, by reducing the washing temperature from 85 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius. This resulted in savings of $2,000 in energy costs in the first 3 months alone, and the linens came out just as clean (Alexander, 2002). This implementation also reduced the use of washing chemicals and decreased pollution of the hotel wastewater. Also, another idea to involve the hotel guests by giving them option of having linens washed every other day rather than daily can significantly assist in energy and water conservation.

The second largest energy-consuming system in a hotel is the lighting. Energy efficiency practices implementation is easy and cost-effective for reducing energy costs. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, fluorescent lamps produce four times as much light per watt than incandescent lamps, and they can last eight to ten times longer. A compact fluorescent light used in place of an incandescent light that is left on continuously for 12 months, all 8,760 hours of the year, will pay for itself in less than one year (Alexander, 2002). The Sheraton Tacoma Hotel developed a light fixtures transition project to replace their current light fixtures to compact fluorescent light. There are 2,000 incandescent light fixtures‘ replaced in various areas of the hotel such as the guest rooms and the lobby, and the project saves up to $15,000 with a payback rate of 18 months (Alexander, 2002).

As the world business becomes more aware on the sustainability issue, the implementation of clean and renewable energy as the main source of energy are more demanded. One example of technology that already

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established and implemented is solar power. Today solar power is being harnessed in many new systems providing thermal and light power to hotels in innovative ways. One example, the Sanga Saby Hotel in Sweden installed solar panels on the roof of the sauna area, which supplement heat for the pool and sauna (Alexander, 2002). These practices are becoming a popular means of saving energy and, consequently, money. One of the most common ways of harnessing solar power is to use photovoltaic panels. Photovoltaics assist facilities in getting off the power grid, with the resulting decrease in both utility costs and vulnerability to market fluctuations in energy prices.

With all the example practices that already being implemented on various hotel practices worldwide, then for our hotel to become a zero-energy building in the short term is a feasible future. Zero-energy building means zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. Zero net energy consumption means energy provided by renewable energy source is equal to the amount of energy used by the building. At this stage it is still allowed to gain energy from the grid (but only green energy that produces by renewables) in combination with on-site energy producing technologies such as wind and solar while reducing the overall use of energy demand in the hotel by implementing efficient HVAC and lighting technologies that are already available.

Water The monitoring of water use is important to recognize an excessive water use in luxury hotels and hotels in developing areas. In many developing countries hotel water use may impact the water supplies of the local people. Implementing water-efficient practices is a matter of using the proper systems and tools.

One example of simple implementation of water-efficiency practices is the application of low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. The Houston-based Green Hotels Association observed water use in the San Antonio-based La Quinta Inn. Within a one-month period, the hotel showed an average of 100 gallons of water being used per guest per billing period. The whole chain showed more than a billion gallons water being used in the first nine months in 1996. Then they start a project to replace all the showerheads with low-flow shower heads and aerating faucets resulted in a savings of $1.50 per room per month. Replacing all toilets with ultra-flow toilets at a cost of $3,250 showed a payback in 2.1 years and annual water saving of 180,000 gallons per year (Alexander, 2002).

In many water assessments, urinals and automatic flushing toilets are found to consume a great deal of water. By installing detectors that sense the usage of the urinals and allow flushing to occur at a specified time after use, the THC Rotorua Hotel in New Zealand reduced its water consumption in three urinals from 66 liters per hour to 40 liters during the day and 20 liters in the evening. In addition to installing the urinal sensors the hotel installed low-flow showerheads at a cost of $3,060. The annual cost savings for the water conservation came to $5,244, with a payback of only seven months (Alexandra, 2002).

Waste Becoming a zero-waste business hotel does not necessarily require the elimination of all by-products. This can be achieved by using resources efficiently, choosing renewable resources, and when disposal of byproducts is unavoidable, using those by-products as the raw material for other processes. The biological waste of hotel activities should be able to be safely assimilated into natural systems by natural processes.

In a recent waste generation study conducted on 25 hotels, its showed that from 1991-1993 the hotel waste consisted of 46% food waste, 25.3% paper, 11.7% cardboard, 6.7% plastics, 5.6% glass, and 4.5% metals (Alexander, 2002). These figures show the opportunities for both resource recovery and waste reduction. By implementing a solid waste reduction program a hotel can create significant cost savings in waste hauling fees while creating a more environmentally friendly hotel. By reducing the number of solid waste means reducing the number of landfills needed hence gives a positive impact on the environment.

Another type of solid waste is the food waste, which sometimes become a large portion of the waste produced in hotels and lodging facilities. Over preparation, table scraps, cooking losses, and packaging failures lead to accumulation of food waste. Through a food waste reduction program it could result in a 20% reduction in food waste. For example, The Totem Pole Restaurant at the Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota began a food waste reduction program by having the head chef monitor the food inventory, the amount of food per meal, and the percent of waste per meal. This did not eliminate food waste completely, but it

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reduced the quantity. Involving the hotel staff like the head chef also reduced food waste. The chef could determine what foods could be reusable and helped to decide how to revise the food preparation procedures to reduce food waste. The cost saving of $451.25 per month was offset by the $128.00 per month cost to have these materials picked up for recycling, resulting in a total saving of $323.25 (Alexander, 2002).

- A solid waste management plan is implemented, with quantitative goals to minimize waste that is not reused or recycled.

- Recycling of Paper, Plastic, Card board, Glass, Mobile Phones, Waste Cooking Oil, Toner Cartridges and Dry Cleaning Coat Hangers

- Provide newspapers on request to avoid wastage and recycle any spares

Other actions - The use of hazardous substances, including pesticides, paint, swimming pool disinfectants and

cleaning materials minimized or substituted by innocuous products.

- Purchasing environmentally friendly products, building materials, capital goods, food and consumables.

- Laundry Services locally or even inside the hotel. No external companies and extra transportation

Transport: - Hotel – provides eco-friendly transport options for guests (fuel efficient rental cars, bikes)

- Encourage bike to work and provided cycle rack facilities plus discount on cycling goods with local retailers

Social/Cultural: − Local services and goods are purchased.

− Hotel helps local small entrepreneurs develop and sell products locally made promoting area’s nature, history and culture. (food, drink, crafts, performances or agricultural products)

− Increase customers’ awareness on sustainability, by distributing ‘eco-News” and inform them about their consumption on energy / water. (eg. visualize the consumption and provide them in the end)

− Only purchasing local produce grown within a 50 km radius, supporting local farmers and reducing fossil fuel use.

− All interior upgrades such as furniture and artwork is made by local craftspeople and artists

− Excess prepared food or leftover produce is donated to a local community kitchen for food bank.

− Publicize environmental and social performance of hotel annually to local media outlets

− Train staff about relevant environmental and social issues

− Provide discounted rates to businesses that want to use the meeting rooms for sustainability related conferences

− The hotel will employ only local residents for managerial positions

Structural / Regulatory: − Create an annual reward to honor a hotel and an employee inside the business for outstanding

environmental efforts and achievements.

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− All personnel receive training in environmental and socio-cultural management issues

− The hotel’s vehicle fleet for visitors, supplies or other needed transport is gradually replaced, implementing electric powered cars and vans.

− Customers determine cleaning service schedule (if they are long term guests)

− Consumers pay for how much energy they use in their rooms – attractive for business financials and can be seen as a competition

− Governments will fund sustainable technologies more – increase subsidies

− Governments will support sustainable development and change their long-term goals for sustainability – people and then profit

How have these changes been implemented? − Awareness of citizens will improve – people will demand transparent and sustainable business

practices. In addition to consumer expectations, people will be aware of the long-term issues of sustainability

− Governments will respond to peoples concerns and will fund sustainable development more. With more funding and support, technology will increase significantly.

Who are the existing and new stakeholders? − Independent organizations and committees that monitor the sustainable practices of a hotel

throughout time

− Local businesses – provide goods and services to hotel

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Chapter 5: Conclusions Hotels constitute one of the main, and still expanding, pillars of the tourism sector and are highly unique among other commercial buildings. Resource intensive and frequently inefficient systems and operational routines applied in the sector result in considerable environmental impact and indicate an urgent need for more environmentally sound practices and products in the hotel industry.

Because of the nature of the back casting itself, it is difficult to precisely describe all the action leading to the future vision, especially those that need to be taken in the long term period. However, through the analysis of the current situation and the relations between the different stakeholders, it is clear that in order to develop a more responsible hospitality and tourism industry, two major directions ought to be pursued. First, environmentally responsible practices need to be incorporated into the hotel industry on a large scale, and the cost savings associated with these initiatives must be widely demonstrated within the sector. Environmental institutions and governments that want to promote environment friendly and sustainable policies need to focus more on and intensify their efforts into informing and reaching unaffiliated hotels, as well as businesses in countries where environmental protection has not been a key governmental focus in the past. And second, travellers’ environmental awareness needs to be enhanced in an attempt to initiate their demand for ‘‘green’’ practices.

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APPENDIX A – PROBLEM ORIENTATION DATA

Fig 1) Typical Hotel Waste Stream Based on Volume Data taken from City of Los Angeles 1990-1993 Waste Generation study http://www.sbeap.org/publications/Lodging_Logic.pdf

Fig 2) The declining costs of PV Panels as market shares rise *Based in the United States http://www.seia.org/

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Fig 3) Schemtatic approach to resource management in a hotel (Bohdanowicz,2005)

Fig 4) Incentives to introduce more environment friendly initiatives. hotel (Bohdanowicz,2006)

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APPENDIX B – TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR FUTURE VISION TERMS OF REFERENCE – NORMATIVE DEMANDS FOR 2050

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APPENDIX C – PATHWAY TO 2050 STRUCTURAL/ TECHNICAL/ CULTURAL ACTION PLAN Action Plan – Structural, Technical and Cultural Systems Leading to 2050

Short Term 0-10 Years

Technical System Stakeholders Actions Solar Panels on the Roof to heat water and provide electricity

-Hotel Owner -PV Panel Company -Energy provider -Local government -Financing company for installing PV Panels

-Owners need to be willing to install, knowing that PV will be affordable by 2015 -Tax benefits from governments for installing panels -Financing company must be willing to give options to Hotel owner

Zero Net Energy -Local Governments -Green energy suppliers -Hotel Owner

-Government provides subsidies for renewable energy use -Hotel Owner must be willing to switch energy providers to green energy providers

Switching all light bulbs to compact fluorescents

-Hotel Owner -Willingness

Energy and Water use metering system per room

-Hotel owner -Hotel guests -Technology producer

-Guests must be willing to use metering system -Hotel must be willing to install systems in rooms

Water – using low flow Showerheads, aerating faucets and ultra flow toilets in guest rooms

-Hotel owner -Manufacturers -Distributors -Monitors of systems -Repair men

-Water systems and consumption must be monitored frequently in case of leaks -Technology must be more affordable and in demand

Rainwater collection for plant irrigation and laundry

-Hotel owner -Installer -Supplier -Waste water treatment plants

-Willingness of hotel owner -Possible lower sewer tax incentives provided by local government

Greywater recycling for toilets -Hotel owner -Installer -Supplier -Waste water treatment plants

-Willingness of hotel owner -Advancements in small scale sewage treatment -Possible lower sewer tax incentives provided by local government

Reducing washing temperature of linens

-Hotel Owner -Willingness

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Long-term guests will determine the cleaning service schedule

-Guests -Hotel owner -Energy company -Cleaning staff

-Owner must be willing to change (perception of luxury must change) -Ensuring jobs for cleaning staff when less cleaning is occurring -Guests willing to change habits in room

Starting a food waste reduction program

-Hotel Owner -Restaurant staff -Hotel staff -Guests

-Owner willing to change food system in restaurant -Elimination of buffet style restaurant and including smaller portion options of food for guests -Guests must be willing to participate

Organizing a solid waste management plan

-Hotel owner

-Willingness to change

Stopping use of hazardous cleaning products

-Hotel owner -Suppliers of products -Manufacturers

-Owner willing to change -Ensuring availability of safe and affordable cleaning products

Providing eco-friendly transport options for guests

-Hotel owner -Bike rental company -Eco green taxi service -Local government

-Providing cycle racks on site to encourage more bike transport -Tax incentives from government to taxi companies that use hybrid vehicles -Partnership with eco friendly transport companies

Structural System Stakeholders Actions Governments will encourage sustainable development in cities

-Local Government -Local contractors -Developers

-No allowance of unsustainable business practices -Grants and subsidies for exemplary building performance

Sustainable performance of a building is determined by multiple certification systems rather than just one

-Local government -Independent Sustainability organizations (NGOs and certification systems) -Academic researchers -Industrial processes -Developers -Architects -Engineers

-Companies can check each other’s sustainable performance (to compete) -Governments will use multiple organizations in checking the performance of buildings in terms of materials/energy/waste/water/ social/transport/emissions -Independent organizations in sustainability will increase and diversify. These parties will have dialogues to dictate the measures of sustainable practice

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Cultural System Stakeholders Actions Only purchasing local produce grown within a 50 km radius

-Hotel Owner -Local farmers -Local delivery -Hotel restaurant

-Hotel restaurant introduces a raw food bar and changes to seasonal menu -Local farmers market or rooftop farm available all year round for chefs -Hotel owner’s willingness to change food provider and being flexible with menus

All interior furniture and artwork upgrades made by local artists and craftspeople

-Hotel owner -Local art suppliers -Local artists

-Contracts with local craftsmen for future upgrades -Willingness to change by hotel owner -Further promotion of local artists (hotel can work like an art gallery)

Excess prepared food is donated to local food banks and community kitchens

-Hotel owner -Chefs and staff of restaurant -Food banks -Volunteers

-New organizational methods in the kitchen for food and food storage -Agreements with local food banks and kitchens establishing a schedule -Timely delivery service

Publicize environmental and social performance of hotel annually to media outlets

-Hotel owner -Local newspaper and websites -Social networking outlets -International travel and tourism magazines -Readers /subscribers

-Agreements with local newspapers -Setting up a monitoring system that can be verified and published -Inviting hotel critics and journalists to stay at hotel

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Mid Term 10-25 Years

Technical System

Stakeholders Actions Zero energy building (off grid)

-Academic researchers in sustainable technology -Energy providers -National government -Hotel owner

-Renewable energy technology research will increase the efficiency of systems -Governments must provide enough grants for further research -Existing energy providers must support research

Energy consumption reduced by 50% (from short term)

-Academic researchers in sustainable technologies -Architects -Engineers -Energy providers -Local government

-Research and design of innovations in building insulation and other material -Architects will have further stress to design passive and naturally ventilated buildings, reducing stress on mechanical heating/cooling -Energy providers will implement a waste heat from power plants (CHP) program -Financial support from local government for energy saving (to reach their goal of a 75% CO2 reduction by 2040)

Water consumption reduced by 35% (from short term)

-Hotel -Water suppliers -Water treatment plants -Energy companies supplying the water treatment plants

-The hotel owner will implement a separate grey-water loop system for reusing shower and toilet water -Rainwater collection unit is installed on roof for watering plants

Compost system in hotel to provide fertilizer for vegetation to reduce waste

-Landscapers -Local residents and businesses that use fertilizers -Hotel owner -Staff

-Providing a separated area for possible fumes -Staff willing to separate garbage -Establishing a program that sells compost to community

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Structural System Stakeholders Actions Higher regulation standards in sustainability

-Increased regulatory authorities -Installers -Tax payers -Hotel -Manufacturers of products

-Lobbying government at all levels -Convince manufacturers that higher quality measured through higher regulation is better -Manufacturer of products and Hotel owners must be willing to accept price increases for better products

The hotel’s vehicle fleet is primarily based on electric powered vehicles.

-Hotel Owner -Local government -Local businesses/offices -Vehicle designers -Vehicle companies -Charging station installer -Vehicle seller -Energy company

-Hotel cooperates with nearby offices to share vehicle fleet (businesses use them during weekdays, hotel uses them during the weekend) -Research and design of electric vehicles is subsidized by government -Local government supports installation of EV charging stations throughout city

Cultural System Stakeholders Actions Providing sustainable and cultural tours of the city

-Tour operators -Hotel owners -Sustainable local businesses -Guests

-Hotel agreement with tour operators to find appropriate tours for different demographics -Ensuring that the city has enough available “Sustainable” attractions -Guests are aware and interested in using these tours

Using rooftop farm and kitchen as educational facility for children about sustainable food production

-Local schools -Tourists -Hotel owners -Local educators -Restaurant staff

-Hotel owner willingness to use facilities to aid community -Easily accessible rooftops and kitchens designed for safety -Training educators and restaurant staff about issues in sustainable food.

Be part of a network of sustainable hotels in the city – keep up to date

-Hotel owner -Other local sustainable hotels -Suppliers of products

-Collective bargaining (with green hotels in organization) with green product suppliers -Establishment of organization to find green hotels. Their label as a green hotel is based off sustainability measuring systems

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Long Term 25-50 Years

Technical System

Stakeholders Actions Energy generating building materials (HUB Package A)

-Research and development companies -Governments -Manufacturers of conventional technologies -Hotel Owner

-PV cells will be affordable by 2015 -Government must subsidize the research and development -Construction of new research facilities -Owner willing to invest in new technologies

Compact greywater reuse filtering systems

-Research and development companies -Governments -Manufacturers of conventional technologies -Hotel Owner

-Using biodegradable soaps to lower pressure on filtering system -Governments subsidizing research and development -Owners willingness to invest

Use of reclaimed building materials (HUB Package C)

-Demolition sites and contractors -Hotel owner

-Owners willingness to use materials -A system is established for finding appropriate materials from demolition sites

Energy generating vehicles to service hotel units

-Research and development companies -Governments -Vehicle designers -Vehicle companies -Hotel Owner

-Government must subsidize the research and development -Construction of new research facilities -Owner willing to invest in new technologies and have an agreement with vehicle companies

Adaptable and flexible design of the hotel units

Architects Hotel Owners

-Architects must make sure to include tools for maintenance in each HUB and also that it is easy to disassemble and lightweight.

Structural System Stakeholders Actions Clean fuel for transport of HUBS -Local government

-Energy supplier -Fuel supplier -Vehicle companies

-Provide proper infrastructure for vehicles and new fuels -Design of industrial clean fuel vehicles must be subsidized by companies and government -Energy suppliers willing to produce clean fuels affordably

Keeping the “HUB” hotel concept in check environmentally and socially

-Community Organizations and charities -Green Building Certification Organizations -NGOs in Sustainability -Material content certification Organizations -Academic researchers in sustainability topics

-Organizations provide quarterly checks of the HUB’s technical performance and social performance -Hotel owner must be willing to keep the HUBS in check and pay for inspection -HUBS must be designed to be maintainable and sustainable

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Outsourcing restaurant and service facilities to the city. Guests have access to this database with a multimedia platform within each hotel unit

-Functions usually in a hotel: Restaurants/Bars/Laundry services/Conference Rooms -Leisure activities: Recreation areas/Cultural Centers/Museums/Shopping areas

-Local businesses and restaurants will compete to be promoted -Guests must be interested in seeing local businesses and features of a city

Cultural System

Stakeholders Actions Water reuse systems are visible to guests in HUB

-Developer/Designer -Installer -Hotel owner

SMART Online Booking System (Guests are aware of available types of HUBS)

-Research and Development -Software designer (who designers the interface) -Hotel Staff -Local community

-Hotel willing to invest

Promotion of local sustainable businesses

-Environmental performance checks of restaurants, laundry services, recreational services are needed to be continually promoted by the hotel

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APPENDIX D – INTERVIEW: KRISTEL AALBERS

To begin this interview, we gave Kristal a quick review of the aims of our back casting assignment and also future vision of the hotel “HUB” concept. As a result we received feedback related to the behavioral, financial, technical and structural barriers and considerations to be addressed to make our case for the HUB more feasible. Below are the key issues addressed as well as a few potential interviewees of known successful green hotels.

Key Issues − With the hub system, the social aspect of the lobby is gone (In which we said that the social activities

associated with a hotel will be outsourced to local venues) − Longer stay business travellers will require a lobby or a “business area” of hotel for comfort − Maintenance of each unit may be an issue making the role of the hotel manager may be more difficult

be − Should highlight the amenities of hotel such as a gym − Safety and the feeling of safety is a big long term issue with the HUB, with travellers occupying empty

spaces isolated from activity − Reaching other target groups (ie/ Bed and Breakfast service) and thus expanding services to other

demographics of people − Short-term business travellers want to do their job and go home. Tourist habits of using public

transportation and maps seem too consuming. Make sure our “HUB A” package is located in good areas or have access to a taxi service

− Think about what a travellers address would be when obtaining a VISA if the HUB is decentralized − How many HUBS would be needed for a financially profitable business? This would be a good

question to ask a hotel manager - Transport of service and maintenance products may be an issue. Water is a heavy thing to transport - Standardizing the design of the HUBS to include maintenance tools so less service rounds are needed

Potential Interviewees - Du Midi – De Uylenburg - Den Hoorn – Schiphider - Op Hodenpijl - Hotel Transvaal- Den Haag, near station Den Haag Holland Spoor

Name: Kristal Aalbers Profession: Professor and Lecturer of SMART Architecture Program at TU Delft and Senior Advisor in Urban Planning at the Waterboard of Delftland Interview Date: May 26th 2011

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Paulina Bohdanowicz, European Hoteliers environmental attitude, Greening the business. 2006

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