Host greener: seven simple steps to use less water, energy and plastic in your guesthouse

Every place to stay, from a rural eco-lodge to a small city hotel, uses water, electricity and gas every day and produces waste. Using less lowers your costs and respects the destination your guests came to see. In its Hotel Sustainability Basics guidance, the World Travel & Tourism Council notes that water accounts for about 10% of hotel utility costs on average, and stresses that measuring and saving water matters most in destinations facing water scarcity.

The good news is that most first steps are simple and cheap. These seven work the same for a guesthouse, an eco-lodge, a small hotel or a holiday rental.

1. Measure first

You can't reduce what you don't measure. The EcoHosting audit booklet, from an EU project for accommodation managers, suggests reading your water meter every month so leaks show up quickly, or at least checking your bills regularly. The WTTC guidance also suggests tracking use per occupied room, not just the total, so busy and quiet months compare fairly. A simple table with the date, your water, electricity and gas readings, and the number of guest nights is enough.

2. Fix leaks and upgrade fixtures

A dripping tap or a faulty toilet cistern quietly wastes water every day. If your water meter still moves on a night with no guests, you probably have a leak somewhere. Once leaks are fixed, move on to low-flow showerheads and taps and dual-flush toilets. In the garden, drip irrigation and watering in the cool of the morning or evening help too.

3. Launder towels and linen wisely

The laundry is one of the hungriest parts of any guesthouse. A practical good-practice guide for the accommodation sector, published on the One Planet Network, suggests encouraging guests to use towels and linen more than once. Leave that choice to the guest with a small, polite card rather than forcing it. Travalyst's list of sustainable accommodation attributes also counts washing towels and linen at 60°C as an energy-saving practice. And only run machines with full loads.

4. Stop wasting energy where nobody sees it

The same Travalyst list names some clear steps: LED lighting, keycard switches that cut a room's power when the guest leaves, thermostats that turn down when a room is empty, wall and roof insulation, and energy-efficient appliances in rooms, the kitchen and the laundry. If your budget is tight, start with the bulbs and the temperature of empty rooms; those are usually the easiest wins.

5. Cut single-use plastic, starting with the easy items

The WTTC guidance suggests starting with plastic straws and stirrers, because they're rarely really needed and are the quickest to remove. Offer a reusable or paper alternative only on request, for example for a guest with a disability. The same guidance warns that some so-called compostable alternatives only break down in industrial composting, so weigh an alternative's whole life cycle before you buy. Next, as Travalyst's list suggests, put in a water refill station instead of plastic bottles, bulk dispensers instead of small shampoo and soap bottles, and washable tableware and cups instead of disposables. The joint UNEP and WTTC report on single-use plastics in travel and tourism has more ideas for this path.

6. Sort your waste and throw away less food

Travalyst's list recommends a recycling plan for at least four waste types, glass, paper, plastic and organic, across guest rooms, public areas and the kitchen. For breakfast and meals, keep a simple food-waste policy focused on prevention: match quantities to guest numbers, note what is most often left over, and adjust next week's order to match. Buying from local producers is on the same list.

7. Bring guests and your team along

Savings don't last without people on board. The WTTC guidance suggests an action plan with clear roles and responsibilities, with progress tracked over time. Give each team member one specific job, such as reading the meters or checking taps while cleaning a room. Be honest and friendly with guests too: the One Planet Network guide suggests encouraging guests to switch off lights and air conditioning and close the shades when they leave their room. When people know why, most are happy to help.

One task for this week

This week, on a set day and time, read your water, electricity and gas meters and note the numbers next to your guest nights. On a night with no guests, read the water meter in the evening and again in the morning. If the number has changed, you've found next month's first job.

Sources

• Hotel Sustainability Basics: Standard Guidance, World Travel & Tourism Council
• Accommodation attribute list, Travalyst, 2022
• Audit booklet for managers of tourist accommodation in natural areas, EcoHosting project, 2023
• Rethinking Single-Use Plastic Products in Travel & Tourism, UNEP and WTTC, June 2021
• A Practical Guide to Good Practice: Managing Environmental and Social Issues in the Accommodations Sector, One Planet Network

Your guests may never see your meters, but they'll remember the green courtyard, the clean water and a sky that's still blue. Here's to hosting great journeys.