Kimpton Hotels’

Kimpton Hotels'  EarthCare program brings the business's philosophy of environmental responsibility straight to its properties, starting with its pioneering Eco Floor at the  Hotel Triton  in San Francisco in 1994. Today EarthCare's efforts include: * Using environmentally friendly cleaning supplies in all rooms. * Printing corporate collateral on  recycled paper  using  soy-based ink. * Usring recycled paper for all printing property-wide. * Serving organic, shade grown, and/or fair trade complimentary beverages in the lobby. * Allowing guests the opt out of towel and linen service. Recycling of glass,  bottles, paper, and cardboard through back of house operations. * Auditing and retrofitting back of house lighting to ensure  energy efficient bulbs  are in place. * Using low flow systmes for faucets, toilets, and showers. * Encouraging guests to  recycle  with in-room  recycling bins. * Stocking the honor bar with organic snacks and drinks. * Encouraging gue sts to donate unused amenity bottles to local charities. * Other practices, such as  recycling  coat hangers, eliminating styrofoam cups, using paperless checkin/out, purchasing organic flowers, and more. Kimpton properties are found in: * Scottsdale, AZ * Vancourver, BC Whistler, BC * Los Angeles, CA * San Diego, CA * San Francisco, CA * San Jose, CA * Aspen, CO * Denver, CO * Chicago, IL * Boston, MA * Cambridge, MA * New York City, NY * Portland, OR * Dallas, TX * Salt Lake City, UT * Alexandria, VA * Arlington, VA * Seattle, WA * Washington, DC * 1. Kimpton HotelsPresented by:GROUP 4Andrew Taylor, KirillCherepkov, Emily York, Alaina Alms,and Susan GrahamApril 23, 2009 * 2. Case QuestionsWhat further steps should Kimpton take to institutionalize its environmental commitments? ~AndyHow would you measure the success of the EarthCare Program, and how should it be reported to stakeholders? KirillWhat progress has Kimpton made in the four phases of its EarthCare Program sinc the c ase? ~EmilyWhat is the progress for each of the four phases? ~AlainaWhat is your overall assessment of their progress since the case? ~Susan * 3. How Would You Measure The Success Of The Earthcare Program? KirillCherepkov * 4. SustainabilityEnvironmental mgmt. (measuring success)Environmental audits (reporting) * 5. Environmental Mgmt. in PracticeMeasuring SuccessTop mgmt. w/ a commitment to sustainabilityLong-standing commitment†¦Phase 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 †¦Line mgmt. nvolvementLocal programsEmployee suggestions * 6. Environmental Mgmt. in Practice (cont. )Measuring SuccessCode of environmental conductâ€Å"Our Philosophy† Our philosophy on environmental responsibility is about more than contributing financially; it;apos;s about embracing behavioral change. This kind of change begins at home, is expanded at work, and now extends to who we choose to do business with†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"EarthCare program †¦ was the right thing to do. † à ¢â‚¬â€œ Tom LaTour, Chairman and CEOCross-functional teamsJeff Slye, Business Evolution ConsultantEco-champions, co-leads, and program specialists * 7.Environmental AuditsReportingSustainability report:PepsiCo http://www. pepsico. com/Purpose/Sustainability/Sustainability-Report/Environmental-Sustainability. aspxCAT http://www. cat. com/cda/layout? m=199421;x=7Wal-Mart http://walmartstores. com/Sustainability/7951. aspxFordhttp://www. ford. com/micr osites/sustainability-report-2007-08/defaultCost savings:$250,000 per year in waste disposal†¦New business: â€Å"†¦$500,000 in meetings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  * 8. What Progress Has Kimpton Made In The Four Phases Of Its Earthcare Program Since The Case? Emily York * 9.Phase #1 Designed to make hotel staff comfortable with the concept of greener management. Energy Conservation: lighting retrofitted and audited to ensure energy efficient bulbs are in place Recycling: bottles, cans, paper, ; cardboardCleaning Chemicals: tub ; shower, gl ass, deodorizers, and disinfectantsPromotion Materials: recycled paper and soy-based inkComplimentary Coffee in Lobby: organically grownHonor Bar: includes organic snacks and beveragesTowel/Linen reuse: sheets and towels are replaced only at guest’s request * 10.Phase #2 Focuses on investments in water and energy conservation and organically-grown products. Water Conservation: implementation and auditing of low flow systems for faucets, toilets, and showers Energy Conservation: install motion sensors in rooms, florescent bulbs in corridors and back-of-houseOrganic Coffees ; Teas: served in rooms, meeting rooms, and lobby * 11. Phase #3 Extensive investment in in-room recycling of products and sale of organic/recycled products.In-room Designer Recycling Bins: guests are encouraged to participate in reducing our environmental impact Recycled Papers: for copying, notepads, toilet paper, and tissuesDonation Programs: instead of being thrown away, unused amenity bottles are donate d and used by local charities Recycling: of employee dry-cleaned uniform bags and hangers*Guest can now shop the Kimpton Style catalog for eco-friendlyproducts like organic bedding and recycled glassware. * 12. Phase #4 Investment in building materials, labor, and appliances that are more eco-friendly.Energy Star: appliances, computers, and electronicsPaints: low-VOC paintsHeat/Air Conditioning: energy efficient * 13. NEW Phase #5 * 14. â€Å"Helping the environment because it’s the right thing to do. † – April 13, 2009http://www. changemakers. net/node/21543 * 15. Discuss The Specifics Of The Progress For Each Of The Four Phases. Alaina Alms * 16. OverviewWhat has been implementedProducts and Practices for each of the phasesGoalsAccomplishmentsAwards * 17. What has been implementedEarthCare Products and PracticesAs part of Kimpton EarthCare, every hotel adopts tandard environmentally friendly products and practices with high-impact and benefit to our planet. * 18. Products and Practices (Phase 1)Cleaning Supplies: All rooms cleaned with environmentally friendly cleaning products. Honor bar with organic food and beverage options: Honor bars include organic snacks and beverages. Soy Inks: All corporate collateral is printed on recycled paper using soy based ink. Towel/Linen Reuse: Guests have the opportunity to do their part to reduce energy and detergents required for daily washings.Recycling: Back of house recycling programs addressing glass, bottles, paper, cardboard, etc. * 19. Products and Practices (Phase 2)Organic Beverages: All complimentary lobby coffee is organic, shade grown and/or fair trade. Energy Conservation: Back of house lighting retrofitted and audited to ensure energy efficient bulbs are in place. Water Conservation: Implementation and auditing of low flow systems for faucets, toilets, and showers. * 20. Products and Practices (Phase 3)Recycled Paper: Property wide printing on recycled paper.Best Practices: At any hotel you may find environmental activities such as recycling of coat hangers, elimination of Styrofoam cups, paperless check-ins/outs, organic flowers, and more†¦ In-room designer recycling bins: Guests are encouraged to participate in reducing our environmental impact. Donation programs: Instead of being thrown away, unused amenity bottles are donated and used by local charities. Shop the Kimpton Style catalog: for eco-friendly products like organic bedding and recycled glassware. * 21.GoalsReduce waste in landfills by 15%Reduce energy and water usage by 15%Increase employee retention and morale by 10% * 22. Accomplishments;gt; 962,000 lbs of cardboard recycled~ 50,000 gallons of cleaning chemicals replaced with non-toxic alternatives;gt; 253 trees saved from using recycled paperAccomplished in one year in California alone * 23. AwardsCorporate Citizen of the Year. California EPA Awards. Kimpton has been honored with the 2007 California EPA Green Lodging designation. California Gov ernor;apos;s Award. National GeoTourism Award. ttp://www. kimptonhotels. com/programs/earthcare. aspx Kimpton Hotels’ 7 Eco-friendly Best Practices Put Your Commitment in Writing Kimpton Hotels have one of those â€Å"elevator pitch† mission statements to describe their environmental stance. It states: â€Å"Support a sustainable world by using non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products and services at all Kimpton hotels. † It’s short, sweet, descriptive and can easily be said to someone in the few seconds it takes to travel between floors in an elevator. Give Your Eco Program a NameAnother way to add more credibility to you environmental efforts is to give your program a name. Kimpton calls their environmentally friendly green hotel practices, the â€Å"Earthcare† program. Like the mission statement, the name very succinctly states the corporate policy and carries with it the feeling that the company’s taking an organized, focused a pproach to preserving the environment and is already succeeding in its efforts. Provide Your Own Green Business Certification On its Earthcare page, Kimpton lists all of the things they do to be eco-friendly.These actions might not be enough to help them qualify for some green certifications, but anyone can see that they’re serious about their commitment to the environment. This strategy also makes it easier for the media to write about them. Today Show travel editor Peter Greenburg reproduced the Kimpton list of Earthcare Products and Practices verbatim when he mentioned Kimpton Hotels in his article on green lodging. Peter Greenburg’s Article: Eco-Friendly Travel: Hotels and the Green Bandwagon Put Your Results in Real Numbers That People Can UnderstandAdvertising copywriters are taught to write about benefits, not features. In this video on the Sundance Channel, not only can Mike Depatie, the CEO and President of Kimpton Hotels, outline the company’s philosop hy and detail all the changes the hotels have made, but he can also articulate the impact it’s having on the environment. Here are just a few of the benefits that are mentioned in the video: â€Å"Hotel Triton recycles 60% of waste. † â€Å"Their low flow toilets, shower heads and faucets save 15 – 30,000 gallons of water each year. â€Å"Their environmentally friendly cleaning products save 50,000 gallons of chemicals being dumped into the environment. † † Their recycling efforts and use of recycled paper products have saved over 253 trees and eliminated 18,000 pounds of waste. † Reward Your Customers for Their Conservation Efforts Kimpton Hotels offer discounts for guests arriving in a hybrid vehicle. The perks vary from saving 10% on the room rate at some properties, to saving as much as 50% off the overnight parking rate at others. Gather Multiple AwardsAs we stated in our article on obtaining a Green Business Certification for your small or medium-sized business, you should seek out â€Å"certification† from as many organizations as possible. Take one look at the Earthcare page, and you’ll see that Kimpton has done just that by gaining recognition, accreditation, and accolades from a variety of sources in government and in the lodging industry. Here’s a list of the various organizations that have recognized Kimpton Hotels for their eco-friendly hotel practices.Local and State Governments The city of Salt Lake City, Utah. San Francisco Green Business program State of California State of California EPA National Trade Associations Travel Industry and Association of America American Hotel & Lodging Association International Trade Associations Hotel Association of Canada State Trade Associations Massachusetts Lodging Association Media National Geographic Traveler Magazine USA Today Travel and Leisure Seattle Magazine MSNBC Sundance Channel, Ecobiz Keep It Fresh