Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced it is in the process of becoming the first boutique hotel in the U.S. to achieve Green Seal Silver certification for all 50 hotels.
At present, 46 of 50 hotels have completed the application process for Green Seal certification, which includes an on-site audit. Half of those have received certification. The rest are anticipated to be awarded certification within the next 90 days at press time. The remaining four, including two opening this spring, will begin the certification process this year.
Green practices at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Chicago, for example, revealed that 116 tons, or 45 percent, of all of recyclables were diverted from the landfill last year. This effort equates to the preservation of 1,977 trees, 477,042 kilowatts of electricity, 44,192 gallons of oil, 814,065 gallons of water and 349 yards of space diverted from the landfill.
To qualify for Green Seal certification, a hotel must demonstrate sustainable practices in the following areas: waste minimization, reuse and recycling; energy efficiency, conservation and management; management of fresh water resources; waste water management; hazardous substances; and environmentally sensitive purchasing.
