Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Wooden hotel keycards to debut next week in Denver
From changing linens and towels daily to keeping the air conditioner in every room turned to 55 degrees in the summer, hotels have been coming under fire for a long time over their wasteful use of resources. With the environment in the spotlight as the 2008 US Presidential election approaches, hotels are beginning to take steps toward better environmental practices.This morning, Sustainable Cards, maker of the United States' first wooden hotel keycards, announced that 70,000 biodegradable wooden keycards will be used in Denver hotels during next week's Democratic National Convention.
Wooden keycards have been used in European hotels for almost ten years. Sustainable Cards argues that these keys are just as durable as the plastic versions, but unlike plastic, wood is renewable and biodegradable. Right now, it is estimated that hotels in the US produce 1,300 tons of waste each year from plastic keycards alone.
If you are one of the first Americans to use these eco-friendly keycards in Denver, Sustainable Cards wants your feedback on their website. Of course, we want to hear about it, too. Leave your comments with us, and if you want more hotels to embrace these biodegradable keycards, let them know about it, too. Fill out comment cards when you stay or send suggestions via hotel websites.
Filed under: United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Ecotourism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Craig Aug 19th 2008 3:00PM
Sure, wood is renewable, but AFAIK it's not grown as fast as it's chopped down and used.
I realize a certain percentage of cards will be lost or broken, but don't hotels reuse them over and over? I thought that was one of the main reasons to switch over from regular keys.
Meg Massie Aug 19th 2008 3:06PM
Craig, it would be nice if hotels did reuse the keys, but my experience (from when I worked at a resort front desk in college) is that maybe only 50% of them actually get returned when guests check out, and of that 50%, only half of those are still usable. They get damaged and demagnetized pretty easily. It sounds like the wooden versions will be less prone to damage, anyway. Now if only guests would return them.