Vermont’s Innkeepers Form First Green Lodging Association

The Chester Innkeepers Association is the first Vermont innkeepers association to have all of its members designated as Green Hotels as members of the Vermont Business Environmental Partnership, a state program that recognizes businesses that go the extra step in being environmental stewards.

The Association has created an environmental mission statement that is available on its Web site. The innkeepers have shown their commitment to reducing their environmental impact by conserving energy and water and purchasing Environmentally Preferable products and products that close the recycling loop or reduce chemical use. Additionally, the Inns communicate their environmental commitment to their guest, reduce waste through composting and give all guests access to recycling.

“It is very exciting when you see this level of environmental commitment,” Governor Jim Douglas said. “Chester Innkeepers Association deserves recognition for their outstanding achievements. We look forward to working with them.”

Jo-Ann Jorgensen, owner of the Park Light Inn, said the Chester Innkeepers Association is the first lodging association in the United States that requires all of its members to be Green Hotel certified.

The process began last November when members voted unanimously to adopt the Green Hotel standards, Jorgensen said, and by December all of the members had completed their environmental assessments.

“It’s almost magical what you can achieve in a small community if everyone supports it,” Jorgensen said.

The Green Hotel program offers two levels of participation. The first, as an Environmental Partner, requires the lodging operator to adopt a set of core standards related to energy and water conservation and recycling. To become certified as a Green Hotel, the operator must adopt even more stringent practices to further reduce waste.

Nationwide, about 300 lodging establishments participate in the Green Hotel program, 65 of which are found in Vermont. Forty of those participants are Green Hotel certified, and 14 of those 40 are in Chester.

To become a Green Hotel, a business must meet eight standards listed on the VBEP’s web site. The Partnership, a joint effort between the Agency of Natural Resources’ Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont Small Business Development Center, the Vermont Hospitality Council and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, is a free program geared towards promoting environmental and economic performance.

Vermont businesses joining the Partnership go beyond compliance with existing environmental regulations using pollution prevention strategies and implementation of the best management practices.

Participating businesses are able to identify as Green Hotels and Partners in all their marketing and literature, are listed on the “Green Hotels in the Green Mountain State” website and benefit from the operational advice and knowledge of visiting VBEP representatives.

More information on the Partnership program can be found at: http://www.vtgreenhotels.org.

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