Crowne Plaza General Manager Jim Larkin shows off the hotel's new recycling bins to Green Lodging inspector Terry Crossett.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel in south Fort Myers is becoming environmentally conscious in hopes of reducing waste and energy and being awarded a Green Lodging designation.
The hotel opened its facilities, guest rooms and even recycling bins this week to visiting inspectors from the Florida Green Lodging Program.
"Green is popular right now and eco-tourism is a big draw for hotels especially in Florida," said Laura Comer, an inspector and coordinator for the Green Lodging program.
She spent a few hours at the Crown Plaza hotel making recommendations about energy efficiency and waste reduction and inspecting the hotel's current efforts.
"It's a voluntary program but as more and more people do it, it will become even more popular," said Comer about the program that is run by the Department of Environmental Protection.
The program, which was started in 2004, is aimed at rewarding environmentally conscious facilities in the state based on a three-tiered system.
To become a Green Lodge, a property must meet a minimum set of standards on communication, water conservation, waste reduction and energy efficiency.
"This gives us real credibility and the bottom line is that it's the right thing to do," said General Manager Jim Larkin, who was hoping to gain a One Palm certification after the inspection was complete. He will then work to gain the Two Palm designation. "We started the program a few months ago and the interest is growing in the amount of companies that have green facilities on their radar."
The radar seems to be expanding, Comer said, because state laws are changing and many companies are choosing to have meetings in environmentally friendly facilities.
"This program was born from the recycling program and we are trying to gather information that shows just how much money can be saved by doing it," said Comer who oversees the Green Lodging certifications in the south district.
Prior to an inspection, the Crowne Lodge that is 20 years old and has 226 guest rooms, was given a comprehensive checklist of items that could be changed to reduce energy and waste.
On the top of the list are energy saving appliances, using 30 percent post-consumer recycle paper, informing guests and staff of their efforts and using energy efficient light bulbs.
"We are a moderately sized hotel that is really making a concentrated effort to recycle and reduce waste and I'm astonished by how much recycling we collect," said Larkin, who has had to increase the number of times the bins are emptied per week.
James Marsh is the hotel's chief engineer who has been working with Larkin to install items that reduce energy use.
"I've already started laying the groundwork for lighting and we're doing it all in phases," said Marsh, who is a member of the Green Team that was assembled by the hotel in their bid to become green. "It can be costly but we are saving money by reducing our waste and it helps the environment."
Being able to implement green programs in Florida's largest commercial sector is why Comer hopes more lodges jump on the green bandwagon.
"We can work with properties of all sizes and types and it's a free consultation for them," Comer said. "They can start small and then work on goals of how they can be more efficient and conservative."
In the last six months, Larkin said, he has received numerous calls about the hotel's green efforts.
"It's the right thing to do and we are really making a difference," said Larkin, adding that the hotel was renovated in 2006 and some of the property was already up to Green Lodging standards. "We want to be the first hotel in Fort Myers with the green designation."
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