1. Energy - see Hospitable Climates Fact Files for energy-saving tips and advice.
  2. Water - monitor your water use. Increases in water use can indicate a costly leak or overflow. See GG152R Tracking water use to cut costs .
  3. Water - benchmark your water use using our water savings calculator . How much could your hotel save?
  4. Water - install submeters for high using areas such as kitchens, groups of guest rooms, pools and spas. Consider recharging costs of water and sewerage to budgets. See GG152R Tracking water use to cut costs .
  5. Water - construct a water balance. Estimate water use for each item of equipment and keep investigating until the total matches actual consumption. See GG152R Tracking water use to cut costs and GG349 Water minimisation in the Food and Drink industry .
  6. Water - consider water-saving devices such as water-efficient dishwashers, sensor taps, urinal controls, waterless urinals, low flush and dual flush toilets, and air intake showers. See GG522 Cost-effective water saving devices and practices - for commercial sites .
  7. Water - water-efficient devices on the water technology list can qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowances , which allows businesses to write off 100% of the investment against their taxable profits.
  8. Water - for taller buildings, install pressure reduction devices to reduce pressure and flow on lower floors. See GG522 Cost-effective water saving devices and practices - for commercial sites .
  9. Water - only run washing machines when full.
  10. Water, laundry costs - introduce a towel re-use policy, asking guests to place their towel on the towel rail for re-use or on the floor if they would like a replacement.
  11. Water - consider storing grey water for watering plants, outside washing and toilet flushing. See GG522 Cost-effective water saving devices and practices - for commercial sites .
  12. Water - don't rinse or defrost food under running water. Use a two-sink system for rinsing and defrost at room temperature or in a fridge.
  13. Water - cover pools and spas out of hours to reduce evaporation (and save energy). See GG522 Cost-effective water saving devices and practices - for commercial sites .
  14. Water - maximise efficiency of back-flushing of filtration systems for pools and spas. See GG522 Cost-effective water saving devices and practices - for commercial sites .
  15. Waste - segregate waste materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, cans and cooking oil for recycling. See EN506 Recycle waste and cut costs to the environment .
  16. Waste - ask suppliers to deliver in re-usable packaging (vegetable crates, milk crates, bread crates) to reduce waste.
  17. Waste, purchasing - consider buying in bulk to reduce packaging and costs (but take care not to over order). See CS619 Process improvement at catering supplier slashes production costs .
  18. Waste - consider providing recycling facilities for guest waste, either through housekeeping or by providing separate bins for recyclables in guest rooms. Can be an excellent way to communicate environmental policy to guests.
  19. Waste, purchasing - consider water bottling systems for larger hotels and conference centres. Can reduce waste and beverage costs.
  20. Waste, purchasing - printing and copying documents double-sided, using the print preview function and sending documents by email can all reduce waste and costs. See GG256 Green officiency: running a cost effective, environmentally aware office .
  21. Waste, purchasing - consider opportunities for reuse, for example a part-used toilet roll in a leaving room can be saved for staff use.
  22. Waste, purchasing - use refillable dispensers for guest items such as shower gel, shampoo, soap and moisturiser, rather than disposables. Can reduce waste, packaging tonnage (if obligated) and cost, or improve quality at same cost.
  23. Food waste - measure your food waste. One study put consumer and food service waste at 26% of inputs3. How much is food waste costing your kitchen?
  24. Food waste - measure your food waste. Calculate an average cost for food ingredients from a sample of invoices. Monitor food waste (bins x weight per bin) for a period of time. Use this to calculate food waste cost (cost per kilo x weight).
  25. Food waste - ensure accurate ordering and stock rotation to avoid ingredients going out of date.
  26. Food waste - record instances of overcatering (buffets, breakfasts, conference meal provision). Use the information to improve forecasting.