This month HI-Chicago is taking steps
to improve sustainability! Current projects include: installing motion
sensors in offices, bathrooms, and storage rooms to ensure that lights
are only on when they need to be, adding new recycling bins and signs to
make recycling easier, and switching out paper towel dispensers for
automatic hand dryers.
Reuse can be beautiful and creative!
Involving
our guests in a discussion about sustainability at the hostel and in
their travels is an important part of this green initiative, so we held a
focus group to talk about sustainability. Ten travelers from around the
world joined two interns – Kristen and Jackie – to chow down on
Giordano’s deep dish pizza and bounce around ideas. We had guests from
Brazil, USA, France, England, Chile, and Venezuela.
Ideas
that were brought up include installing clotheslines in the laundry
room, offering drying racks to guests, and investigating solar power.
This international perspective was great, as we found out that the
recycling bins are not designated a blue color in all countries! Most of
all, it was encouraging to hear that sustainability is an important
issue to our guests, and we hope that when you stay with us you can join
us in our efforts!
On Monday,
Kristen, our sustainability intern, gave a presentation to the
HI-Chicago staff about sustainability – Here are a couple links to
videos that were shown:
By Nasa – showing the temperature changes of the Earth from 1880 to 2011.
Energy for the world:
Remember to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
If
you are interested in learning more about Hostelling International’s
sustainability efforts around the world, then follow HI-Sustainability
on Facebook and @HIsustainable on Twitter.
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