THEGREENKEY- an ecolabel for tourism

We are many things

The Green Key around the world via FEE

FEE, Foundation for environmental education is an NGO devoted to Environmental Education

FEE runs 5 international campaigns:

• Green Key and Blue Flag where the target group is tourists

• Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment, and Learning about Forest where the target group is children

• More information on FEE and its five campaigns: www.fee-international.org

We are 6 countries

France

Sweden

Estonia

Lithuania

The Netherlands

Denmark – Greenland

Environmental impacts bytourism accommodations

The very important ones

• Electricity• Heat• Water• Waste

The less important ones

• Noise and odour• Emissions to water and air• Hazardous waste• Transportation

The important ones

• Cleaning agents and chemicals

• Foodstuffs• Single dose packages and

disposable items

The Green Key Criteria

• Environmental management

• Guest information

• Staff involvement

• Water savings

• Cleaning and washing

• Waste

• Energy savings

• Foods

• Indoor climate

• Administration

• Green activities

• Parking areas and parks

Three kinds of criteria

• Direct measures

• Environmental management

• Communication

All the measures concerning energy, water, waste, chemicals, outdoor activities etc.

Policy, targets, action plans, and measurements

Staff involvement, involving the guests, sub-contractors and suppliers

Environmental Management

Environmental Policy

As a responsible business we will try to choose options, which continuously contributes to the protection of the environment and the natural resources.

We want to:

Keep up and develop our environmental efforts by saving energy and water and by using products which have low impact on the environment

Discuss environmental questions in an open and positive dialogue with customers, staff, authorities, suppliers, organisations and other who have an interest

Prompt our suppliers to deliver services and products that comply with environmental level

Environmental Objectives

We have decided to work with the following environmental objectives:

Save 10 % on the water consumption before the end of the year

Reduce the energy consumption per guest by 5 % before the end of the year

Purchase organically produced foods for 10 % of the total budget for foods

Inform all our suppliers about our environmental activities by sending out a letter in December

Inform all our staff about our environmental activities by arranging a project day on October the 10th . In the future we will arrange meetings every quarter to keep the staff informed about the activities

Environmental Plan of Action

Example of a part of a plan of action

Objective: The water consumption is reduced by 10 % per guest before the end of the year.

Responsible: John Smith

Objects: All toilets must be water saving. John Smith finds out how many of the existing toilets have a flush of more than 6 litres per flush. John Smith gets an estimate on the replacements needed. John Smith enters into a contract with supplier and informs the staff about the replacements.

Budget: 3.400 EUR and 25 hours for John Smith are set aside. Time schedule: October – December

Follow-up: January

The role of the staff

In a tourism business, the staff has a central position, because the staff is the link between the manager and the guests

1. The staff have direct relation with the tourists, and they can spread the message.

2. The staff can take action and they can promote and perform a good (or a bad) environmental behaviour.

3. The staff can adopt simple everyday gesture that change things and decrease the environmental impacts of the business

Efforts made by the staff

• Dose chemical products for washing and for cleaning correctly to avoid over consumption

• Avoid unnecessary water consumption • Sorting waste in categories• Turn down the heat in empty rooms

• Fat filters in the exhaust must be cleaned• Sorting waste in categories• Proper use of the kitchen equipment

• Inform guests about the environmental undertakings at the business including The Green Key

• Inform guests about public transportation and green activities in the nearby area

• Cleaning the surfaces of the heat/cooling exchanger of the ventilation plan at least once a year

• Turn off heating, refrigerators and televisions when rooms or houses are not let out

• Cleaning

• Kitchen / Service

• Reception

• Technician

Why The Green Key?

• Environmental efforts?

• Savings?

• Marketing?

More information

• International website www.green-key.org

• National website

• The Green Key national operator