DELEG Announces Green Lodging Certification for Days Hotel Downtown Grand Rapids
Moving Up From Current Level, Facility Achieves Leader Status
Contact:
Mario L. Morrow 517-373-9280
Agency:
Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
August 17, 2009 - Days Hotel Downtown Grand Rapids has earned Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) Leader certification from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG), moving up from the Steward level. Days Hotel Downtown Grand Rapids was originally certified in August 2008.
Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) encourages hotels, resorts, motels, and bed & breakfast facilities to implement environmental initiatives and cost-saving ‘green' practices to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality, reduce waste, and participate in environmentally preferred purchasing. There are three levels of certification: Partner, Steward, and Leader which can be earned by completing a self-assessment checklist and achieving a minimum number of requirements and points. The more environmental initiatives a facility is doing, the higher the level of certification the facility can potentially achieve.
"This accreditation is the mark of environmental responsibility of hoteliers who are committed to "green" business practices that make environmental and economic goals their top priority," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss. "Green Lodging Michigan is helping to ensure the viability of our lodging facilities and the thousands of related hospitality jobs that stay in Michigan.
Days Hotel Downtown Grand Rapids' commitment to preserving Michigan's environment is exemplary; becoming ‘greener' serves as a true model for the hospitality industry to follow." Days Hotel Downtown Grand Rapids has implemented additional environmental initiatives that earned higher accreditation such as switching to low VOC cleaning products and air fresheners, upgrading vending machines, exits signs, and office equipment to Energy Star, installing automatic lighting controls, installing low flow faucets and showerheads, adjusting purchasing standards on paper products to 30 percent or greater post-consumer recycled content, and using low phosphorous detergents.
"My team and I are thrilled to have achieved the top level of Green Lodging certification and will continue to accept the challenge of finding ways to broaden our sustainability efforts," said Days Hotel General Manager Ellen Markel. "Each day we are striving to educate our guests and community of how easy it is to positively affect the environment."
Green Lodging Michigan is a joint effort between DELEG and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to encourage the lodging industry to conserve and protect the state's natural resources while increasing marketability and lowering utility costs.
"Green Lodging Michigan has been an effective way of including hoteliers in the effort to help Michigan continue as the leader in environmental beauty and abundant natural resources," said Steven E. Chester, director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Green Lodging Michigan is a voluntary and non-regulatory certification program offered through the Michigan Energy Office in DELEG to hoteliers at no charge. The Bureau of Energy Systems and the DEQ provide technical assistance to those who are interested in implementing "green" strategies and earning certification. The GLM program certifies facilities based on environmental initiatives such as air quality, energy efficiency, solid waste reduction, toxic waste management, water conservation, purchasing and communication.
The Bureau of Energy Systems promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy resource development to Michigan's residents, businesses, and public institutions. For more information about the Green Lodging Michigan program and to download the GLM application packet and self-assessment checklist, visit the website at www.michigan.gov/greenlodging.
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