Marriott Cuts GHGs 2% per Guest Room

January 11, 2007

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Marriott International announced that it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 70,000 tons in one year. As a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders Program, Marriott has set a five-year goal to reduce greenhouse gases by six percent per guest room by 2010. Marriott reduced greenhouse gases in 2006 by two percent in each guest room.

Company initiatives include:

Group Re-Lamp campaign, which replaced 450,000 light bulbs with fluorescent lighting in 2006, saved 65 percent on overall lighting costs and energy usage in guest rooms;
Linen Reuse Program, a nationwide effort to encourage guests to reuse linens and towels during their hotel stay, saved 11 to 17 percent on hot water and sewer bills involved in laundering operations at each hotel;
Marriott’s smoke-free policy in all U.S. hotels announced last year, improves indoor air quality and will result in a 30 percent reduction in energy use for air treatment systems;
Marriott’s “Ozone Activated Laundry” and “Formula One Systems” can save up to 25 percent in energy used in laundry systems;
Replacement of 4,500 outdoor signs with LED and fiber optic technology yielding a 40 percent reduction in outdoor advertising use in its first year;
Installation of 400,000 new shower heads which reduces hot water usage by 10 percent each year; and
Appointed environmental stewards -? Directors of Energy and an architect certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) — to help oversee a variety of programs including Marriott’s first LEED-certified hotel, The Inn & Conference Center by Marriott in Adelphi, Md.

Marriott’s next initiative focuses on improving recycling efforts. Marriott is piloting a program to further monitor and evaluate current waste management and recycling practices. While many of Marriott’s 2,800 hotels around the world adhere to the company’s recycling guidelines for trash, cardboard, newspaper and glass, the goal of this new program is to streamline efforts and identify the most environmentally friendly, yet cost-efficient methods. Implementation will begin in hotels by early 2008.

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