Marriott Makes Switch To Green Products

December 17, 2008

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Marriott International is introducing a host of eco-friendly products at its hotels.

The company is replacing the 24 million plastic key cards that it purchases annually in the U.S. with those made of 50 percent recycled material. The move is expected to save 66 tons of plastic from being landfilled. (”Green” key cards got a lot of attention at the Democratic National Convention.)

The company will also replace the 100,000 synthetic pillows that it purchases annually with those filled with polyester micro fiber made from 100 percent recycled PET bottles.

By the end of next year, the company says 500 of its hotels will offer “coreless” toilet paper, which is expected to eliminate 2 million cores a year, saving about 119 trees and 21 tons of packaging waste annually. The company says the new tissue is made of 20 to 40 percent recycled fiber and now holds 800 sheets per roll, up from 500.

In addition, the company says in the Middle East and Europe, more than 100 Marriott, Renaissance and Courtyard hotels purchase 43 tons of oxo-biodegradable plastic laundry bags annually which will disintegrate in two to five years, if not recycled and reused first.

In August, the company said it will publish the hotel chain’s environmental policies on their Web site, with each hotel listing their specific green actions.

Earlier this year, the company introduced a series of eco-friendly meeting products to help reduce the environmental impact of the company and its guests.

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