The MacroLuggage Blog » Going Green

June 30, 2008

Going Green Travel Tips

Real Simple has some great tips for traveling green.

Be choosy when booking a bed.
Rooms in all price ranges are on the green bandwagon. Many Holiday Inns use CFL lightbulbs, and they all serve Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. Marriott, InterContinental, Kimpton, Fairmont, and Sandals offer environmental programs; go to

Go paperless with your PDA.
Save a tree — and your back — by downloading travel guides, maps, and even boarding passes onto a handheld device. Lonely Planet sells travel content in “Pick & Mix Chapters” downloads, allowing you to buy only the information you need and view it on your PDA, and Rough Guides provides free downloads of cultural audio “iToors” for iPods. On domestic flights, Air Canada offers paperless tickets featuring scannable electronic bar codes that are sent to your cell phone or PDA. Continental Airlines is currently testing this technology.

Streamline your suitcase.
Even 10 extra pounds per passenger translates into the need for extra fuel, which can then lead to more carbon dioxide emissions. Pack light.

Towel off twice.
Use only the towels you need, hang them to dry, then reuse. Likewise, why have your sheets changed every day? Leave a note for housekeeping to skip changing the sheets and towels. Opting to use them again can save up to 30 gallons of water a day.

Bring your own shampoo — or take theirs.
Hotel soaps and bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion that have been opened — even if just for one use — are routinely tossed in the trash. Carry your own amenities in reusable travel containers. If you open one of theirs, toss it in your bag to be finished off at home and refilled for future trips.

Eat locally.
An American meal involves food flown in from, on average, five different countries, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Minimize food-transport pollution by choosing a restaurant that utilizes regional ingredients.

Drink locally.
If the tap water is safe, go ahead and drink it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, while public water gets tested for contaminants thousands of times a year, bottled-water facilities may not test their products as frequently. Plus, a discarded plastic bottle can take years to biodegrade.

Walk, ride, or rent a hybrid.
Too far to walk? Hop on a bus or the subway. Most cities’ transportation-authority websites have a route-planner function; also try www.hopstop.com or www.subwaynavigator.com. If your trip requires a car, rent a hybrid (choose “hybrid” under “car options” at www.kayak.com) to reduce emissions by up to one-half. The next best option? Find a “green” car at www.hybrids.orbitz.com.

June 30th 2008 Posted to Going Green

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June 10, 2008

Marriott Hawaii Offers First Allergy-Free Guest Rooms

Do you have bad allergies or are you a germaphobic? Marriot is the first hotel chain to create an allergy-free room at their hotel in Hawaii. The JW Marriott Ihilani Resot & Spa is the first in Hawaii and one of the first in the United States to use the PURE system where guests on the 17th floor and the Presidential Suite receive “an ultimate allergy-friendly room environment.” The PURE system treats the room to specially remove contaminants from ‘bedding, carpeting, walls, furniture, air conditioning systems, and practically everything in the room.’ All five resort hotels in Hawaii are taking on green initiatives throughout the hotels.

When the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa converts its 35,000-square-foot Ihilani Spa, it will become the first and only spa facility in the United States to be entirely allergy-friendly. The five Marriott Resort hotels in Hawaii all aim to be not just allergy-free, but also energy efficient, protective of native wildlife and responsible in their water use.

More information here.

June 10th 2008 Posted to Health Concerns, Going Green

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June 30, 2008

Going Green Travel Tips

June 10, 2008

Marriott Hawaii Offers First Allergy-Free Guest Rooms

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