Green your hotel

With the new year approaching in a matter of hours, I have been dreaming about all my vacations to take in 2009. With the thought of vacations, leads to the thought of hotel rooms...yuck. However, I digress from my point. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make your stay a little friendlier to the Earth:

1. Unplug lamps, blow dryers, mini-fridge, coffee maker, etc. Appliances drain electricity even when they are not on. This small step really can make a difference.

2. Keep your showers short to reduce water consumption. The average US shower head spits out 2.5 gallons of water a minute. A fifteen minute shower uses nearly 40 gallons of water.

3. When you leave your hotel room, turn off the AC, heating, lights and any other electrical devices. Well, maybe don't turn the AC/heating off, just turn it up/down.

3. Reuse your sheets and towels during your stay.

4.“Do Not Disturb” Even when you do try to be environmentally-conscious, sometimes the hotel staff doesn’t quite understand and still gives you new towels, turns up the heat, etc. Placing the “Do Not Disturb” sign out will ensure the staff stops destroying the Earth in your room. It also makes sure that the staff doesn't touch your toothbrush. Gross.

6. Adjust the thermostat. Just like home, a small adjustment makes a big difference.

7. Bring your own toiletries. One small reusable shampoo bottle for every trip creates less waste than using the hotel samples every time. Plus, you use your shampoo, not the cheap hotel stuff, and that's just win-win.

8. Leave the freebies. There is no reason for another pen. Keep it in the room. This goes for pads of paper, soaps, and Bibles too.

9.Give your hotel feedback. Express your appreciation of current practices and encourage more with specific ideas.

Don't forget to pack your sleep sack and wipe down every surface (including the remote and light switches) when you arrive just for stranger's germs and overall freakiness.