With such beautiful and untouched landscape, it is no wonder that forward-thinking hotels in British Columbia realize a corporate responsibility to the environment and have made commitments to constantly improve their positive impact on the environment for a more sustainable world.

British Columbia is one of the most gorgeous regions in North America and holds a large portion of the preserved natural space in the Pacific Northwest; why do you think British Columbia's catch phrase is "The Best Place on Earth." It just so happens, that the BC Parks system is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2011 with the anniversary of the first BC Park, Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. With such beautiful and untouched landscape, it is no wonder that forward-thinking hotels in British Columbia realize a corporate responsibility to the environment and have made commitments to constantly improve their positive impact on the environment for a more sustainable world.

Helpful Steps to Becoming an Eco-Friendly BC Business

The first step in becoming an eco-friendly BC hotel or business is reducing the amount of energy your business uses. Unless you are able to source clean energy, energy use correlates to greenhouse gas emissions that warm the earth. Since only 13% of Canada's total greenhouse-gas emissions come from fossil fuel burning electricity-generation plants, and the vast majority of Canada's power is created through hydroelectric and nuclear power generation, BC hotels and businesses can rest easy knowing they are sourcing clean energy. Even so, efficient energy use is optimal, so do not forget to put in energy efficient lighting and energy sensors or light timers to reduce the amount of energy your BC hotel or business uses.

The second step is to review the waste your company produces to determine more efficient and eco-friendly methods of running an environmental-friendly BC hotel. One easy way to be more sustainable is by establishing a recycling program. BC hotels are able to not only recycle glass, aluminum, and paper, but also landscaping waste, kitchen compost waste, and even used soap from their patrons! Another sustainable maneuver for eco green hotels is to replace disposable items in guest rooms with re-usable items. This may include using coffee makers with built in filters, replacing one-use shampoo and conditioner bottles with built-in refillable hygiene products in rooms, and making sure out-dated furniture is donated to organizations that are happy to receive second-hand products.

The third step is to use environmentally friendly cleaners and products that are made of recycled goods. Toxic commercial cleaners can cause long term health concerns as well as produce hazardous environmental pollutants that enter the water supplies through their manufacture and use. Reduce of synthetic chemicals is definitely a move towards sustainability and numerous natural and environmentally friendly solutions are available for practical use.

Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Organizations

There are several preservation organizations that work to conserve the natural environment and teach businesses about sustainable measures. In British Columbia, the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and the Pacific Salmon Foundation are great resources for protection of the water supply. The Sierra Club of BC as well as the Land Conservancy (TLC) have many continuous projects on teaching companies and individuals how to be better stewards of the natural land in British Columbia, Canada. Contact these organizations to learn more or get your BC hotel or business involved in creating a more sustainable world.