IFTM University, Moradabad

School of Business Management

Programme: Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (Year 1, Sem 2nd)

Course Title: Environmental Science

Course Code: BCTHM 206

Notes for Unit 3 Best Practices in Hotels

S.No. Topic Page No.

1 Energy Management 2-3

2 Water Conservation 3-4

3 Waste Control and Management in Hotels 4-5

4 Indoor Air and Pollution Control 5-7

5 Eco Purchasing 7-8

6 Hazardous Chemical Reaction and Safeguards 9-12

7 Alternate Technologies: Non-conventional Energy 12-13

8 Waste water treatment and pollution control 13-14

9 Solid Waste Management 15-17

10 Indoor Air Quality 17-18

11 Pollution and Hotel Industry 18-19

12 Rain Harvesting for Better Employability in Industry 20-21

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Energy management is the process of tracking and optimizing energy consumption to

conserve usage in a building. Energy management is the proactive and systematic monitoring,
control and optimization of an organization’s energy consumption to conserve use and
decrease energy costs. Energy management includes minor actions such as monitoring
monthly energy bills and upgrading to energy-saving lightbulbs. It can mean more extensive
improvements like adding insulation, installing a reflective roof covering or improving
HVAC (heating and cooling) equipment to optimize energy performance.

Energy management also includes more elaborate activities, such as creating financial
projections for commissioning renewable energy services and making other improvements for
clean energy consumption and reduced energy costs in coming years. More sophisticated
energy management programs take advantage of technology. For instance, utility tracking
software predicts future energy usage and plans energy budgets, which helps a company’s
strategic decision makers ensure its energy management strategy correlates with its objectives
and financial planning. Enterprise management software uses IoT, advanced connectivity and
big data, allowing a corporation to take advantage of energy data analytics for better facility
management, and helps with energy consumption and energy management challenges.

There are few steps for the process of energy management

1. Collecting and analyzing continuous data.

2. Identify optimizations in equipment schedules, set points and flow rates to improve
energy efficiency.

3. Calculate return on investment. Units of energy saved can be metered and calculated
just like units of energy delivered.

4. Execute energy optimization solutions.

5. Repeat step two to continue optimizing energy efficiency.

Energy Conservation in Hospitality Sector

Hotels Consumes large amount of energy and fossil fuels to provide high quality services to
their guests. Energy consumption can be reduced without compromising the guest experience
and in the process benefit from cost savings. With energy prices rising, hotel owners and
operators are looking for cost savings on their electricity bills that can benefit the bottom line.
Energy efficiency can deliver lower operating costs while also improving the service of
equipment, enhancing guest comfort, and showing a commitment to sustainability.

Electricity dominates hotels’ energy expenses—for heating, air conditioning and ventilation;
hot water production; lighting; electrical systems (e.g. lifts); and cooking. Energy
consumption accounts for between 3% and 6% of the total operating costs. As the major part
of this energy is produced by gas, coal and petroleum products, reducing the energy
consumption would also contribute to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
Industry studies show that heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) account for
almost 50% of the total energy consumption in most hotel properties. Likewise, they indicate
that hotels use between 380 and 760 litres of fresh water per occupied guestroom per day.

WATER CONSERVATION

Water conservation is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water
usage. Water conservation is the careful use and preservation of the water supply, including
the quantity and quality of water utilized. Water is an essential asset for the nourishment of all
life. The fundamental demand for all activities appropriates for local use to the agricultural
industry.

With the regularly expanding weight of the human population, there has been serious tension
on water resources. Negligence of customary water bodies like tanks and lakes, unpredictable
abuse of groundwater, and incorrect preservation of surface water systems have bothered the
issue. Still further and is undoubtedly going to grow in the years to come.

Water Conservation in Hospitality Sector

Water saving should be a priority for everyone including the hospitality industry as it strives
to provide comfort and luxury for its customers. With a few simple solutions, hotels can strike
that fine balance between providing luxury without affecting the environment negatively.
Hotels can reduce water consumption by installing aerators in all taps, waterless urinals, and
short flushing option, drip irrigation systems in lawns & gardens and continuous education of
all staff about the importance of water conservation. Hotels can encourage guests to opt-out of
daily bed & bath linen change to avoid daily laundering. Regulation mandates installation of
Sewage Treatment Plants in hotels above a certain capacity to recycle sewage. The recycled
STP water is generally used for horticulture purposes. Hotels can go a step further and install
ultra-filtration systems to further improve the water quality thereby making it fit for use in
flushing systems, cooling towers etc. In fact, there are systems available today that can
recycle sewage water into potable water! At reputed hotels they follow a zero-discharge
policy and 100% of water is recycled in their premises.

WASTE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

Waste management reduces the effect of toxic wastes on the environment and human health.
Waste management is a burning issue in the modern world. It can also help reuse or recycle
resources, such as; paper, cans, glass, and so on. There is various type of waste management
that include the disposal of solid, liquid, gaseous, or hazardous substances.

There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when discussing waste
management, such as disposal methods, recycling methods, avoidance and reduction methods,
and transportation of waste. The process of waste management involves treating solid and
liquid waste. During the treatment, it also offers a variety of solutions for recycling items that
aren’t categorised as trash.

Methods of waste disposal:

Non-biodegradable and toxic wastes like radioactive remnants can potentially cause
irreparable damage to the environment and human health if not strategically disposed of.
Waste disposal has been a matter of concern, the main problem growth in population and
industrialization. Here are a few methods of waste disposal.
Landfills: Throwing daily waste/garbage in the landfills is the most popularly used method of
waste disposal used today. This process of waste disposal focuses attention on burying the
waste in the land.
Recycling: Recycling is the process of converting waste products into new products to
prevent energy usage and consumption of fresh raw materials. Recycling is to reduce energy
usage, reduce the volume of landfills, reduce air and water pollution, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and preserve natural resources for future use.
Composting: Composting is an easy and natural bio-degradation process that takes organic
wastes i.e. remains of plants and garden and kitchen waste and turns into nutrient-rich food
for your plants.
Incineration:
Incineration involves the combustion of waste materials. With this method, the waste material
is heated to very high temperatures and is converted into materials such as heat, gas, steam,
and ash.

INDOOR AIR AND POLLUTION CONTROL

Indoor Air Pollution means contamination of air quality within and around buildings and
structures. Some of the most common examples of indoor air pollutants are solvents, moulds,
smoke, pesticides, gases. Pollutants in the air are any harmful contaminants; consequently,
indoor air pollution occurs when pollutants such as particles and gases pollute the air indoors.
Interior air is significantly more polluted than outdoor air, so indoor air pollution is a severe
and hazardous problem. Indoor Air Pollution means any air quality contamination within and
around buildings and structures.

In most homes, there will be some level of indoor air pollution. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a
measurement of how the air inside a structure influences the health and comfort of its
residents. Due to the construction of increasingly energy-efficient homes in recent years,
indoor air pollution has become a more significant matter. Because these structures are
typically airtight, the air inside can quickly grow stagnant, causing pollution levels to rise
rapidly.

Effects of indoor air pollution

There are several life-threatening effects of indoor air pollution. It is harmful to kids as well
as old age persons. Some of the effects of indoor air pollution are:-

If asbestos is detected in your home, it can lead to significant health issues like asbestosis,
lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancers. Suppose impurities such as dust mites, animal
dander, or other microorganisms get into the home. In that case, they can have catastrophic
consequences such as Asthma symptoms, throat discomfort, the flu, and other infectious
disorders.

If lead is found in the house, it can be hazardous to your health. It can harm the brain and
nerves, cause anaemia, kidney failure and a faulty cardiovascular system.

The most frequent indoor air contaminant is formaldehyde, which can also be harmful to your
health. You might face eye, throat and nasal irritation. The World Health Organisation has
classified it as a recognised human carcinogen, and it has been linked to cancer in numerous
cases.

Individuals who smoke tobacco get severe pneumonia, respiratory irritation, bronchitis, heart
disease, lung cancer and emphysema. Chemicals used in cleaning agents and paints, for
example, can cause loss of coordination, brain, kidney damage, and liver disorders. It is also
responsible for different types of cancer. The harmful carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide
produced by gas/wood stoves and heaters in the home can cause respiratory problems.

According to the US National Cancer Institute, radon in the home is the second greatest cause
of lung cancer in the United States.

Highly volatile & semi-volatile compounds in synthetic scents, perfumes, and deodorisers
have been proven harmful, causing allergic reactions, central nervous system diseases, skin
irritation, congenital disabilities, reproductive problems, and cancer.

Examples of Indoor pollutants

● Asbestos

● Formaldehyde

● Heaters and Cookstoves

● Lead (Pb)
 ● Carbon Monoxide

● Pesticides

● Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

● Radon (Rn)

● Wood Smoke Indoor Particulate Matter Environmental Tobacco Smoke

● Volatile Organic Compounds

What are the indoor air pollution sources?

Asbestos: It can be found in rock and dirt. It has been used in a range of products, including
insulation, construction materials, roofing shingles, fire retardant etc., due to its strength and
heat resistance. It is also found in friction products for automobiles. Asbestos exposure can
raise the risk of lung illness, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

Biological Pollutants: Contaminants created by living creatures are known as biological

pollutants. As a result, they are frequently found in regions where there is an abundance of
food or wetness. Bacteria, pet saliva, viruses, dust, pollen, and mites are examples of
biological pollution. Excessive moisture, such as that found in humidifiers or an unvented
bathroom, is a breeding environment for mould, mildew, and bacteria; hence these pollutants
are usually found alongside it in buildings.

Carbon monoxide: When fossil fuels are burned, carbon monoxide (CO) is emitted as an
odourless gas. Vehicles are the primary sources of CO outside, whereas gas heaters and
kerosene lamps are the primary sources of CO indoors pollutants. If we inhale carbon mono-
oxide in large amounts, it can cause an extremely harmful effect on the human body as it
reduces the blood’s oxygen-carrying ability. It can result in dizziness, coma, and even
premature death.

Formaldehyde: Many buildings materials & home goods contain formaldehyde. Resins for
wood products, insulating materials, paints, glues, cosmetic preservatives, pesticides, etc., are
popular uses. It is a chemical substance emitted from fuel-burning appliances because it is a
combustion by-product. Formaldehyde can cause cancer if exposed to it for long and at high
doses. Shorter-term exposure has been linked to skin irritation, eyes, nose, and throat.
ECO PURCHASING

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) or Eco Purchasing refers to the procurement

of products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the
environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same
purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing,
packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product or service.
Eco purchasing can allow an organization to offset financial and environmental risk, rather
than inheriting it from their suppliers. Alternatively, organizations may want to involve their
suppliers at the design stage or develop a network to pre-qualify suppliers that have
responsible environmental management. Assessments and benchmarking can aid an
organization with the process. Eco purchasing can bring important benefits for its
practitioners: risk management, eco-efficiency, stronger supplier relationships, and
improvements in environmental performance, just as a start.

Benefits of Eco Purchasing

1. You Help Save Nature:

Over-exploitation, pollution, and destruction of natural resources can cause an imbalance in

nature. Since mankind is a part of nature, it is crucial to switch to eco-friendly products to
help save nature from destruction.

2. Save Mankind:

Everything in this world is interdependent. If any part of nature is affected, humans too will
be affected by it- directly or indirectly. We see how many new diseases are creeping into
society every day- all this has roots lying in the irresponsible production and disposal of
products.

3. Better Climate:

Climate change is real, and it is happening at an extremely faster rate than it was a few
decades ago. The extremes of temperatures of both heat and cold have a devastating effect on
all aspects of our life- right from health to agriculture, ice caps, and even our flora and fauna.
Using eco-friendly products can help combat this effect and ensure better climatic conditions
for the future.
4. A Healthier Life: All-natural products are devoid of chemicals that adversely affect human
health. If you switch to eco-friendly products, you are helping nature from a broader
perspective and choosing to live a healthier, safer, non-toxic, chemical-free life for yourself.

5. Cost-Effective

Eco-friendly products often run on non-exhaustive resources of the environment. This means
that they are more cost-effective than any other artificially made product available.

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL REACTION AND SAFEGUARD

A chemical hazard is any substance, regardless of its form—that can potentially cause
physical and health hazards to people, or can result in harm to the environment. It can also be
defined as the actual risk associated with specific chemicals, such as skin burns, long-term
negative impact to health, lasting environmental damage, fires, or even explosions.

According to Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), it is important that employees are aware of the risks and hazards
associated with their daily work. Hazard recognition also reduces the chance of exposure to
hazardous chemicals and the injuries they can bring.

Types of Chemical Hazard

● Health hazard – This symbol shows a person with damage and pertains to chemicals
that can cause serious and long-term negative impacts on health. Carcinogens are also
substances that are known to be cancer-causing chemicals. They are categorized as
either natural or manmade, but it is crucial to note that even a small amount of this
type of chemical can severely damage human health.
 ● Flammable – The symbol for this is a flame and it pertains to chemicals or highly
flammable gases that may catch fire or ignite once exposed to air or other ignition
sources or elements.

● Irritant/hazardous/hazardous to the ozone layer – This is symbolized by a big

exclamation point and refers to chemicals that usually cause redness, rashes, or
inflammation of the affected area. Although the presence of symptoms is normally
short-term, there are still instances where they create long-lasting effects on others. It
is also known to either cause harm to individuals or pose a threat to public health by
harming the ozone layer.

● Gas under pressure – The symbol for this is a gas cylinder and it pertains to gases
that are stored under pressure and may explode if heated or refrigerated gases that may
cause burns or injury.

● Corrosion – This pictogram shows corrosion of material and skin. It refers to

chemicals that can cause severe skin burns and damage to the tissue once contacted
with.

● Explosives – This is symbolized by an exploding bomb and pertains to chemicals that

may explode or can cause a mass explosion.

● Oxidizers – This pictogram shows a flame over a circle and symbolizes chemicals or
substances that, under certain conditions or exposure to other chemicals or elements,
can cause severe, physical hazards such as fires or explosions.

● Hazardous to the environment – The symbol for this is a dead tree and fish. It refers
to chemicals that can cause lasting damage to the environment.

● Toxic – This pictogram shows a skull and crossbones, and symbolizes chemicals that
even at a very low exposure—can cause irreversible changes or mutations to a
person’s DNA, damage to health, or even fatality.
Examples: Exposure to hazardous chemicals in workplaces can result in adverse health
conditions including headache, difficulty in breathing, skin irritation, severe allergic reaction,
and other more serious and long-lasting side effects.

Although most hazardous chemicals are easily identifiable, some of them may be used on a
daily basis with workers not having prior knowledge of their potential negative effects.
Examples of hazardous chemicals in workplace include:
 ● gasoline

● methanol

● disinfectants

● glues

● cleaning materials

● detergents

● pesticides

● paints

● cosmetics

● welding fumes

● heavy metals including lead, aluminum, and mercury

So, In hospitality we should beware of these things.

Controlling Chemical Hazards Exposure in the Workplace

Workplaces—especially manufacturing or other related industries—can’t totally eliminate or
avoid the use of all hazardous chemicals. What businesses can do to protect their workers
however, is to follow and observe safety measures that aim to control the chemical hazards in
workplaces and reduce their potential negative impact on employees.

The following are some preventive measures and other helpful tips on how to proactively
maintain a safe working environment for you and your employees:

Identify hazardous chemicals present in your workplace

Primarily, businesses will have to identify hazardous chemicals that are present in the
workplace. Some are obvious and easy to recognize, while others are not initially evident.
With this process, you’ll have a well-grounded basis on how to best handle each chemical
while also allowing your workers to practice safety measures on their own.
Assess risks associated with identified chemicals
Once the hazards are identified, there should be an evaluation of the risks associated with
those chemicals, along with the likelihood of those risks occurring. Through a
comprehensive risk assessment, businesses will also be able to identify the severity of the
risks’ consequences, should they end up happening. This process can be a great deciding
factor on which risks should be prioritized and resolved first.
Control the risks
This is the part where businesses will have to decide on how to manage or control the risks
identified. When dealing with chemical hazards in workplaces, you must follow the principle
of the hierarchy of controls. This concept gives the order or level of how you can potentially
control each specific risk. This is the order of the hierarchy and their definitions:

● Elimination – totally remove and discontinue the use of the hazardous chemicals.

● Substitution – find alternatives or replace with other less hazardous chemicals.

● Engineering controls – implement changes in the process such as minimizing the

contact with the chemicals, or physically separating people from them.

● Administrative controls – implement changes in the way people work such as

rotating their schedules or rearranging job assignments.

● Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – if hazardous chemicals can’t be avoided, or

businesses can’t reduce the contact employees have with them, ensure the use
of PPE to lessen exposure and risk factors.
Implement good control measures
Businesses should also have comprehensive and standard control measures that can be
followed by all involved personnel and employees to prevent any hazardous effects of
chemicals. These measures also help ensure that all relevant stakeholders are on the same
page when it comes to chemical safety. However, these should be maintained and reviewed
regularly.

Part of implementing and maintaining the right control measures involves

constant training and review. For this, it would be best to utilize digital learning courses that
you can easily access anytime. Today, there are many available resources such as lessons
on handling toxic chemicals, spills, storage practices, and more.
Utilize safety signs and symbols
According to the OSHA, and in compliance with the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS),
it is required by law that all chemicals have a label that not only includes what kind of
chemical they are, but also the type of hazard associated with them. This is called GHS
Pictograms, a safety symbols labeling system that is specific to chemicals.
Perform regular inspections
For all of these efforts to be effective, businesses must perform regular inspections to ensure
that they are being followed and consistently practiced. Safety audits can also be a great
determining factor to know which control measures work and which don’t. Examples of
helpful inspections related to chemicals include chemical safety audits and hazardous
materials inspections.

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Energy is the ability of a physical system to perform work. We use energy in our daily lives
from various sources for doing work. We use muscular energy for carrying out physical work,
electrical energy for running multiple appliances, chemical energy for cooking food, etc.

The two major sources of energy is classified as:

● Conventional Sources

● Non-Conventional Sources

Here we will study about non-conventional energy sources.

Non-conventional sources are also known as renewable sources of energy. Examples of non-
conventional sources of energy include solar energy, bioenergy, tidal energy and wind energy.

Solar Energy

Solar Energy is produced by sunlight. The photovoltaic cells are exposed to sunlight based on
the form of electricity that needs to be produced. The energy is utilized for cooking and
distillation of water.
Wind Energy

Wind energy is generated by harnessing the power of wind and mostly used in operating
water pumps for irrigation purposes. India stands as the second-largest country in the
generation of wind power.

Tidal Energy

Tidal energy is generated by exploiting the tidal waves of the sea. This source is yet to be
tapped due to the lack of cost-effective technology.

Use in Hospitality Industry

With the increase in the number of hotels, to cater to the ever-increasing influx of tourists, the
only path to a continuous power supply, keeping costs low and profit margins stable, is to opt
for a renewable source of electricity. Tourists, too, prefer to book into eco-friendly and
socially conscious hotels. Since a hotel needs to keep all its power-consuming units switched
on all the time, the hotels would prefer not to lose clientele on the back of a quickly resolved
matter. From boutique to large hotel companies, most are already halfway to a
sustainable/renewable energy future, and some have achieved their goals of lowering their
power bill. So, as of now there is a quick need to use non- conventional energy sources to
combat pollution and to protect nature in our hospitality sector.

WASTE WATER TREATMENT AND POLLUTION CONTROL

o Wastewater is the polluted form of water generated from rainwater runoff and human
activities and is also called sewage.

o It is typically categorized by the manner in which it is generated—specifically, as

domestic sewage, industrial sewage, or storm sewage (stormwater).

o Normally, raw sewage dumped into a water body can clean itself through a natural
process of stream cleaning and self-purification.

o But the rise in population, as well as large-scale urbanization, has led to an increase in
sewage discharge that far exceeds the rate of natural purification.

What is the process of wastewater treatment?

Waste Water Treatment:
o Wastewater treatment, also called sewage treatment, is the removal of impurities from
wastewater, or sewage, before it reaches aquifers or natural bodies of water such as
rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans.

o On-site Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) treat and purify wastewater and render it
suitable for reuse.

● STPs remove contaminants from waste water primarily from household sewage.

What is the Status of Waste Water Management in India?

o According to a report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2021,

India’s current water treatment capacity is 27.3% and the sewage treatment capacity is
18.6%.

● Although India’s waste and sewage treatment capacity is higher than the global average
of around 20%, it is far from adequate, and without swift measures and not scaling up the
sewage treatment capacity may have serious consequences.

o As per government statistics, 62.5% of wastewater in urban India remained untreated or

partially treated.

o According to a 2019 research report, most of the sewage treatment plants established
under the Ganga Action Plan and Yamuna Action Plan are not working, and out of
the 33000 million litres per day (MLD) of waste generated, only 7000 MLD is collected
and treated.

▪ Government Initiatives:

o The Indian government shifted its focus to solid waste, sludge and greywater
management under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (SBM 2.0).

● Following a sustained focus on achieving Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status,

the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) developed detailed criteria for
cities to achieve ODF+, ODF++ and Water+ statuses.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Solid waste is any non-liquid, non-soluble material ranging from municipal garbage to
industrial wastes. Solid waste includes

● Garbage

● Rubbish

● Demolition products

● Sewage treatment residue

● Dead animals

● Manure and other discarded material

Solid waste poses serious threat to the environment globally.

Types of Solid Waste

BIODEGRADABLE:

● Biodegradable wastes are such waste materials which are and can be degraded by natural
factors like microbes (e.g. bacteria, fungi and few more), abiotic elements like temperature,
UV, oxygen, etc.

● Some examples of such wastes are food materials, kitchen wastes and other natural
wastes.

● Microorganisms and other abiotic factors together break down complex substances into
simpler organic matters which eventually suspend and fade into soil.

● The whole process is natural which can be rapid or slow. Therefore the environmental
issues and risks caused by biodegradable wastes are low.

NON - BIODEGRADABLE:

● Unlike biodegradable wastes, non-biodegradable cannot be easily handled.

● Non-biodegradable wastes are those who cannot be decomposed or dissolved by natural

agents.

● They remain on earth for thousands of years without any degradation. Hence the threat
 caused by them is also more critical.

● A notable example is the plastics which are a commonly used material in almost every
field.

● To give these plastics a long lasting effect, improved quality plastics are being put to use.
This made them more temperature resistant and more durable even after use.

● Other examples are cans, metals, and chemicals for agricultural and industrial purposes.
They are the main causes of air, water and soil pollution and diseases like cancer.

Solid Waste Management in Hotels and Restaurants

● Huge volume of solid waste is generated everyday in a hotel. Many of them, particularly
organic wastes, comes from kitchen and restaurant residues.

● Waste paper and other consumables from the other departments also form substantial
amount of solid waste.

● They pose a huge environmental and sanitation problem if not collected and disposed
properly.
Collection of hotel and restaurant waste

● Hoteliers may make their own arrangements for collection of waste individually by big
hotels or through their own association for a cluster of hotels, particularly in tourist
places.

● The MC may extend help in primary collection of solid waste on full cost recovery basis.

● Charges for the collection of hotel waste may depend upon the quantity of waste to be
picked up from the hotels and restaurants and frequency of collection required.

If local authorities are not taking care of the collection and disposal of solid waste from
hotels then the hotel has to make its own arrangements for such disposal. They may choose
one or a combination of following methods for waste disposal.

● Incineration

● Pulverisation
 ● Mechanical Compost Plant

● Trenching

● Controlled tipping

● Disposal into sea.

● Filling of low-lying are or landfill.

Methods of Solid Waste Disposal

INCINERATION: It is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic
substances contained in waste material.
PULVERISATION: In this method, waste is simply pulverized into powder form without
any chemical change. The powder thus formed may be used as manure or discharged through
sewage line.
MECHANICAL COMPOST PLANT: A compost plant converts the garbage into manure,
which is rich in nitrogen. This is the most hygienic method of waste disposal but only for
organic wastes.
TRENCHIG: In this method, waste is dumped in a trench and buried under soil. The
garbage is converted to compost.
CONTROLLED TIPPING: This method is employed where land is available for
redevelopment. Waste is tipped from dumper into hollow spaces in the ground about 4 to 7
feet deep and then buried under ground.
DISPOSAL INTO SEA: This method is relevant and available only to hotels near a sea.
This is quite cheap but in times the non-soluble garbage may come back to the shore and
cause problems.
FILLING OF LOW-LYING AREAS: Waste is dumped into low-lying areas.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures,
especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and
controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns.
Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly,
years later. Indoor air quality is a global issue. Both short- and long-term exposure to indoor
air pollution can cause a range of health issues, including respiratory diseases, heart disease,
cognitive deficits, and cancer. As one prominent example, the World Health Organization
estimates 3.8 million people worldwide die every year from illnesses attributable to harmful
indoor air from dirty cookstoves and fuel.

Primary Causes of Indoor Air Problems

Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of
indoor air quality problems. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not
bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying
indoor air pollutants out of the area. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase
concentrations of some pollutants.

Pollutant Sources

There are many sources of indoor air pollution. These can include:

● Fuel-burning combustion appliances

● Tobacco products

● Building materials and furnishings as diverse as:

o Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation

o Newly installed flooring, upholstery or carpet

o Cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products

● Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies

● Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices

● Excess moisture

● Outdoor sources such as:

o Radon

o Pesticides
 o Outdoor air pollution.

POLLUTION AND HOTEL INDUSTRY

● Pollution of various forms is a cause of great concern for existence of life on the
earth. One of the most disconcerting effects of pollution is global warming. Other direct
effects include increasing health problems, mental stress and strain, increase in the number
of endangered species, ecological imbalance among others.

● Hotels are properties where very high intensity of human and machine activities
occur day in and day out. This is bound to produce all sorts of pollution and is subject to very
stringent pollution control measures.

● In tourist destinations, there will be surface transport carrying guests to and from the
hotels, thereby causing great pollution from automobile emission. Hotel Industry contributes
to the following types of pollution:

● Water pollution

● Air pollution

● Soil pollution

● Noise pollution

Hotels and Water Pollution

● Rampant discharge of waste water and effluents into water bodies has played havoc with
hygiene and ecology.

● Waste water disposal without proper treatment has severely affected marine life and
living of downstream people using the water bodies for economic as well as day to day use
of water.

● Discharge of hot water also produces pollution in changing the aquatic environment of
water bodies.

● Hotels produce a lot of waste water and many of them have now installed their own STP,
which contributes greatly in reducing pollution as well as gaining economy by way of reuse
 of clear water.

● This pollution can be minimized at the source by restricting chemicals that mix with
water.
Hotels and Air Pollution

● Hotels liberate gases and contaminated air from various utilities, such as kitchen gas and
firewood ovens, fume from materials being cooked, boiler and diesel generating set exhausts,
and release of refrigerant CFC, if there is any leakage.

● If the boiler is fired with pulverized (powdered) coal, the exhaust gas will have a lot of dust
particles leading to air pollution.

● Diesel engines also produce pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon mono oxide and
oxides of nitrogen.

Hotels and Soil Pollution

● Hotels contribute to soil pollution by dumping their solid waste and sludge into the soil.

● Excessive dumping of untreated or semi treated sewage and sludge may lead to
contamination of soil and also produce foul odour.

Hotels and Noise Pollution

Hotels have quite a few noise generating sources such as engines, pumps, motors etc. And
sound produced in banquet halls.

RAIN WATER HARVESTING FOR BETTER EMPLOYABILITY IN

INDUSTRY
Clean water is a precious commodity in the 21st century. This is why rainwater harvesting is
turning into such an important issue. It can loosely be defined as accumulation and storage of
rainwater for a variety of usage – including irrigation, livestock, washing, indoor heating, etc.
If one has the proper technological tools, this harvested water can even be turned into
drinking water. Owing to such wide possibilities for application, rainwater harvesting has a lot
of potential in the hotel industry.
TOILET FLUSHING

In accommodation facilities, harvested rainwater has the most prominent use in toilet
flushing. This is quite logical considering that the water in question fulfils its role effectively
without the need for additional processing and disinfection. Countless people pass through
hotels and lodges on a daily basis, so the management has to accommodate them
appropriately. However, when you consider that drinking water has become so scarce and
precious, it is truly a waste to flush it down the toilet. This is why many green-thinking
businesses are promoting the integration of rainwater harvesting into the hotel industry.

COOLING TOWERS

Believe it or not, the biggest consumers of water on the property are by far the cooling towers.
In fact, if you do the measurements, you’ll learn a staggering bit of info – the cooling towers
use about 40 litres of water per square metre of an air-conditioned room over the summer
months. If the cooling towers are using potable water, this fact is downright scary. For a hotel
taller than five floors, it is much more reasonable to connect a rainwater harvesting setup to
the cooling towers and use this collected water for refrigeration purposes.

UV WATER DISINFECTION

UVGI, which stands for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, is a very effective method that can
be applied to the disinfection of water. It uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill or at
least damage a biosphere of dangerous microorganisms that live in the harvested rainwater –
which includes moulds and other pathogens besides bacteria and viruses. This application
of modern commercial UV water treatment systems opens the door to a much wider variety of
usages when it comes to collected water, which means that buildings involved in the hotel
sector can invest a bit of money today to save a small fortune tomorrow

IRRIGATION

Due to the aforementioned scarcity of clean water, people are looking at a variety of ancient
techniques to irrigate their gardens and fields effectively without wasting potable water. In
ancient Egypt, people created a complex web of small canals that transported water from the
Nile into their fields. These canals used to usually cut directly into the fields and they were
often strengthened with clay found in local grounds.

While returning to such tried and true methods is reasonable in some parts of the world, many
rivers are simply too polluted these days to irrigate the fields directly. This is why people are
relying on a hybrid between these ancient irrigation methods and rainwater harvesting tech.
Instead of connecting these canals to the river – they connect them to the reservoir built to
collect rainwater and dew. In the hotel industry, these irrigation systems can be utilized to
water the immense green fields and gardens that are usually there for aesthetic reasons.

Additionally, this independent water supply can be used in irrigation as a supplemental source
of water in the case of heavy droughts. Beautiful plants and flowers that adorn a hotel front
can be saved due to the implementation of such methods, especially if some sort of filtering
system is added.

WASHING MACHINES

Due to the constant need to wash curtains and sheets, hotels are one of the heaviest users of
washing machines, and in order to integrate this with rainwater harvesting, they need to invest
in proper treatment technology. Above all else, filtration systems for heavy metals and
limescale have the priority over disinfection of microorganisms – for a longer lifespan of the
washing machine. Since most of these machines use boiling water during the washing
process, the disinfection aspect will mostly take care of itself.

The state of affairs of rainwater harvesting is far from ideal right now – the promise of its
Many commercial buildings in the western world are limited to non-potable usage in the
realm of water harvesting. Still, the extent of the utility of rainwater harvesting right now
shows a lot of exciting potential for the uses in the hotel industry which are both practical and
economical.