An Equation for Real Environmental Impact in the Hospitality Industry

As Leaders in the hospitality industry become more aware of the environmental impacts of the supply chain many look to implement long lasting changes while  avoiding the common trap of “greenwashing”.

Read on as we have a conversation with White Space CEO Aytan Litwin to learn an equation for real environmental impact in the hospitality industry.

How can leaders in the hospitality industry take ownership of environmental impact?

“Hospitality industry leaders can start by looking at the supply chain process and understanding that the concept of ‘transparency’ needs to become a standard. Many people consider ‘transparency’ a personal value and more leaders are beginning to take the bold choice to bring that value into their hospitality organizations and supply chains to ask hard questions I am glad to see that people are living their values in this way – it helps make real change and avoid greenwashing, which is purely a marketing motivation.”

“Transparency – which sometimes feels like brutal honesty – in the hospitality supply chain will help us implement better environmental standards needed in the industry. As leaders, we should evaluate our resources, suppliers, and partners on their values, standards, and execution. Simply put, the environmental impact starts and ends with transparency in the global supply chain.

Transparency is often uncomfortable because it forces us to look at areas that we might not be doing so well, areas that need improvement. Up and down the hospitality supply chain there are areas where we can all be doing better.”

What is the motivation behind sustainability within the hospitality industry?

“Well, environmental change and sustainability are somewhat of a social currency – data shows that consumers value companies that are taking environmentally friendly initiatives. This social currency provides a lot of motivation for leaders to prioritize sustainability across their organization and especially when working within the design of their properties. Outside of the benefit of social currency, there is the real economic impact of reducing waste. It’s one of the reasons I love our VR Mock-up Room so much – it helps our clients save on resources – time, money and energy. That’s a big motivator!”

How does the marketing motivation of “greenwashing” impact the hospitality industry – and consumers?

“Because sustainability and environmentally friendly initiatives are a social currency, greenwashing is happening all over our industry.”

(For those not familiar with the term, Wikipedia says:​​ Greenwashing, also called “green sheen”, is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization’s products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly.)

“And before pointing any fingers, I want to say that greenwashing is an incredibly easy trap to fall into, and so I always try to assume positive intent. All of us in the hospitality industry will likely make mistakes as we become more environmentally conscious. As we get excited about the initiatives, it can be easy to exaggerate how much of an environmental impact we are actually making. However – I believe that as the intent is to make an impact, we are still headed in the right direction.”

“Leaders can avoid greenwashing by connecting their sustainability efforts in their business to their personal purpose and values – and being transparent about areas that need improvement in our profession. By understanding the environmental impact of our choices as consumers, buyers, manufacturers and suppliers we can have a real impact.”

What is White Space doing to combat the environmental impact caused by hospitality design?

“We have developed a tool called The VR Mock-Up Room. With this technology, we are trying to revolutionize the manufacturing and design process by streamlining the design process and eliminating the need to wait and see your and custom FF&E in the space. The traditional design process we are challenging  can lead to wasteful purchasing and material usage. To learn more about how  The VR Mock-Up Room works visit our blog: 3 Reasons to Try VR Mock-Up Room. We are really excited about this technology because it has allowed us to combine our personal values of innovation, transparency to make a legitimate step forward in reducing our environmental impact.”

“Although it’s a somewhat simple equation, we really believe that the below will help avoid greenwashing and make long lasting change.”

Personal values + Transparency + Review of Hospitality Supply Chain = Real Environmental Impact

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We are excited about our VR Mock-Up Room technology and would love to connect further with leaders in the hospitality industry looking to reduce their economic impact as they develop their property designs. Email us at info@white-space.com to request a free demo of the VR Mock-Up Room! !