Earth Day may only come once a year, but Tempe Mission Palms, A Destination Hotel, celebrates it every day with its ongoing commitment to green initiatives through its Destination Earth program and associated environmental projects.
“Celebrating Earth Day is about more than being environmentally conscious one day – it’s a reminder to find ways to be better stewards of our environment year after year,” said Eric Sather, general manager of Tempe Mission Palms Hotel. “We’ve committed ourselves to creating a new industry benchmark in conservation through a series of environmental initiatives that have both immediate and lasting benefits.”
Through its Destination Earth program, the hotel has implemented more than 100 environmental initiatives since the program’s inception in January 2008. The eco-friendly initiatives include decreasing energy and water usage, reducing waste, increasing recycling and composting, and purchasing local and organic food and beverages when possible. Additionally, a Green Meetings program helps to maximize waste diversion from meetings and conferences and increases overall environmental awareness among guests.
Along with recycling all cardboard and glass, the hotel is taking is ecological conservation to a new level. It recently planted flowering bushes and shrubs around the property, whose blooms will serve to decorate banquet tables and embellish floral arrangements. Guests will also notice fresh fragrances wafting throughout the hotel’s public spaces thanks to all-natural recyclable scent cartridges.
The hotel’s food and beverage department is taking green to heart as well, by using local purveyors whenever possible. Foods and ingredients originate from Abbey Lee Farms, Four Peaks Brewery, Crow’s Dairy, Schreiner’s Fine Sausage and Hayden Flour Mills.
“By using local goods and services, we’re ensuring our guests not only enjoy the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, but also foods that come from sustainable and environmentally-sound sources,” Sather said.
In addition to incorporating green initiatives into daily hotel operations, Tempe Mission Palms Hotel is helping guests make their stays a little greener, too. The hotel offers a $5 food and beverage credit to guests who choose to opt out of housekeeping for shorter stays at the hotel. This ensures less laundry generation, more water conservation and fewer cleaning supplies.
To complement the countless in-hotel initiatives, the hotel also participates in Maricopa County’s Trip Reduction Program by offering benefits to its employees who commute to and from work. The hotel has been named one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters due to it exceeding the national standard of excellence designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Additional information about Tempe Mission Palms Hotel’s green initiatives is available here: missionpalms.com/destination-earth
