"Going green" a good marketing technique or not?

I was thinking of trying to achieve the "Green Key" or "EU Ecolabel" with our B&B, since more and more people find that stuff important.
What do you guys think? Worth it or not?

If it's not something you believe in, don't do it. Guests will see it as a sales gimmick unless it's something you do for yourself already.

We're a TripAdvisor Silver Green award winner and I don't think it's brought us a single guest. It's just, as Mort says, a statement of how we like to do things.

If it is fun for you and not to much money, why not. As a American traveler in Europe, I pretty much expected high attention to environment in Belgium, Netherlands, western Germany, only a little less in northern France. So I would not view the absence of green certification as a factor in where to book. But, hey I'm an American, and we'd use coal to heat our B&B

In 2004, when GREEN was the buzz word, I gave up about $1000 in bookings (I would always get a request for reservation for the night before) to commit to a year-long class on Environmental Management Systems. We were the smallest business in this "apply to be accepted" class offered by the WV DEP. Class was free but it was in Charleston, 145 miles away and from 8 AM to 4 PM. We left the house by 5 AM once a month for the class. Each business had an on-site visit evaluation of the aspect they were targeting - I targeted my whole place.
After my on-site, I was told that I was already doing everything I could do other than get the squiggly light bulbs. I was given 5 "green triangles" on an environmental web site. I was required to post (and it is still there) my Environmental Statement (mission, I do not know what to call it) on my website. I even looked into getting "certified green" status but balked at having to pay airfare and expenses AND a large fee to be inspected in order to be certified.
It brought me exactly ZERO bookings because I was "Green". Post it on your web ite, blog about it, but spend NO MONEY as people will talk the talk, but they will not walk the walk nor spend one penny because you are green. Mort lives in "Gewwn" country and she find the A/C on and windows open and lights on all over the room/bathroom all the time. I consider that proof of my statements.

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think.

http://consideratehoteliers.com/recognition/ - we do this - basically they just ask that you do the best you can which I am happy with - does not require an inspection also green leader on Trip but that's free
Had a woman have a go as she "couldn't see any sign of Green stuff" replied with everything we did but explained we do it all behind the scenes so that guests benefit from it but don't have to do anything about it.
Changed over lately to a toilet paper company which is 50% office waste 50% bamboo and comes in super wrapping paper - guests like it and 50% of their profit goes to plumbing and water projects in the 3rd world - don't wish to be coarse but every time you go you donate to charity - can't beat that.
You can use fair trade or local toiletries to reduce miles - ie we pick ours up from a local shop on foot and all their packaging is recyclable.
People want to be green but they don't want it to affect their stay in any way that is inconvenient.

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think..

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I was doing everything I did because it was less expensive for me. I got LED lights (and my son installed LED bulbs in most of my fixtures when he was here last April). Glad to be rid of the squiggly bulbs. I very much keep an eye on costs. BUT it does not bring heads in beds.

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think..

Click to expand...

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think.

Click to expand...

In the long run you save money. In the US the Eco products are more expensive to buy.
We were able to cut our water usage back so much in our first year here that the town sent an inspector out to see if we were bypassing the water meter. We did that by fixing everything that leaked and installing low flow shower heads.
We recycle as much as we can which cut our trash bill down from what the previous owners paid - $15/week to what we pay -$6/month. Plus, all that paper, plastic, cardboard, etc is not going to the dump. This year I get back to composting.

We had a visi tscotland green tourism gold award for several years and it got us 1-2 bookings a year. Considering the cost of joining plus all hoops you have to jump through to prove your credentials it was not worth it.
We still do all the same eco friendly stuff we did in the scheme, we just made up our own green tourism emblem and publish our policies, we just don't have to prove it to an external agency and pay them for the privilege.
In this day and age I think most people assume a basic level of environmental practices anyway.

Morticia said:

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think..

Click to expand...

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think.

Click to expand...

In the long run you save money. In the US the Eco products are more expensive to buy.
We were able to cut our water usage back so much in our first year here that the town sent an inspector out to see if we were bypassing the water meter. We did that by fixing everything that leaked and installing low flow shower heads.
We recycle as much as we can which cut our trash bill down from what the previous owners paid - $15/week to what we pay -$6/month. Plus, all that paper, plastic, cardboard, etc is not going to the dump. This year I get back to composting.
.

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OT - Mort, how does the dump fee work? We pay a flat rate for the whole year. The town is looking at alternatives.

TheBeachHouse said:

Morticia said:

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think..

Click to expand...

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think.

Click to expand...

In the long run you save money. In the US the Eco products are more expensive to buy.
We were able to cut our water usage back so much in our first year here that the town sent an inspector out to see if we were bypassing the water meter. We did that by fixing everything that leaked and installing low flow shower heads.
We recycle as much as we can which cut our trash bill down from what the previous owners paid - $15/week to what we pay -$6/month. Plus, all that paper, plastic, cardboard, etc is not going to the dump. This year I get back to composting.
.

Click to expand...

OT - Mort, how does the dump fee work? We pay a flat rate for the whole year. The town is looking at alternatives.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

OT - Mort, how does the dump fee work? We pay a flat rate for the whole year. The town is looking at alternatives.

Click to expand...

We get a punch card that costs $18. It's good for 20 large bags of trash. (30 gallon size.)
So, I'm actually mistaken as to how much it costs. We get a new card every few months.
Some towns have special bags you buy for a fee, then you can throw them out for free.
Big stuff gets weighed. Electronics have a separate fee. (Which is ridiculous because you have to pay that disposal fee when you buy the item!)

Morticia said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Morticia said:

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think..

Click to expand...

TheOldBeech said:

I was thinking it would be cheaper. We still need to install everything, like showers, toilets, faucets and all the electric stuff. Most of the time the eco stuff is cheaper than the rest and the energy and water bills would be lower as well. The biggest cost would be having insulated glass installed, i think.

Click to expand...

In the long run you save money. In the US the Eco products are more expensive to buy.
We were able to cut our water usage back so much in our first year here that the town sent an inspector out to see if we were bypassing the water meter. We did that by fixing everything that leaked and installing low flow shower heads.
We recycle as much as we can which cut our trash bill down from what the previous owners paid - $15/week to what we pay -$6/month. Plus, all that paper, plastic, cardboard, etc is not going to the dump. This year I get back to composting.
.

Click to expand...

OT - Mort, how does the dump fee work? We pay a flat rate for the whole year. The town is looking at alternatives.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

OT - Mort, how does the dump fee work? We pay a flat rate for the whole year. The town is looking at alternatives.

Click to expand...

We get a punch card that costs $18. It's good for 20 large bags of trash. (30 gallon size.)
So, I'm actually mistaken as to how much it costs. We get a new card every few months.
Some towns have special bags you buy for a fee, then you can throw them out for free.
Big stuff gets weighed. Electronics have a separate fee. (Which is ridiculous because you have to pay that disposal fee when you buy the item!)
.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Currently we have the pay as you throw bags OR a yearly fee - choice. Folks are trying to go payt only.

Highlands John said:

We had a visi tscotland green tourism gold award for several years and it got us 1-2 bookings a year. Considering the cost of joining plus all hoops you have to jump through to prove your credentials it was not worth it.
We still do all the same eco friendly stuff we did in the scheme, we just made up our own green tourism emblem and publish our policies, we just don't have to prove it to an external agency and pay them for the privilege.
In this day and age I think most people assume a basic level of environmental practices anyway..

Click to expand...

that's the thing we looked at the Visit England (same thing) but you had to Join VB first then pay extra for the green scheme told them to jog on.
I don't take advantage of it as much as I should but considerate do mailings, collect data from people who want to stay at green places and tweet and facebook - they tell you when they are going to do say a email blast and you can submit stories and so on for them to use - I am a bit lazy but they do a lot more than VB for a lot less!