A new study showed that most people who travel often tend to leave their environmentally friendly behaviors at home. Actually 59% acknowledge not paying as much attention to "keeping it green" when they're traveling.
 
It was revealed that even those individuals who are conscientious about the environment at home are guilty of ignoring their energy saving and recycling efforts on the road. For instance, 60% admit that they may leave a bathroom light on overnight in a hotel while they wouldn't in the comfort of their own homes. Close to 70% admit to using a new sample sized bottle of shampoo or conditioner for every shower. 63% claim they are more apt to leave a light on while they are away from their room. Also, while only 34% of those surveyed found it necessary to change their bed linens daily at home, nearly 75% feel it is necessary when staying in a hotel.
 
The most common reason for the slip in energy saving practices while traveling is the lack of money saved. 62% of the frequent travels surveyed admitted, "When I stay in a hotel, one reason I use water and energy less efficiently is because I don't have to pay for it."
 
ELEMENT hotels had the desire to combine energy-saving solutions with a relaxing and comfortable hotel stay. So they came up with many intuitive designs to decrease the amount of energy wasted by frequent travelers. A sample of their ideas include:
 
Dispensers for shampoo and conditioner will replace the sample-sized bottles.
 
Sink faucets and toilets that are designed for water conservation are expected to save approximately 4,359 gallons of water annually per room.
 
Hotel décor and design will employ environment-friendly elements whenever possible including flooring and art made from up to 100% recycled materials to low

VOC wall-covering that will provide higher quality air for guests to breathe.
 
Recycling bins so guests can continue their green lifestyle in their accommodations.
 
Energy-saving compact florescent lamps light bulbs will replace the incandescent light bulbs most hotels use. This alone will reduce energy used by 75%.
 
A biophilic design will use natural light to "bring the outdoors in". This is in the hopes that travelers will feel a connection with their environment.
 
A program will be set up to inform guests on ways to remain friendly to the environment even on the road.
 
Starwood Senior Vice President, Sue Brush, spoke about the concept behind the ELEMENT brand, "No one wants a lecture on the environment when they travel. The idea behind ELEMENT is to make smart choices intuitive and to support our guests' sustainable lifestyle, so we can simultaneously accommodate our guests and the environment."
 
The survey was performed by STUDYLOGIC over the telephone and involved conversations with 1041 participants who had each stayed in hotels at least three times in the previous year.
 
Starwood Hotels and Resorts, owners of the ELEMENT brand, is a leading resort company around the globe with nearly 850 properties owned in over 95 countries.

They employ 145,000 workers in both owned and managed real estate. Starwood owns several well-known brands including St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Le Meridien®, Four Points®, Westin®, Sheraton® and the newly released Aloft ®.