Philly’s Green Scene
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
Green Hoteling: Making a Mark in Philadelphia
As businesses, schools, government, recreational facilities, and nonprofits have made several strides towards “Going Green,” the lodging industry has responded to this trend with the development of strategies and practices for making a hotel or motel more environmentally friendly, or “Green”. Green hotels are properties managed according to business practices that help improve the environmental performance of the facilities.
Operating in a more environmentally responsible fashion, hotels and motels can demonstrate leadership in ecological sustainability while enhancing competitiveness through cost-effective procedural and facility improvements.
Some simple guestroom “Green” practices include using refillable soap and shampoo dispensers; providing clearly marked recycling bins for cans, bottles, and newspapers; and cleaning rooms with environmental cleaners to improve indoor air quality and reduce emissions of volatile organic chemicals. In lobbies and public areas, hotel management can install energy-efficient light bulbs in hallway, lobby, and bathroom lighting fixtures; and monitor the performance of all heating and cooling systems and perform maintenance as needed. Hotel operations that are easy ways to incorporate sustainable Green practices include using plants that require little water or maintenance; donating used furniture, linens and equipment to local non profits or charitable organizations; and using reusable cups, mugs, dishes, and silverware for employee use.
Philadelphia’s Best Choice for Sustainable Hotels
The Philadelphia Airport Marriott, a Green-certified hotel located at One Arrivals Road, tops this list since they have met a long list of eco criteria, including waste reduction and recycling, and bulk product purchasing. The hotel is also required to use energy efficient equipment such as compact fluorescent bulbs; perform indoor air quality measurements; install water conservation fixtures; and use organic insecticides and non-toxic paints throughout. This “Green Seal” is recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
In addition, the Hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Bradley Pacana, is now a board member of The Philadelphia Green Hospitality Association, an eco friendly association in Philadelphia. In his new role, Pacana hopes to further the eco friendly association’s mission where hospitality and environmental professionals can join together to create sustainable “Green” practices.
The Rittenhouse Hotel, located at 210 West Rittenhouse Square, has received five out of five stars from Allstays.com for its Green practices. The hotel uses cotton towels and sheets, promotes green aspects, educates guests, participates in Green Programs, has non-smoking rooms, and performs environmental cleaning.
The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia at Ten Avenue of the Arts has also received five stars for its green initiatives. The hotel has been recognized for its towel and sheet programs, energy conservation, composting, fresh air, water conservation, and durable service items.
Located at One Logan Square, Philadelphia’s Four Seasons Hotel is recognized as a green hotel for diverting some 120,000 pounds of kitchen waste a year by sending table scraps to a farm to be composted. The hotel saves a big chunk of change on dumping fees and the compost is brought back to the hotel to much flowerbeds.
If you are planning a trip to Philadelphia soon, be sure to stay at one of these recommended green hotels in the 8th most sustainable city in the United States.
Dine at a Green Restaurant in Philly
Surely you will need to eat at some point during your stay in Philadelphia. If you would like to stay with your “Green” theme while here, you are in luck. In the restaurant business there are so many little things that restaurants can do to help the environment and make positive change.
The White Dog Café, located at 3420 Sansom Street, is a not-to-be-missed destination for organic and sustainable food. Management has a passion for eco-friendly practices and cuisine is American with an innovative mix of Native American and South East Asia accents. Dinner features incredible options like sherry cumin-glazed lamb sirloin, seared Alaskan halibut, and pan-crisped Peking duck breast.
The Pita Pit, located at 1601 Sansom Street, is Philadelphia’s first certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association. For less than $7, meat lovers, vegetarians, and vegans can sink try a pita bursting with toppings, cheese and house-made sauce. The Pita Pit employs a low-water system, biodegradable cutlery and carryout bags, and a strict recycling program and has reduced its carbon footprint by sourcing local food. The Philadelphia Pita Pit makes sure to use compact florescent lighting, motion sensor lighting in bathrooms, sustainable food (vegetarian vegan options), non-toxic cleaning supplies, a local produce company to minimize fuel and consolidate orders to decrease deliveries, bleach free recycled napkins and bags and besides recycling, their employees use personal mugs and silverware to minimize waste. They also refrain from using Styrofoam. The Pit will continue to meet the marks / criteria provided by the Green Restaurant Association by implementing four new environmental steps per year.
You will also want to try Derek’s Restaurant, at 4411 Main Street, which serves locally sourced organic food. With deals like a three-course lunch for $20 or a three-course dinner for $30 offered daily, you can taste a lot without breaking the bank. Derek’s features fancy cocktails, brilliant dinner creations and tasty desserts.
For you seafood lovers, check out Otolith Sustainable Seafood at 143 -147 West Girard Avenue. This restaurant is an ambitious venture which seeks to raise the local profile of sustainable seafood - products caught in American waters by those taking factors like population count, waste and fuel costs into consideration. Otolith offers hard-to-find fresh-frozen seafood, ranging from smoked black cod, pink shrimp and spot prawns to Bering Sea scallops and five types of salmon.
Recently opened Root Restaurant at 1033 Spring Garden Street is another great choice. The message is straight forward and the message is clear; simple presentation of the finest ingredients available. All menu items are made in-house; from the bread to the maple bacon ice cream. Meats are organic and the produce comes from local farms.
Notable Sustainable Sites
If you would enjoy eating and experiencing a truly sustainable site in the city, check out the recently completed Comcast Center at 17th and Arch Streets, the tallest building in Philadelphia standing at 975 feet tall. With its ambitious incorporation of eco-friendly technologies, the Center is also the country’s tallest “Green” building.
The cutting edge sustainable design of the Center can be found in nearly every aspect of the building. The Comcast Center uses 40 percent less water than a typical office building, and fixtures will save more than three million gallons of drinking water annually. Waterless urinals in all restrooms will save 1.2 million gallons of urinal-water use every year.
Shading on the plaza reduces the heat-island effect caused by pavement by 70 percent. A glass curtain blocks 60 percent of heat while allowing 70 percent of the sun’s visible light, reducing energy used for air conditioning while utilizing natural light to its fullest. An under-floor water loop is used to cool the winter garden and the sixth floor atrium floor during the summer and warm it during the water, saving energy.
Another one of the new building’s main draws is its awesome selection of eateries. The Market at Comcast Center, located right below the building’s main lobby, has more than 24,000 square feet of food retail and some 20 storefronts for your enjoyment.
Places like Bucks County Coffee Co., Di Bruno Bros., LaScala’s, Mexican Post, Sook Hee’s Produce, Susanna Foo’s Dumpling Kitchen, Under the “C” gourmet seafood and Tokyo Sushi give you a wide variety of culinary tastes to try.
Sustainable Transportation
While you are enjoying staying at these Green hotels, eating at Philly’s sustainable hotspots and seeing Green sites, don’t forget to save some gas in an effort to Go Green. Why not try a popular car-sharing program? Philly Car Share or Zipcar are two of the major players, and they have several convenient locations around the city. Philly Car Share is one of the largest regional car-sharing programs in the United States. They recently lowered their mid-week rates on hybrids and also offer free rail passes so customers can get to and from the car share location. Membership-based ZipCar has over 20 spots to pickup cars. Both programs are cheaper than regular car rental and allow you to return the car at any time, without the hassle of a line.
Or try the City’s public transportation options. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) offers a line that connects directly to the airport and $7 gets you to 30th Street Station for an Amtrak connection or to Suburban Station, where Philly’s day guests can purchase regional rail tickets for destinations outside the city. Bus, subway, and trolleys are $2 per ride, or $1.45 if you purchase multi-packs of tokens.
Karen Toner is a
