Organic cotton? Bamboo sheets?

We are so excited that materials made from sustainable sources (such as organic cotton and bamboo sheets) are becoming readily available in the marketplace. From what I have read, the amount of pesticides used in the production of traditional cotton is astounding and has had very detrimental effects on the environment. To think about the amount of cotton we buy in the form of towels, sheets and uniforms, and to then think about the number of huge hotel chains in the world, it really makes me realize how big of an impact we in the hotel industry really can have.

However, just like the organic food movement, the first products that were in the market were extremely expensive, luxury items. For the average person, or the average hotel, the purchase of these products just wasn´t feasible. I remember looking at packets of organic cotton sheets that were going to cost us around $200 a set. Believe me, I am 100% in favor of supporting green products, but $200 a set is one thing for home use (if you pay $200 for a set of organic cotton sheets, you KNOW you will take care of them) but a whole other ballgame for hotel use, where the use, and carelessness of the users (vacationers tend not to think about their impact on our linen department...nor should they!) increases substantially.

Fortunately, it looks like things are changing. I just read an article, for example, on a blog called GLiving about how the clothing retailer H&M has begun to incorporate more and more clothing made out of organic materials into its designs:

http://gliving.tv/fashion/organic-fashion-by-hm-popping-up-like-those-damn-pinkberries/


Additionally, we at Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality have just found a really good source of bamboo/cotton blend sheets that are affordable AND available in Costa Rica. However, to complicate the issue even further, I just read this article:

http://sattlerclothing.com/blog/tag/bamboo-clothes/

in which the CEO of Patagonia Outdoor Clothing (a company that I admire dearly for their sustainability efforts) points out that while bamboo may be a very sustainably grown product, the process of turning it into clothing needs a great deal of toxic chemicals.

We´ve always known that it´s not easy to be green. Certifications often don´t indicate what they say they do and green washing (especially in the hospitality industry) is extremely prevalent. And even when we think we are being green (such as in the case of buying bamboo sheets), we may not actually be making the best decision. Maybe we should just opt for organic cotton?

Next time you visit one of our hotels, make sure to ask us what our sheets and towels are made out of; it is your responsibility as a consumer to ask these important questions and our responsibility as a sustainable hotel company to find the answer.