Clean Technology Centre, Cork Institute of Technology and Hospitality Solutions Consulting Ltd. have been contracted to roll out the a hospitality programme under the EPA Green Business Initiative (as part of the EPA National Waste Prevention Programme).

CTC and HSC will work with individual Irish hotels over the next four years to significantly improve environmental management practices, prevent waste and encourage resource efficiency, while reducing operating costs for the sector.

The target for 2008 is to recruit 150 of Ireland’s largest hotels and help them to make environmental improvements. Over 70 hotels have already signed up.

The Hotel and Hospitality Project is a follow up to the original successful EPA Greening Irish Hotels project that found that the potential for environmental improvement and cost savings in the Irish hotels’ sector is considerable.  It is estimated that Irish hotels could save over €80 million per annum by making environmental improvements, many at no or low cost. This illustrates that environmental best practice is a way to improve profitability.