Small Hospitality Business Involvement in Environmentally Friendly Initiatives

Abstract

Complex contemporary economic and political environments are increasingly pressurising businesses to follow environmentally conscious principles, particularly in view of the constant increase of landfill from solid waste, pollution and other environmental issues. Environmental sustainability is a key issue for the hospitality industry in terms of water, power consumption and waste production. However, how important is environmental sustainability for operators, particularly for small operators that because of their size may not have the means and support to be “environmentally friendly”? This study explores this question from the perspective of 21 small hospitality entrepreneurs (SHEs) located in a traditional college town in the South-eastern United States. While there is acknowledgement of the importance of being environmentally friendly, only a small number of operators were actively involved in environmentally sustainable practices. A common concern was the lack of support from local authorities (city council) in facilitating basic infrastructure such as recycling bins for different materials. The absence of a common environmentally friendly culture may have direct impacts on the image of the industry as well as on its customers.