Is Green the new Black?

Fashion houses are tripping over themselves to start the latest organic seaweed line, and celebrities tightly corseted in jade-coloured silk grace covers of ‘Green-Edition’ glossies (hello, Madonna’s done 3 of ‘em). It begs the question, is green the new black? I pondered this question from 35 000 feet in the air, on my 3rd non-offset cross- country flight in nearly as many weeks.

More accurately, I struggled to write a few words about the eco-creds of the luxury travel industry. As Rita Selvan, editor of Elle Canada wryly notes in June’s edition, it’s kind of tricky to ‘talk green when the very nature of your business doesn’t exactly scream green’. Well put. She comments, ‘it’s no picnic preaching green from the perfumed perch of a fashion magazine’. Well try the luxury hotel industry, arbiter of taste, style and it must be said, excess. High thread-count sheets (bleached bone white, natch), delicacies flown in from 4 corners of the world for discerning diners, lilliputian bottles of shampoo/conditioner/cleanser/. No expense spared, and all de rigueur. When the guest’s paying top dollar, they expect the best.

Increasingly, being green no longer comes at the expense of earning green – or providing a luxury product. In fact, a lot of travelers want to know what their hotels are doing to be more environmentally friendly – and will make their choices based on this information. This hasn’t been lost on chains such as Fairmont which command high prices, while leading the industry in their commitment to lessen their impact on the environment. Entrepreneurial hoteliers around the world are opening eco-lodges, eco-resorts, and eco-spas to capitalize on the earnest/well meaning/curious/affluent.

What can guests do to lighten luxury’s footprint? A few suggestions for your next hotel stay at Opus.

• Re-use your towels and linens. Using the same towel or sheets cuts down on phosphates and water usage.


• When you’re out, turn off all lights and music, and turn down the thermostat.


• Unplug your laptop! Even when it’s off, leaving it plugged in uses energy.


• Recycle. Every room has a bin for your convenience…please use it! We’ll even sort it for you.


• Sightseeing? Instead of driving, walk or use one of Opus Vancouver’s complimentary bikes.


• Next time you fly, off-set a portion of your flight with carbon credits. Hang on to those ‘free’ earsets that come with purchase of your thousand dollar ticket. The airlines don’t recycle them, so at least you can reuse them.


• Rent a hybrid car (or at least a compact vehicle) next time you’re traveling.

Speaking of hybrids, Opus recently decided to offer guests driving hybrids cars free valet parking. Their vehicle choice benefits all of us, so we’re extending a little benefit back to them.

If you’re curious to check out what else Opus is doing to try and reduce its impact on the environment, visit our About Us section. As a famous frog once said, It’s not Easy Being Green. But we all need to start somewhere.