ABSTRACT
With nearly 51,000 lodging properties in the United States alone, hotels have an important role to play in the hospitality industry’s efforts towards greater sustainability. Many hotels have taken steps to create programmes focused on sustainability. These programmes have focused on environmental consumer-facing efforts (e.g. towel reuse programmes), as well as operational initiatives (e.g. reducing energy use or water usage). Some hotels have concentrated on the social aspect of sustainability (e.g. Wyndham Hotel Group, Carlson Companies and Hilton Worldwide, which have signed a code of conduct against human [child] trafficking). Many businesses realize they no longer compete as solely autonomous entities, but rather as supply chains; this represents a significant paradigm shift in business management and thinking. As hotels consider their next focus in sustainability initiatives, industry leaders can consider options with the company’s supply chain. This chapter will allow managers to think more purposefully about the role of SSCM (Sustainable Supply Chain Management) in a hotel. The chapter theorizes that hotels must consider different decision criteria from manufacturing organizations in choosing sustainable supply chain alternatives.
