Green Hotel in Greensboro

Other Eco-Friendly Hotels
While the Proximity might be the Greenest hotel in the country, it’s not the only one doing its part for the environment. Check out these trailblazers.

•Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a boutique hotel collection with locations in Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., has implemented guest room recycling programs, prints only on recycled paper with soy ink, donates partially used toiletry bottles to local charities, and uses nontoxic cleaners throughout its more than 42 properties. www.kimpton hotels.com
•This past summer, Starwood unveiled Element Hotels (inspired by Westin), the first hotel chain in the United States to require pursuit of LEED-certification. These eco-chic lodgings deliver on their sustainable promise with everything from complimentary bikes for guests to shampoo dispensers and water-efficient rain showers. Outposts in Baltimore, Maryland, and Irving and Houston, Texas, will open by the end of 2008, with more coming over the next two years. www.starwoodhotels.com/element
•With more than 3,000 hotels in 74 countries, Hilton’s environmental practices pack a punch. The hotel group has pledged to reduce waste, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions by 20% and water consumption by 10% by 2014. www.hilton.com.

Writer’s note: Carbon Offsetting
Over the past year, I’ve logged approximately 35,000 miles while researching stories, resulting in 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Supporting a carbon-offsetting project can counterbalance the effect of all that CO2. Visit www.carbonfund.org to use online calculators that determine the impact of your travels and then let you choose the project you wish to support. I donated $101.35 (the estimated amount to make up for the effects of my travels) to the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Wingate, Texas. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a start.

Rent With a Conscience
At locations across the country, both Avis and Hertz offer a Green collection of cars for about $5 more per day. They can be reserved by specific make and model, including the incredibly fuel-efficient Toyota Prius Hybrid (48 mpg highway, 45 mpg city).

"The Right Approach In Greensboro" is from the October 2008 issue of Southern Living.