Green Hotels

Green Certification logo

The Rhode Island DEM Green Hotels Program provides recognition to businesses in the hospitality industry that are committed to sustainable practices and conserving Rhode Island’s environment. The RIDEM Green Hotels Program began in 2008 with a strong partnership between RIDEM and the Rhode Island Hospitality Association. This strong partnership still exists today as we evolve in tackling new issues to the hospitality industry such as the reduction of single-use plastics and recycling plastics. The program is built around private businesses willingness to commit to embarking on a sustainability journey. The process begins with a business filling out a self- certification checklist.

By taking part in a self-certification checklist, a business is allowed to audit themselves and judge their environmental performance. A business needs to receive a minimal amount of points to be considered for certification. The checklist is user friendly and may be filled out online and electronically submitted (please see checklist link to the left under Green Hotels Documents). Once the checklist has been reviewed by the Office of Customer and Technical Assistance (OCTA) you will be contacted. If your business scores enough points for automatic certification, you will receive a certificate and a logo (decal) to distinguish your business as a green business through our program. If you do not receive enough points during the self certification, you will receive a conditional certification that gives you a two-year period to obtain the minimal amount of points needed for automatic certification.

The following table demonstrates how much pollution can be prevented by utilizing sustainable practices at your business. The following data was calculated by using pollution prevention (P2) calculators found on the EPA website. The following table does not include all business who are in the program. A complete list can be found under “Green Hotel Information” located in the Quick Links.

HOTEL & Year Certified Water Saved Annually (gallons) BTUs Saved Annually kWh Saved Annually Annual Energy Savings (dollars) Metric Tons Of CO2 Reduced
Hilton Providence (2013) 1,943,030.77 779,898,637.19 86,387.36 $20,207.47 4.995
Crowne Plaza Warwick (2014) 2,085,891.29 1,017,464,417.52 64,926.62 $21,079.43 5.362
Newport Marriot (2012) 1,800,730.93 639,904,549.64 252,526.71 $35,137.10 4.629