July 7, 2009 - The Sunburst Inn, located in Ludington, has earned Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) Partner certification from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) encourages hotels, resorts, motels, and bed & breakfast facilities to implement environmental initiatives and cost-saving "green" practices to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality, reduce waste, and participate in environmentally preferred purchasing.
"This accreditation is the mark of environmental responsibility of hoteliers who are committed to ‘green' business practices that make environmental and economic goals their top priority," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss. "Green Lodging Michigan is also helping to ensure the viability of our lodging facilities and the thousands of jobs related to Michigan's hospitality industry."
The Sunburst Inn has implemented several environmental initiatives at their facility. To conserve water they offer a linen and towel reuse program, use mulch on plant beds, and only water landscape during early morning or evening. They reduce waste through recycling, avoiding single use items, and providing newspapers to guests only if requested. The Sunburst Inn has also installed Energy Star equipment and programmable thermostats to improve energy efficiency.
"As renovators of our century-old home, now the Sunburst Inn, we are actively involved in preserving our environment," said Dave and Linda Germain, owners of the Sunburst Inn. "Our new high efficiency washer and tankless, on-demand water heater are not only utilizing less water and energy, but are proving to be big cost savers. Our bed sheets are line dried -- weather permitting, and our guests enjoy organic produce from our garden. We are true blue Michiganders in our clean and green inn."
Green Lodging Michigan is a joint effort between DELEG and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to encourage the lodging industry to conserve and protect the state's natural resources while increasing marketability and lowering utility costs.
"Green Lodging Michigan has been an effective way of including hoteliers in the effort to help Michigan continue as the leader in environmental beauty and abundant natural resources," said Steven E. Chester, director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Green Lodging Michigan is a voluntary and non-regulatory certification program offered through the Bureau of Energy Systems in DELEG to hoteliers at no charge. The Bureau of Energy Systems and the DEQ provide technical assistance to those who are interested in implementing "green" strategies and earning certification. The GLM program certifies facilities based on environmental initiatives such as air quality, energy efficiency, solid waste reduction, toxic waste management, water conservation, purchasing and communication. There are three levels of certification: Partner, Steward, and Leader, which can be earned by completing a self-assessment checklist and achieving a minimum number of requirements and points.
The Bureau of Energy Systems promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy resource development to Michigan's residents, businesses, and public institutions. For more information about the Green Lodging Michigan program and to download the GLM application packet and self-assessment checklist, visit the website at www.michigan.gov/greenlodging.
Read more releases from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
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