Hospitality industry leaders launch consortium to promote sustainable purchasing

by Shane Henson — June 20, 2011—The Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium was recently launched by a group of leaders in the hotel industry representing brands, hotel suppliers, architecture firms, purchasing companies, and sustainability experts.

With nearly 51,000 lodging properties in the United States alone, and billions of dollars spent in furniture, fixture and equipment (FF&E) purchasing annually, consortium members believe the hospitality industry has an important role to play in its path toward greater sustainability. Led by MindClick SGM, the group will work collaboratively to facilitate greening the FF&E supply chain for hotels. Their goals include:

• Leading the industry in development of an industry-wide Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Index (HSPI) to comprehensively measure the sustainability of FF&E suppliers and the products they sell;
  
• Collaborating to establish consistent measures of sustainable purchasing performance for brands, owners and FF&E manufacturers; and
  
• Establishing key performance indicators that enhance the environmental and social impact of the hotel industry while continuing to provide the highest levels of quality and service for hotel guests.