Shouldn't hotels stop using plastic cards for guests to enter their rooms? It generates huge waste!?
Answer:
The energy consumed and greenhouse gases emitted due to the travel itself far outweigh the waste of these small plastic cards.
I thought the hotels reused the cards anyway.
The cards are reprogrammed after use.
they reuse these cards
It's easy to get distracted by small things when thinking about global warming.
We need to focus on the big ones, electric power plants, cars, homes, factories. The small stuff can wait.
By the way, I always turn my card in, and I believe they are reused.
These cards are re-programed after you check out. The cards aren't specific to a room. That's why the desk clerk usually writes your room number on an envelope or piece of paper. When hotels used traditional keys and locks, they had to (or should have) changed the lock if someone checked out without returning the key. If you really want to help the environment when you stay at a hotel for more than one night, ask that they wait several days before changing your sheets, hang up towels which you can use again, turn off the lights and a/c when you leave the room, and take along your own glass or mug so that you don't use all the little plastic ones. I also put cans and bottles in a separate waste basket in the hope that the housekeeper is recycling them. If you stay at the same hotel often, you might ask them if they have recycling bins anywhere that you could use.
In addition to reprogramming those cards (I've never been given one without scratches from previous uses) hotels waste a lot more energy in the breakfast bar by keeping the eggs and hog meat warm. Oh yes, the indoor pool too.
Those cards are reused. Think about how much metal is wasted and coal is burned to melt the metal to make a key. People should stop using hotels. Think about it, most people get into a room and crank up the air (or heat), why not, they don't have to pay the light bill. Keep the tv on, and lights, take longer showers than usual, alot more is wasted in a hotel than the little plastic cards.
Now that I think about it, hotels in general have so many areas of waste...it makes me sick...the cards, the shampoo, the soaps.yada yada...I think we should start demanding that hotels use less wasteful items in general! Good idea! You just sparked my ideas here.
The plastic cards can be re-written and used again and again. Plastic can also be recycled again and again. It is no worse for the environment than metal keys or glass bottles.
The biggest damage done by hotels is their waste of energy and water. Plastic disposal is a minor issue.
You are worried about the cards, but claim you travel a lot?? do you walk, or ride a bike, because any other way you are wasting FAR more fuel, energy or what ever by getting there than the card did. Don't give me the every little bit helps, because I would ask could you not do this business by phone, or Internet, or mail, did you personal need to be there is the business could not occur? probably not. Pick the stick out of your own eye, before you pick the speck out of your neighbor.
My only point is that if everyone got on the plastic recycling bandwagon, then this would be a concern that would be history, because once they are worn out, they would be sent to Rubbermaid so you could use them to store your left over casserole in. :)
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