AS “POLLUTION-FREE” has become an officially important standard to grade a hotel, the Chinese hotel industry is now increasingly aware of environmental protection.
“To acquire the four-star rank, we've made security, health and no pollution as our top priorities in the construction of this hotel,” said Gong Ping, manager of a newly-opened hotel in Wuhan city of central China's Hubei Province.
He said all decoration materials and equipment in the hotel, including bath tubs, ceramic tiles and plaster plates had been put to radioactive tests, and no disposable wooden chalk, plastic bags or foam containers were allowed to be used in its restaurants.
To spread the knowledge of environmental protection to customers, the hotel also declares its green state in its Guide Book to seek co-operation and support from guests.
On March 1, China's State Economic and Trade Commission issued a regulation detailing the industrial criteria for green-hotel rating consisting of five grades.
China Hotels Association president Han Ming said they planned to set up 1,000 green hotels this year.
Currently in China, such hotels can be only found in large metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao. At present, there are only two in Hubei. – People's Daily
