1 . Be a Green Guest

When people take a vacation, they often take vacation from responsibility, too. Our behavior at hotels is one of the biggest problems. We have our linens（纺织品）washed daily for us, and are provided with an endless stream of hot water—what's not to love about that? But all of this luxury equals serious consequences for the environment.     1     They offer programs and facilities that save water and energy. That's a good start, but there is a lot more you can do to cut down the amount of waste produced wherever.

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In America alone, there are about 50,000 hotels. Now think if hotel management leaves out two small bottles for each hotel room every day, that's a huge amount of little plastic bottles that may not even get recycled. And what about all of that shampoo when you don't finish the bottle? A better way is to bring your own shampoo from home.

•Turn off the lights.

You do it when you're at home, right? Do it at the hotel, too. Studies have shown that, in hotels, the majority of energy spent through lighting comes from the bathroom light being left on for more than one hour!     3     , remember to hit the switch!

•Don't have your sheets or towels washed every day.

Sure, it's a luxury to have linens and towels. cleaned every day, but that's all it is. Washing a set of bed sheets and a pair of bathroom towels requires about 12-16 gallons of water. See if there is a policy for requesting that your towels and linens get washed weekly. In some hotels, it's as simple as hanging towels back up on a hook.     4     .

These tips are also useful for trips to a friend's or relative's house.     5     They will also save your hosts a lot of money.