Via CSRwire.com:

I am always leery when I hear multi-national corporations are “expanding their green initiatives” or are “helping to clean up the world”, but in this case I am pleased to say that Marriott appears to be walking the talk. Saturday, Marriott International announced that they would be partnering with Clean Up the World, a leading global environmental organization to “expand our green efforts at the community level.” I hadn’t yet heard of the Clean Up the World organization, but after a quick search and perusing their website I am impressed. Started by a yachtsman in Australia, it has blossomed over the past 18 years into a world wide effort, “mobilising tens of millions of people around the globe to take responsibility for their own environment.”

Marriott International plans to distribute copies of the book True Green to its customers this year on earth day, and will work together on a global campaign on how to be green at work, on the road and at home.

It’s worth noting some of the great steps that Marriott has taken to this day:

• Group “Re-Lamp” campaign, which replaced 450,000 light bulbs with fluorescent lighting in 2006 and saved 65 percent on overall lighting costs and energy usage in guest rooms;

• Linen Reuse Program, a global effort to encourage guests to reuse linens and towels during their hotel stay which saved 11 to 17 percent on hot water and sewer bills involved in laundering operations at each hotel;

• Marriott’s smoke-free policy in all U.S. hotels announced last year, improves indoor air quality and will result in a 30 percent reduction in energy use for air treatment systems;

• Marriott’s “Ozone Activated Laundry” and “Formula One Systems” can save up to 25 percent in energy used in laundry systems;

• Replacement of 4,500 outdoor signs with LED and fiber optic technology yielding a 40 percent reduction in outdoor advertising energy use in its first year;

• Installation of 400,000 new shower heads which reduce hot water usage by 10 percent each year;

• Three newly appointed Regional Directors of Energy and an architect certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) - to help oversee a variety of programs including Marriott’s first LEED-certified hotel, The Inn & Conference Center by Marriott in Adelphi, Md;

• New waste-management pilot program to streamline efforts and identify the most environmentally friendly, yet cost-efficient methods for Marriott’s 2,800 hotels around the world to continue to adhere to the company’s recycling guidelines for trash, cardboard, newspaper and glass; and

• Marriott’s Environmentally Conscious Hospitality Operations (ECHO) program, launch in 1994, is an award-winning program that focuses on water and energy conservation, clean air, “reduce-reuse-recycle” waste management, wildlife preservation and neighborhood cleanups.

Kudos to Marriott. We hope to hear more on their Environmental Awareness Month, and the fruits of their partnership with Clean Up the World.