Travelodge unveils £1m environmental strategy

Budget hotel chain Travelodge today unveiled details of its £1m environment strategy promising to encompass every area of the business in an effort to become more sustainable.

Spearheading the new strategy will be Nicola Stopps, who has been appointed as the company's first director of environment and sustainability.

Her role will include researching ways to reduce energy usage in hotels such as sustainable construction techniques, solar power, underground heating and wind power to reduce the company's carbon footprint and £10m utility bill.

Stopps joins from logistics giant DHL, where she spent four years as UK environment manager.

She said: "My role will be to get to the heart of our business and ensure Travelodge considers the environment in every decision.

"Saving energy and improving efficiency fits really well with Travelodge's low-cost model as we will be able to realise financial benefit as well as having a more positive impact on the environment and local communities we operate in."

Stopps' appointment follows 12 months of staff education trials in a number of hotels with the Carbon Trust.

The pilots were instigated following customer research stating that 79% of hotel users would prefer to stay in a hotel company that was focused on the environment.

Stopps, who also spent four years working in environment management for the BBC, will report straight to the board and will produce a company environment policy and strategy in the coming months.

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By Daniel Thomas

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