At the Brass Lantern -- as at the Appalachian Mountain Club's new Highland Center in Crawford Notch, N.H., and a few other New England inns -- that means most of the light bulbs are fluorescent, paper products are recycled, showers and toilets are low-flow, soap and shampoo come from a dispenser one squirt at a time, towels and sheets are washed only when requested, cleaning products are free of harsh chemicals, and recycling bins are in each guest room.
And that is just the start. "About 85 percent of what we do, our guests never even see," said Brass Lantern owner Andy Aldrich, a former science teacher who has been described as an ambassador for Vermont's green hotels. "If you do too many things that jump out at you, then you detract from the overall experience. You don't want to upset people's comfort levels."
The folks sitting around steaming plates of waffles with strawberry and rhubarb sauce in the inn's stenciled dining room on a recent Sunday morning certainly didn't look uncomfortable.
"Green Hotel Association? So what's that?" asked Paul Hale of New York, who was staying at the inn with his two sons for a weekend of skiing.
Turns out, Hale had used the recycling bins and kept his towel for more than one night, but wasn't aware the inn had gone through an inspection to be certified as a green hotel in the Green Mountain State.
Managed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont green lodging program is one of the strictest in the country. Participants go through an assessment, draw up an environmental management plan, and are recertified every three years, according to program director Doug Kievit-Kylar. The specifics, however, change from place to place.
"The properties really go their own ways," said Kievit-Kylar. "We purposely chose not to be so descriptive that every property had to hang the same 'Do not change' sign above the towel bar in the bathroom."
