Wood hotel key card debuts at Democratic National Convention

All attendees at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver will receive wooden hotel key cards, marking the first time the eco-cards have been used in the U.S.

Boulder, Colo.-based supplier Sustainable Cards will donate more than 70,000 of the biodegradable cards to Denver-area hotels, launching their product to correspond with the convention’s sustainable theme. Each card will carry the Denver 2008 host committee logo.

“We’ve reached a point where consumers no longer want to frequent hotels and resorts that aren’t embracing green business practices,” said Greg Hartmann, president and CEO of Sustainable Cards. “Our mission is to reduce non-biodegradable card waste to zero during the convention and throughout the year by encouraging the use of our eco-friendly wood cards in every hotel in America.”

According to the eco-card makers, plastic waste from hotel key cards amounts to by 1,300 tons annually, or enough to fill seven Boeing 777 jetliners. But the new wooden cards will break down into soil inside landfills. Further, the cards are made from sustainably harvested wood, a renewable resource.

Sustainable Cards said its wood cards were just as durable as plastic, and could make for coveted keepsakes from the Democratic convention. The nature-friendly cards have been used in Europe for years, but not in the U.S. until now.


| Other Headlines for August 22, 2008

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Oriens hotel management firm launches green hotel brand (news release)

Vancouver port gives discount to ‘Green Award’ ships (news release)