Against the backdrop of the University of South Carolina’s historic McCutchen House on the Horseshoe, representatives from the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the South Carolina Hospitality Association and USC announced the official launching of a new statewide program designed to help state hotels and restaurants achieve green certification.

The location was chosen because the McCutchen House — the university’s home for its School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management as well as a working restaurant — was the first university food service restaurant to be certified, joining a number of commercial restaurants and hotels across South Carolina who were the first to go through the program, which began in May.
 

Brian Mihalik, dean of USC’s School of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management, applauds Tuesday as the first class of green-certified restaurants and hotels is announced. Photo by Jonathan Sharpe

Tom Sponseller, president and CEO of the S.C. Hospitality Association, said the program, which restaurants and hotels can apply to for free, is meant to help promote more choices for those customers for whom environmental responsibility is a priority.

“Hotels and restaurants have been doing good things for years in terms of recycling phone books, glass and things of that nature,” Sponseller says. “But this really allows bars, hotels and restaurants to truly help save the environment and appeal to customers who are eager to support earth-friendly restaurants and hotels.”

Customers wishing to find out what restaurants and hotels in their area are certified can go online to greenscrestaurants.com and greenschotels.com, respectively. Locally, California Dreaming (along with its ownership group’s entire collection of holdings), the Hilton Garden Inn and the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites on Garners Ferry Road joined the McCutchen House Restaurant as the first local entities to successfully complete the rigorous certification process.

Once restaurants and hotels apply (application forms can be downloaded at scdhec.gov/greenhospitality), the certification process involves setting up a “green team” to develop policy; pursuing environmentally preferred purchasing; recycling; reducing waste; using sustainable food; energy efficiency; and monitoring water efficiency and air quality. The certifications are issued annually to ensure that locations continue to follow green practices, and three certification levels are awarded: one, two and three palmetto trees, with three being the highest score possible. The certification levels are individually specific for restaurants, limited-service hotels and full-service hotels.

“The South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance is a free, voluntary program designed to help the hospitality industry reduce the environmental impact of its operations,” says DHEC commissioner Earl Hunter. Each of us — government, business, industry and individuals — must do our part to help protect South Carolina’s environment. This program presents a unique opportunity for the hospitality industry to lead by example through the use of smart, sustainable, cost-effective practices that help conserve natural resources, save energy and reduce pollution.”


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