Hospitality businesses can tout their 'greenness'

South Carolina's hotels, motels, restaurants and other hospitality facilities can show what they are doing to help protect the environment through a new partnership through the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and South Carolina Hospitality Association.

The S.C. Green Hospitality Alliance is a free, voluntary program designed to help the hospitality industry reduce the environmental impact of its operations. The program recognizes and certifies facilities for environmentally friendly efforts with an annual certification.

DHEC offers free, confidential assistance on a variety of issues, such as waste reduction, recycling, composting, conserving energy and water, cleaning, and environmentally preferred purchasing. DHEC also offers site visits, workshops and fact sheets.

The association reviews all certification applications and rate facilities with one, two or three "palmetto trees."

Details: http://www.GreenHospitalityAlliance.com