Environmental initiatives are a growing concern for many major hospitality chains but Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc, operator of more than 800 hotels worldwide will be one of the first to build a chain of environmentally friendly hotels called Element Hotels. Starwood plans on opening the first Element hotel in Lexington, Mass., next year. According to Starwood these hotels will be built from eco-friendly materials including carpets with recycled fibers and walls partly made from recycled tieres. They will also have shampoo dispensers which will eliminate multiple plastic mini-bottles; water-saving devices will conserve an estimated 4,358 gallons of water per room each year; and compact fluorescent light bulbs will cut energy use by 75 percent. Starwood hotels are leading the “Green” charge throughout major hotel chains but several are right on their tail. Marriot hotels and Hilton hotels are in the exploratory phase. Making small changes such as changing to energy efficient light bulbs and water saving features. Marriot hotels also established an in house green council to examine everything from their cleaning products to the type of toilet paper they are using. Although many of the major hotel chains are taking steps in the right direction the biggest challenge most corporations face is just simply figuring out exactly what “green” is. Part of the problem is that currently there is not a universally excepted certification for becoming green. Hotels can choose to receive “green” certifications. Green Seal, a non profit organization based in Washington offers an extensive evaluation and certification process for hotels and motels. The process lasts between two and three months and costs $1,950 to $3,000 each year. So far only 43 hotels nationwide have received this certification but interest in this certification process is rising. There are also many “green” associations available for hotels to use as resources. The Green Hotels Association provides hotels with a list of approved vendors that offer environmentally friendly products. At this point there is not any set criteria that a hotel must meet to qualify as green, but with the major chains making changes to become for environmentally conscious the entire industry is becoming more aware.