Naturally then, in keeping with this philosophy, one rather un-ecofriendly product that does not find place in the hotel is the plastic bag. Says Vijaya Murali, the head the housekeeping department, ``We do not use plastic bags in any department except for disposing wet garbage. For that too, we use recycled plastic bags.''

The hotel also discourages, in fact, avoids the use of plastic in any form, as plastic bags are not just an environmental hazard, but also cause problems with disposal. ``There are no organised methods to dispose plastic, especially these bags. This takes us outside the hotel and makes us look at what willhappen to the world we live in if we use these bags and forget about their disposal,'' said Murali.

Actually, saying `no' to any form of plastic is inscribed in the Ecotel rule book. ``We demand that toiletries not be wrapped in plastic sheets, and we also do not use plastic shirt cards and disposal bags. We have also successfully avoided using things like plastic switches, which are normally made of PVC, (Polyvinyle Carbon) and are one of the commonest and most hazardous forms of plastic. Instead, we have a touch-sensitive wooden switch board. And we use discarded wood from rubber trees called rubberwood and Nuwud, a timber substitute made out of cotton stalks, for everything,'' she told Express Newsline.

While the hotel looks like any old five-star hotel, a closer look reveals a cleaner environment. The use of flowers is cut down to a bare minimum, for instance, and spaces usually adorned by blooming cascades have potted plants instead, which lead to better air circulation. Even small productssuch as soap and other toiletries are made with fruit extracts and neither contain animal fat nor are tested on animals. The hotel also has energy-conserving systems that make minimal use of electricity and water and help in the control of air and water pollution.