In recent years many hotels have replaced their room key systems with new swipe cards. There are obvious benefits to the hotels of these new systems. If guests lose keys plastic cards can replaced at negligible cost. Locksmiths no longer need to be engaged to change locks for security reasons.
Regular travellers report the frustration of swipe cards that don’t work. Trekking back down to reception where the card is quickly reprogrammed with guest sent back on their way.
However, The First Star has been told the replacement of room keys with electronic swipe cards holds a hidden environmental toll. Every single swipe card lock contains 3 or 4 AA batteries. In a large hotels that’s thousands of inefficient and hard to dispose of batteries clogging up our landfill.
We’re told recharging is impractical, and recycling too expensive. We think its just another example of hotels ignoring the environmental impact of their business decisions.
Was it really that hard for us to turn a key? Most of us still use keys in our own home. Is the convenience of swipe cards worth the cost?
