Bed bug treatments in hotels come at a steep environmental cost it’s revealed as a study commissioned by Valpas, the bed-bug-free stays travel platform shows that eradicating bed bugs in a 50-room hotel generates the same CO₂ emissions as 229 one-way economy flights for a single passenger between London and New York.
The statistic is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Emissions Calculator for what 229 one-way flights per passenger between the destinations generates.
Findings of the study showed that an average 50-room hotel experiences one bed bug infestation per year.
This leads to the fumigation of five adjacent rooms as a precaution to stop the spread, along with a full-property preventive chemical treatment applied annually.
These treatments result in a total carbon footprint of 70.8 tons of CO₂ per hotel per year, underscoring the significant environmental impact of conventional bed bug control methods.
Once an infestation occurs, the only traditional solution is heavy-duty chemical fumigation, such as sulfuryl fluoride, which has harmful consequences beyond CO₂ emissions.
Neonicotinoid-based indoor pesticides, commonly used in fumigation, disrupt biodiversity and reduce vital pollinators.
Worse, only about 5% of the chemicals reach their intended target, while the rest disperses into the air and water supply, amplifying environmental damage.
Martim Gois, CEO and co-founder of Valpas, said: “Protecting nature starts indoors. The hospitality industry now has the power to stop – and even reverse -this environmentally destructive cycle with a single, simple action.
“A non-toxic, digital solution exists that not only eliminates the use of chemicals in hotels and rentals but also prevents their spread to homes, ensuring travelers return without bringing bed bugs with them.
“In the past, hospitality has been the ‘bed bug hive’, spreading infestations and increasing chemical use in homes.
“Today, the industry has the opportunity to be a global change agent, making travel and everyday living safer for all.
“Industry initiatives like reducing single-use plastics and reusing towels are a step in the right direction. But eliminating pesticides takes sustainability to the next level – cutting carbon impact by three times more while protecting vital biodiversity, including bees and other pollinators.”
Following a successful 2024, Valpas recently unveiled ambitious plans to grow the number of beds in hotels using the Valpas ‘hospitality standard’ by 50x to reach 2 million by the end of 2030.
This comes after it secured €4 million in seed funding in a round led by Zenith VC alongside Icebreaker VC, Finnish Industry Investment, Canon Marketing Japan MIRAI Fund, Activum SG Ventures, Houghton Street Ventures, Rockaway Ventures and Morrow Ventures.
