How to Save Water in Your Hostel: Practical Tips for Big Impact
Saving water: Little Monkey Hostel in Enschede
Sustainability in hospitality is often seen as something reserved for big hotel chains — with large budgets, complex systems and dedicated teams. But Little Monkey Hostel in Enschede proves otherwise:
You don’t need to be big to make a meaningful difference.
They’ve turned small, everyday actions into global impact — one flush, one towel, and one shower at a time. A waterless urinal alone already saves 750.000 litres of water each year!
Keep reading to find out how saving water can leads to unexpected benefits. For the planet, your guests, and your business.
one night
100 litres
Every night, Little Monkey donates €0,05 cents per occupied room — turning a basic overnight stay into something with global impact.
How?
Simply by saving water — with gentle reminders and intelligent design.
With those €0,05, Made Blue can provide 100 litres of clean drinking water to one of the 7.3 million people world-wide who still lack access.
In-room, guests can scan a Made Blue QR-code to allocate the 100L to a project of their choice.
how does Little Monkey hostel
save water ?
no fuss
water saving
At Little Monkey Hostel in Eindhoven, water-saving is quietly woven into the fabric of everyday life — through small, deliberate choices that add up.
Subtle signs on bathrooms doors, clothing hangers and a label on the toilet flush contain calm, clever invitations:
Reuse your towel. Take a slightly shorter shower. Press the small flush.
That’s it.
Behind the scenes, the hostel has upgraded its infrastructure to back it all up.
Smart design
real water savings
Alongside low-cost, easy-to-implement nudges that guide guests toward more sustainable choices, Little Monkey has gone a step further by installing sensor taps, eco-showers, and waterless urinals — all designed to reduce water use without compromising comfort or cleanliness.
The waterless urinals are especially notable:
Thanks to a special technique, they stay clean and odourless without flushing. Yes, you heard that right! They’re more hygienic than their flushing counterparts.
All while saving 2 to 5 litres of clean water per use, which adds up to around 750,000 litres saved annually — the equivalent of 10,000 hotel showers and an entire year of safe water for 102 people in water-scarce areas.
For guests it’s seamless experience. No extra steps, no compromise. Just smart, quiet engineering.
why should hostels save water?
Sustainability isn’t just about values — it’s also operationally smart. For hostels these efforts come with clear benefits:
Lower utility bills and workload
Every towel that isn’t washed means: less hot water and energy costs, fewer chemicals, less labour, less wear on linens and longer life for washing machines — a relief, both for the environment and smaller, independent hostels operating on thinner margins.
Increased guest engagement
Consumer values have shifted and sustainability has become a competitive factor, not just a compliance issue. Research consistently shows that visible and meaningful sustainability increases guest satisfaction, brand trust, and even the likelihood of repeat bookings — especially among younger and budget-conscious travellers like those staying in hostels.
Meaningful Commitment
Partnering with Made Blue demonstrates more than just good intentions. It shows your hostel is not only reducing its own footprint and managing operational costs by saving water, but actively helping communities gain access to one of life’s most basic needs.
Stronger bonds with Staff
Research indicates that a significant majority of both Gen Z and Millennials — often employed by hostels — prioritise working for companies that align with their values and demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
No large investment required
You don’t need to spend budget on huge renovations. Stickers, signage, and water-saving features are low-cost, scalable, and easy to implement — even for smaller hostels.
We help you
save water in your hotel
Made Blue works with hotels that participate in the Gift of Water programme, helping them to encourage their guests to be more mindful of their water use.
After a year of tracking their data, we found their water use approaching benchmarks set for water-efficient hotels in the European hospitality sector.
Guests used an average of 7.5% less water per night following the introduction of in-room reminders.
In addition, their water usage came much closer to the average water consumption of a European resident. This gives hotels a concrete goal to work towards in reducing their environmental impact.
made blue can help with
Water saving techniques
The many ambassadors of the Made Blue Foundation include various companies such as Luniwave, Blycolin, i-team and CWS who can help you save water in your hotel.
For example: water-saving shower heads, smart cleaning (machines), sustainable textiles, interactive IoT-shower sensors, and sensor taps.
We would be happy to connect you!
Join with your hotel
Make a huge impact for the 703,000,000 people world-wide that still lack access to clean water and:
Save water
Save money
Impress your guests
Whether you serve water in your guest rooms or your restaurant — we provide sustainable solutions that reduce your footprint, help you make global impact and tell a meaningful story.