The South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance is a program of the South Carolina Hospitality Association and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling designed to help hotels, motels, restaurants and other hospitality facilities go green.

The hospitality industry is a large consumer. Each facility purchases goods and services, creates and disposes of waste, uses energy and water, and, just like any individual, leaves an environmental footprint.  Through its sheer size, the hospitality industry has a huge impact not only on South Carolina's economy, but on the state's environment.

Operating in an environmentally responsible fashion, the hospitality industry can lead by example with everyday, cost-effective practices that help protect and preserve the state's environment as well as the quality of life for all South Carolinians.

To be a member of the South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance, hotels and restaurants must complete an audit of their property's compliance with unique eco-initiatives that are designed to create a more sustainable environment. Environmentally friendly measures that are reviewed include energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, environmentally safe cleaning, reduction of waste, ongoing maintenance, purchasing habits, plus many other factors.

Properties are rated based on their compliance with these Eco-initiatives, from a single Palmetto Tree to three Palmetto Trees.