Annual CO2 Impact of Bed Bug Treatments for a 50-Room Hotel Equals 229 London-New York Economy Flights, Valpas Study Finds
- Independent study commissioned by Valpas reveals the significant environmental toll of outdated chemical bed bug treatments — despite the availability of a zero-chemical technology alternative.
- The global impact is staggering: one in 50 hotel rooms experiences an infestation annually, costing the industry €15 billion each year in lost revenue, reputational damage, and chemical treatment expenses.
- "Protecting nature starts indoors. The hospitality industry can now stop and reverse this environmentally destructive cycle with a single, simple action. A non-toxic, digital solution exists that also eliminates the need for chemical use in homes after travel." says Valpas CEO Martim Gois.
Helsinki, Finland, 10th of February 2025
Bed bug treatments in hotels come at a steep environmental cost. A study commissioned by Valpas, the only travel platform for safe, sustainable, and bed bug-free stays, 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, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Emissions Calculator.
This staggering statistic is based on the study's findings, which reveal 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 says: “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.
Recently Valpas secured €4m 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.
About Valpas
Valpas makes safe, sustainable, bed bug-free travel a reality, allowing everyone to travel today without fear of health or environmental risks tomorrow.
Founded in Helsinki in 2017 by Martim Gois, Vertti Sarimaa, Aleksi Jokela, and Matti Parkkila, who met at Aalto University, Valpas now protects over 40,000 rooms across 300 hotels worldwide. These hotels carry the Valpas ‘bed bug safe’ label, certifying that they use Valpas technology in every room to guarantee guest safety and pesticide-free stays.
For more information visit: www.valpashotels.com