When it comes to theme parks, green is the new black. Busch Entertainment Corporation, whose theme park empire includes SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica, and Busch Gardens, wants to run the greenest tourist attractions around, and it's been making some nice headway. As the Chicago Tribune reports, the Busch parks are converting their petrochemical-based plastic food-service containers and tableware supplies into biodegradable versions made from organic materials, such as sugar cane, corn and bamboo. That means the vast majority of what gets thrown out—from spoons and plates to pizza boxes—will decompose in landfills in mere months instead of hundreds of years. Score one for the environment! While any attempt to go greener is certainly commendable, it's interesting that the folks at Busch acknowledge that one big benefit of making the switch is to gain a marketing edge in the who's-greener-than-who wars.

If a greener travel industry is important to you, a good first step is to become informed about which policies—from recycling to water and energy conservation to waste consumption—make the most difference.