The nation’s first “wood key card” debuted last week at the Democratic National Convention in Denver as part of the DNC’s “eco-friendly movement”. The company Sustainable Cards, (located in Boulder, Colorado), donated 70,000 keys to hotels hosting conventioneers.

Damen Kompanowski, general manager of the Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park, said his hotel had been eager to try the cards in light of customer demands for greener services. “We get the question every day: What are you doing to make your hotel more eco-friendly?’ ” he said. “We love the look of the keys. The guests love them. It makes the check-in process just a little more fun.”

There have been a few issues with the wood keys. Some of them cracked, broke, or became warped because they’re not as strong as plastic. However, Kompanowski said he is looking at several different products, and Sustainable Cards spokeswoman Cori Keeton Pope said the company is getting feedback from Denver hotel operators in order to make “any necessary manufacturing adjustments to make sure they’re offering the best possible alternative to plastic key cards.”

Bravo to all the companies that are beginning to experiment with keys made of wood, paper, corn and other recyclable materials. Who needs plastic cards when you can be walking around feeling better about using recycled wood to get into your hotel rooms!