Businesses care about the sustainability of our planet and they are seeking partners who also care about the planet. Business partners adapt this green initiative in choosing hotels for lodging and facilities where they will hold their conferences. Change the light bulbs to LEDs. Put some solar panels on the roof. These are great steps to take to reduce your carbon footprint. But what do you do with your property’s food waste? A total of 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually worldwide. Sending solid food waste to a landfill can create more than 10 times the effect on...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technology and services, has been named to the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) North America index, a comprehensive and highly regarded assessment of leading sustainability-driven companies. This is the second consecutive year Ecolab has been named to the North America index, and the company’s third listing since 2012.“Our inclusion in the 2016 DJSI North America index reflects the commitment of our associates to responsible and sustainable business practices,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We are honored to be recognized for this commitment,...

NATIONAL REPORT—A field study of rack and flight conveyor dishwashers conducted by Pacific Gas and Electric Company Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) documents the energy and water savings and economic benefits of replacing an old inefficient dishwasher with a new efficient or best-in-class dishwasher. The study, entitled “Conveyor Dishwasher Performance Field Evaluation Report,” highlights how dishwashers become less efficient over time and how many dishwashers fail to operate to their design specifications. Summary data from the nine dishwashers monitored during the study were added to nine other dishwashers previously monitored by FSTC in the last five years. One of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Are you getting what you paid for from seafood suppliers? If your fish is mislabeled or short-weighted, you could be the victim of seafood fraud. As a result, you could be losing money and/or perpetuating the fraud by inadvertently deceiving your guests.Seafood fraud can occur anywhere along the supply chain, says Lisa Weddig, Secretary of the Better Seafood Board, which works with restaurants, retailers and manufacturers to report suppliers that commit economic fraud.The most common issues of seafood fraud are menu mislabeling, species substitution and short weighting. Menu mislabeling occurs when a restaurateur or retailer markets one species...

MADISON, WIS.—OMNI Solutions, a Wisconsin-based laundry and housekeeping chemical company that provides on-premises laundry and housekeeping chemical solutions to customers in the healthcare and hospitality marketplace, has been awarded an 8,000 Lux Hydroxyl Laundry System installation agreement with TwinMed, LLC, one of the largest full-line medical supplies distributors in the United States.OMNI Solutions provides innovative, earth-friendly on-premises laundry and housekeeping cleaning solutions, primarily to customers in the healthcare and hospitality marketplace. OMNI Solutions’ line of laundry detergents, softeners and stain removers are injected into standard commercial washing units through their patent pending LUX Hydroxyl System to supercharge the washing...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—EnviroPure, a self-contained food waste disposal system, has moved to a standardized equipment line that offers customers more convenient ordering and delivery and faster, easier installation. The move allows EnviroPure to better accommodate a variety of facilities with unique food waste disposal needs without the need for time-consuming custom design. Six new standard system sizes offer capacities ranging from 300 to 2,000 pounds of food waste per day.The standard systems are optimized for kitchens serving approximately 950 to 6,000 meals per day. Higher capacity units can still be customized as needed.“These new standard systems are sized to...

OAK BROOK, ILL.—The latest member of Chicago’s local food movement is B., a hyperlocal farm-to-table restaurant located at the newly renovated Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center just 30 minutes west of downtown. Centered around three core pillars; local, fresh and seasonal, B.’s “casually dramatic” identity is distinctive in every aspect of the original concept, from its modern design meets Audubon setting to its globally artistic menu designed by Executive Chef Sean Patrick Curry. Among the highlights, the 167-seat full-service restaurant, which is now officially open to the public, features a patisserie helmed by an award-winning pastry...

NEW YORK—It’s official. New York City’s newly mandated commercial organics law (1162-A) will hold certain foodservice establishments to a higher standard of food waste management and many operators have no real understanding of how this can negatively affect their business. ORCA has announced a solution—the ORCA system—for diverting food waste from landfills and incineration that is 100 percent compliant and easy to implement.“This is a serious issue for many of New York City’s high volume restaurants and hotels,” says Spiro Frangos, Director of Business Development for ORCA. “Our ORCA system is specifically designed to address and immediately solve the...

NATIONAL REPORT—With many areas of the United States experiencing from abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions this summer, many hoteliers are taking a close look at opportunities for water savings. One area of operations where there is an opportunity to reduce water use significantly is the laundry. At least two companies—P&G Professional and Ecolab USA—are gaining traction with programs that not only save water but also reduce energy consumption and extend linen life as well. P&G Professional’s Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System helps reduce the water used in a commercial washer by up to 40 percent. Ecolab’s Aquanomic Laundry...

SAN RAMON, CALIF.—According to fishnick, it has launched its Fe3 online sustainability training for foodservice professionals. Fe3 (Foodservice Energy Efficiency Expert) is an online training program designed specifically to educate and certify foodservice professionals in the fundamentals of energy and water efficiency for commercial foodservice.A few years ago, the fishnick team started the discussion of creating certification training for foodservice professionals that would be delivered on an e Learning platform. Fishnick enlisted a small team to help execute the idea and bring Fe3 to life.Fe3’s development team consists of: Richard Young (Curriculum Development - Fe3; Dir. of Education -...