Home Kitchen & Laundry

Kitchen & Laundry

Cooking, cooling, washing and drying all consume large amounts of energy and water. By simply using Energy Star-qualified equipment, a hotel operator can sharply reduce resource consumption. The kitchen and laundry can also be large waste generators. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Kitchen & Laundry

Home Kitchen & Laundry
Cooking, cooling, washing and drying all consume large amounts of energy and water. By simply using Energy Star-qualified equipment, a hotel operator can sharply reduce resource consumption. The kitchen and laundry can also be large waste generators. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Niagara Casinos Awarded 4 Green Keys Rating

NIAGARA FALLS, ON.—Niagara Casinos was awarded a 4 Green Keys rating from Green Key Global acknowledging their sustainable convention facilities and practices, topping off another year of substantial environmental initiatives at both Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.Green Key Global, a leading environmental certification body, takes a comprehensive look at how facilities perform in key areas, such as: energy, water, waste, training, policies, procurement, auditing, air quality, and more. Facilities are then awarded a rating from one to five Keys, five being the highest attainable. Detailed performance reports showcase accomplishments while also outlining improvements to be considered.“We consider this...

Club Coffee Developing Compostable Beverage Pod

SEATTLE—Canadian coffee roaster, Club Coffee, recently announced the PurPod100, which will be the world’s first 100 percent compostable, fully certified single-serve beverage pod. “The amount of used single-serve pods sent into the waste stream last year could have circled the earth 11 times,” said John Pigott, CEO, Club Coffee. “That’s not acceptable. We have the most viable solution available to that issue—a pod that will be certified as 100 percent compostable and can be converted to useful compost.”“As a large manufacturer and distributor of packaged coffee, we have a responsibility to our customers, and to society, to reduce the...

Barry Sternlicht’s SH Group Unveils 1 Hotel Central Park

NEW YORK—SH Group, the hotel brand management arm of Starwood Capital Group, announced the opening of 1 Hotel Central Park. This is the second property for the recently launched 1 Hotels, and the first in New York City. Known for his innovations, Sternlicht developed the brand with goals of truly upending the world of hospitality through a socially and environmentally conscious platform in celebration of the beauty and preservation of nature.A natural haven in the middle of Manhattan, 1 Hotel Central Park stands one block south from New York City’s largest green space, at the corner of 58th Street...

UniMac Introduces Cloud-Based Laundry Management Tool

RIPON, WIS.—UniMac, a provider of on-premises laundry (OPL) equipment, has unveiled TotalVue Powered by UniLinc, a cloud-based monitoring and reporting management tool that helps OPL managers take control of laundry efficiency. TotalVue provides easy, web-based access to key laundry operation data and advanced performance dashboard reports which can be used to make immediate adjustments that improve efficiency and minimize costs.“TotalVue gives facility managers and executives the ability to manage their laundry operation more like a business—with access to real-time, quantitative data, and from anywhere in the world,” said Bill Brooks, North American Sales Manager for UniMac. “TotalVue not only...

Suppliers Innovate to Discover More Sustainable Versions of Popular K-Cup

NATIONAL REPORT—Much has been written about the many millions of partially used bars of soap and amenity bottles disposed of each year. Thanks to Clean the World and other nonprofits, a sizable amount of that waste is now being repurposed. But what about k cups, those little single-serve beverage (mostly coffee) pods used in Keurig Green Mountain brewers? According to research by data firm NPD Group, 40 percent of Canadian homes have a single-serving coffee brewer. In the United States that number is closer to 30 percent. An estimated 20+ billion k cups will be consumed in 2015. Many...

Xeros Laundry System Gaining Traction in California

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water laundry system, announced recently that it is helping five California-based businesses reduce water usage by up to 80 percent in their laundry operations. To put this in context, laundry operations in hotels represent 20 percent of their overall water usage. The California Althletic Club, Stanford Park Hotel, Quality Inn Petaluma, Fairfield Inn Sebastopol, and Hilton Universal are all using the Xeros polymer bead laundry systems. Xeros has also signed eight pioneering commercial laundry equipment distributors in California. These flagship partners are now selling, installing and servicing Xeros’ near-waterless laundry systems.In addition...

AP Plastics Rolls Out K-Cup Display

VICTORIA, B.C.—AP Plastics Inc. is rolling out its newest single-cup capsule displays for hotel rooms. The 4 and 6 hole (SCF4 & SCF6) K-Cup holders will be part of their proprietary Guest Room Single Cup Display System, and will be available to ship this month.The new “ship flat” displays are manufactured in North America with 100 percent reprocessed and recyclable plastic. Their unique “click open” design reduces both packaging and freight costs.“With the hotel industry commitment to green sourcing, finding appropriate sustainable single cup amenities has been problematic,” says Darren Warner, Marketing Director, AP Plastics Inc. “The new SCF...

G-Kup in Pursuit of Compostable Single Serve Coffee Pod

VANCOUVER, B.C.—G-Kup, a Vancouver based start-up focused on sustainable packaging, announces the closing of its initial seed round comprised of several well-known U.S. and Canadian investors including The Charles Edison Fund (The Edison Fund invested as part of their new mandate of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship), Arlene Dickinson (CEO of Venture Communications and District Ventures, and formerly Dragons’ Den), and Lance Tracey (Co-Founder of Peer 1 and Sutton Group Realty).The initial funding will fuel G-Kup’s commercialization of its 100 percent compostable single serve coffee pod.The G-Kup, which has a rigid design similar to licensed Keurig brands, will work in...

Xanterra Releases 2014 CSR Report, Sets Goals for Next Decade

DENVER—Showcasing more than a decade of leadership while taking on the challenge of climate change, global hospitality company Xanterra Parks & Resorts has released its 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, defining and measuring its innovative sustainability improvements. The report also announces ambitious stretch targets for the next decade.The report presents details of improvements measured against goals announced in 2004. The company tracks its environmental performance across all aspects of its operations using an ISO 14001 audited program launched in 2002.Xanterra entities include lodges, restaurants, tours and activities in national and state parks, as well as resorts, a cruise line,...

International Paper Introduces Paper Lids for Food Containers

MEMPHIS, TENN.—International Paper single-use food packaging products now include paper lids. The company announced the launch of new fiber-based lids, a first of its kind to be manufactured in North America, to fit many of the high-quality paper food containers produced by the Foodservice division. The one-piece container covers are specially designed with sustainability, ease of use, and branding possibilities in mind.“More and more customers are looking to take their environmental commitment one step further—they are looking for a total fiber package,” said Tracy Pearson, Vice President and General Manager, Foodservice. “The paper lid is a milestone for the...