During attempts to arrange interviews for articles, I am occasionally asked—usually by suppliers—if they will have an opportunity to review the article before it is published online. I always tell them no and if I should happen to make an error I will gladly correct it. That is the great thing about the Internet—you can make changes after the fact. After hearing my “no,” in most cases the person will agree to move forward with the interview. Such was not the case the past couple of weeks when I attempted to get Ecolab to participate in an article on cold water washing for the laundry. After numerous calls trying to chat with the right person, I was finally e-mailed. Ecolab at first wondered who else would be featured in the article—it was P&G Professional, a competitor, but I did not tell them that. I guess Ecolab wanted all of the glory—if there is such a thing in a Green Lodging News article. Their final e-mail to me said (I never got a reply after): “One last question, will we be able to proof what you write before it is published?”
Really, Ecolab should not be so cautious about telling its story. It is doing a lot of good things in the laundry and elsewhere. And, even with their refusal to chat with me, I still included them in my article, “Cold Water Washing: Opportunities for Significant Water, Energy Savings.” Be sure to read the article. If you have not yet adopted a cold water washing program, I highly recommend it.
P&G Professional currently offers its Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System and Ecolab has its Aquanomic Laundry Program. (Both companies are not Green Lodging News advertisers.) Thanks to great chemistry, the two programs offer up to 40 percent water savings—especially good if your property is in a drought-restricted area. According to Chris Gaunt, P&G Professional Hospitality Manager for North America, typically a hotel heats water to 140 degrees for its laundry. The Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System only requires 90 degree water. Related energy savings as a result can be as much as 75 percent.
Linen Life Extended
The Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System includes four products—a near-neutral pH coldwater detergent, Downy fabric softener, bleach and whiteness enhancer. The system’s near-neutral pH formula and added Tide Professional Whiteness Enhancer also protects fabric integrity to keep linens looking newer longer to help reduce linen replacement costs by up to 15 percent.
Gaunt says for every dollar invested in the Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System, a property will save $3.00. A return on one’s investment can be expected in the first month, he says. P&G Professional says a 150-room property can expect up to $8,700 in annual savings.
The Aquanomic Laundry Program promises up to 40 percent in energy savings. “Aquanomic, combined with the Smart Wash Process, reduces wash steps, water usage and water temperature,” Ecolab says on its website. From a safety standpoint, Ecolab says the Aquanomic Laundry Program offers Phosphate-free and NPE-free chemistry to help protect waterways and the environment. Closed loop dispensing and color coded products improve safety and reduce exposure to chemicals. As with the Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System, the Aquanomic Laundry Program works with programmable washers. The pre-programmed Smart Wash Process ensures consistent savings each and every load, Ecolab says.
Have you made the transition to cold, or I should say colder water washing? I would love to learn about the results you have had so far. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Green Lodging News Welcomes PragmaTech as Founding Sponsor
Green Lodging News welcomes PragmaTech Ltd. as a Founding Sponsor. Thanks to the power of the “Internet of Things”, PragmaTech has developed tools to combine its expertise in solid waste equipment with an advanced ERP/CRM platform called Pandora Intelligent Networks. Customers experience significantly improved waste management, recycling, and sustainability achievements; and improved asset management results from PragmaTech’s ability to collect and analyze data generated from waste equipment. PragmaTech’s fullness monitoring capabilities typically result in 30 percent to 50 percent savings off one’s total waste haulage bill. The data collected allows PragmaTech to offer preventative maintenance services while reducing unnecessary and costly service calls. The company’s asset management service tracks the health of equipment, collects data that allows for lifecycle planning, maximizing up-time, cross-location comparisons, etc. For more information contact Gabe Vinizki at (647) 453-0351, or by e-mail at gabev@pragmatechltd.com. You may also visit http://www.pragmatechltd.com.
Green Lodging Survey
The Green Lodging Survey, a joint effort of Green Lodging News and Greenview, is now ‘live’ and open through August 31. Be sure to complete the survey and have others do the same. The survey is geared toward those who own and operate lodging establishments anywhere in the world. Click here to access the survey.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2016?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2016. Many excellent spots are available on the website, in the weekly e-mail newsletter, and just-announced Green Lodging Survey. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2016 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 4,948. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There is a “subscribe” form in the upper left area of the Green Lodging News home page.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,703 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 783 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
