NATIONAL REPORT—Almost exactly a year ago, McDonald’s USA announced it would become the first national restaurant chain to adopt the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) blue ecolabel on its fish packaging in restaurants in the United States. McDonald’s made a similar commitment in Europe in 2011. McDonald’s decision has had significant impact on the fishing industry; more than 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the United States have met the MSC Chain of Custody standard for traceability, which is the ability to track the fish all the way back through the supply chain to the fishery.While what McDonald’s has done with its...

GURNEE, ILL.—KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort has been honored with the StayGreen designation from the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) for its continued efforts to proactively use eco-friendly products and services to reduce its impact on the environment.IHLA’s StayGreen designation standards are extensive and specific. Environmentally friendly efforts outlined in the StayGreen questionnaire include efforts such as recycling and waste management programs, the use of Energy Star products throughout guestrooms and hotel, the use of only non-phosphate, nontoxic, biodegradable concentrated cleaning products and laundry detergent, and consumable paper products made from recycled fibers, such as tissue, napkins, paper...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A partnership announced recently uses forensic wood science to test the accuracy of environmental claims being made about forest products from around the world. The landmark agreement between the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) establishes a cooperative research program in which forensic wood science is employed to investigate supply chain integrity, verify product claims, and identify opportunities to use the best available and emerging forensic wood science to verify the accuracy of claims found on FSC-certified products.“This is a cutting-edge effort to further ensure FSC claims are accurate,” said Kim...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International returned as the presenting sponsor of the 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade held on Monday, January 20 at 10 a.m. in downtown Las Vegas.Hailed as one of the nation’s most popular annual parades celebrating the ideals and life of Dr. King, thousands lined the Fourth Street parade route to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy of promoting equal and human rights. The theme for this year’s parade was “Living the Dream: Celebrating the Legacy; Daring to Dream.”“MGM Resorts stands committed to advancing Dr. King’s dream of a world where every American, and every human...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Dozens of the world’s biggest companies have registered to participate in the 2014 GreenBiz Forum, GreenBiz Group’s flagship event for sustainability executives, to be held February 18 to 20 in Phoenix.The Forum brings together sustainability leaders from business, nonprofits, and the public sector to take the pulse of the profession, explore new trends and themes, and engage in hands-on workshops with their peers.This year’s Forum is being presented in partnership with The Sustainability Consortium, a global collaboration of companies and stakeholders aimed at building a scientific foundation for improving consumer product sustainability; and the Global Institute of Sustainability...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry (UA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have reached an agreement on a landmark proposal to save energy and water in new buildings. The two organizations jointly submitted a proposal to the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to require the insulation of hot water piping in new buildings.Today, many Americans waste millions of gallons of water by letting water run until it’s hot enough for use in showers and sinks. To curtail this waste in new buildings, NRDC and the UA...

AJMAN, UAE—Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman Ajman Municipality, and in association with UAE Ministry of Education, Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman announced the winners of the Go Green Art Competition and awarded the prizes in a grand ceremony held in the hotel’s Majestic Ballroom.The grand prize winners are Obied Abdulrahman of Al Mansoor Primary School in the Grade 2 & 3 Category and Duaa Jayed Akhter of Al Amaal English High School in the Grade 4 & 5 Category. The entries of the two students on the theme “Go Green: Reduce,...

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—With its “minimalist footprint philosophy,” Portsmouth, N.H.-based Colwen Hotel Management, along with its sister hotel development company, XSS LLC, has established itself as one of the lodging industry’s leading supporters of LEED certification. In fact, according to John Stebbins, project manager for XSS LLC, the development process for any hotel XSS invests in begins with a commitment to LEED.“We evaluate LEED each time on an economic basis,” Stebbins says. “It has made sense so far.”Four Colwen-managed hotels are currently LEED certified: the Courtyard Keene Downtown Marriott, Keene, N.H. (Certified); Residence Inn Portsmouth Downtown, Portsmouth, N.H. (Silver); TownePlace Suites...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The movement for healthier, high-performing buildings has reached a new milestone, as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently issued the 20,000th LEED certification for a commercial project. USGBC’s Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) certified the offices and staff services space in the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) plant in Knoxville, Tenn., under LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI).“The 20,000th LEED certification belongs to an organization that shares our social and environmental values, and we applaud GMCR on its accomplishment,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “This is an important milestone in our mission to...

SINGAPORE—Hilton Worldwide announced the expansion of its Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia with three new renewable energy projects receiving support for 2014. The Mungcharoen Biomass Project in Thailand, the Musi Hydro Project in Indonesia, and the Song Ong Small Hydro Project in Vietnam will join the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project in Malaysia as beneficiaries of the program.Initiated in October 2012, Hilton Worldwide’s Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia measures carbon generated by meetings and events held at Hilton Worldwide properties in the region, and, at no cost to customers, offsets this through the purchase of carbon credits. Hotels...