WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Alliance to Save Energy vowed to fight budget cuts for federal energy efficiency programs proposed Thursday by the Trump administration, including the elimination of the successful ENERGY STAR program and sharp reductions at the Department of Energy (DOE). “This is a destructive proposal that walks away from decades of bipartisan support for energy efficiency going back to the Reagan administration and beyond,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “We oppose these cuts in the strongest possible terms and will do everything we can to fight them in Congress.” “This budget ignores the fact that energy efficiency creates jobs and economic growth,” Callahan adds....

This week’s guest blogger is Will Harmon, Marketing Associate at BlueCart. Sustainability is a word that’s tossed around relentlessly, especially now as we transition from winter to spring and we enter the growing season. Sustainable food, sustainable communities, sustainable transportation; almost everything has a sustainable variant these days. That’s fantastic. It wasn’t too long ago that these variants didn’t exist. With viable options for reducing waste, whether it be food scraps or C02, more and more people are able to tap into sustainable resources to streamline their operations for maximum efficiency. One of the cornerstones of the sustainable movement is the...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes reCollect2 Co. as a sponsor of the Green Lodging Trends Report. The Green Lodging Trends Report is the lodging industry’s annual exercise to assess and catalyze green innovation, best practices, and awareness regarding the state of sustainability across hotels worldwide. This year’s Green Lodging Trends Report will summarize the results of a second annual survey produced by Green Lodging News and Greenview. reCollect2 Co. is creator of the reCollect2 in-room recycling receptacle. Designed with simplicity in mind, the reCollect2 offers a clean, cohesive and streamlined look. Each three-piece set includes: a...

Hotels are gold mines (green mines) of paint waste! Sitting in the bowels of the building, in a storage room, or straddled over several parking spaces a few levels underground, or out on the loading dock, partially used paint buckets and canisters abound. A single property can have one to three tons of paint waste per building. That’s as much as 800 gallons of paint! Reasons Hotels Have So Much Paint Waste on Site Paint that matches the existing palette is needed anytime there are structural renovations or remodeling. Corporate or property interior designers change the paint color schematic. Paint is needed for...

NEW YORK—Up on the roof of the Conrad New York, a luxury waterfront, all-suite hotel located in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, Executive Chef Gerron Douglas can be found year-round, overseeing a garden that even in the winter produces root vegetables, squash and some herbs. The rooftop garden and green roof have been in place since the LEED Gold certified hotel was renovated six years ago. “There is always something there,” Douglas says. “We adjust based on the season.” In the warmer months the garden produces lettuce, mustard greens and tomatoes. Douglas adds, “We really try...

DALLAS—Clean Sleep, a mobile, high-tech mattress cleaning company based in Dallas, announced strategic licensing partnerships with groups in Canada and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). “We are extremely excited to announce our Clean Sleep partnership with representation in Canada,” said Jack Drummond, President of Clean Sleep Canada Corp. “We now offer our services in British Columbia and Alberta provinces and very soon we will expand throughout Canada with potential investors and future franchise opportunities. It is our mission to be the leader in Canadian market verticals such as healthcare, hospitality, student housing as well as residential mattress cleaning supported...

TAOS SKI VALLEY, N.M.—Taos Ski Valley says it is the first ski resort in the world to become a Certified B Corporation® (B Corp) by thoroughly demonstrating its commitment to deliberate and thoughtful social, economic and environmental actions. Certified B Corps are required to meet the highest standards of verified economic, social and environmental performance, and public transparency. The B Corp certification further underscores Taos Ski Valley’s investment in the people who live in Northern New Mexico, its commitment to a sustainable economic future, its stewardship of the natural environment, and respect for the visitors who come to experience...

WASHINGON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council released its LEED in Motion: Venues report, which highlights the efforts of convention centers, sports venues, performing arts centers, community centers and public assembly spaces to transform their environmental, social and economic footprint through LEED certification. The report showcases some of the most impressive green venues around the world. “The scope and scale of the venues industry is enormous, and the leaders creating these spaces have an important role to play in reducing environmental impact,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, President & CEO of USGBC. “By incorporating green practices, venues around the world are positively impacting their triple bottom...

MINNEAPOLIS—Restaurant Technologies showcased its award-winning Total Oil Management solution, an automated oil management system, and recently launched AutoMist, an automated hood, flue and fan cleaner, at NAFEM in Orlando earlier this month. AutoMist was featured in the WHAT’S HOT! WHAT’S COOL! product gallery for the first time. “Technology is changing the way kitchens operate, and that is why we’ve forecasted 2017 the year of the smarter kitchen,” said Jeff Kiesel, CEO of Restaurant Technologies. “We believe food service operators will realize that being smart in the kitchen is no longer an option, but an obligation to address the evolving...

LAGRANGE, GA.—It was more than 20 years ago that Interface, the maker of carpet tile, set a very ambitious goal: to have no negative impact on the planet by the year 2020. It called its decades-long project “Mission Zero.” With less than three years to go until 2020, Green Lodging News spoke with Interface’s Mikhail Davis to learn how close the company is to reaching its goal. Davis, based in San Francisco, is Director of Restorative Enterprise and a Certified Biomimicry Specialist. Davis says two of Interface’s key metrics are energy use per unit of production and how much of...