Home Publisher's Point of View WHOLE WORLD Water Works Out Kinks as Interest in Program Escalates

WHOLE WORLD Water Works Out Kinks as Interest in Program Escalates

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It was almost a year ago that I first learned about WHOLE WORLD Water, an effort to raise funds to support clean and safe water programs around the world. The campaign officially launched on World Water Day last year, March 22. For those of you not familiar with how the program works, spas, hotels, resorts and restaurants commit to filter, bottle and sell their own water, and contribute 10 percent of the proceeds to the WHOLE WORLD Water Fund. Royal Bank of Canada will manage the Fund.

I spoke with Karena Albers, co-founder, WHOLE WORLD Water, this past week, to see how the program is faring. (Other co-founders: Jen Willig and Sonu Shivdasani.) “We have 49 hotels signed on and many more promised in the New Year,” she told me. “2014 will be our turnaround year.” Companies already making commitments to participate include The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “We just signed on the Dream Hotel in New York City,” Albers said.

As with any startup, there are glitches to be worked out. It has taken longer than expected to get commitments to participate and, in larger companies especially, there have often been many layers of operations to work through. Initially, hotels were asked to pay an annual membership fee of $1,000 to participate. That fee has since been eliminated and participants are only being asked to commit to the 10 percent of sales donation. Of course those companies with a stake in selling their own bottled or filtered water to hotels have not been happy with hotels selling their own filtered water. And, Albers said her organization learned there are places where it is illegal to sell filtered municipal water—India and the United Arab Emirates, for example.

First Money from Water Sales Due This Month

Monies from the sale of filtered water since last March are due at the end of this month so Albers does not yet know how much money has been raised. “We don’t expect to have substantial monies until mid-2014,” she said. Soon, the WHOLE WORLD Water website will have an application available for any organization wishing to apply for funds to use for water projects.

The program has a lot of participants in Australia and in island nations where clean water availability is of special concern. WHOLE WORLD Water is in discussion with several resorts in the Philippines.

When asked if there is one company that has really embraced its filtered water concept, Albers said the Tao restaurant group. Filtered water to benefit WHOLE WORLD Water is the only water that is sold in the company’s restaurants. “We did a pep rally for employees here in New York City,” Albers said. “They are selling more WHOLE WORLD Water than any other type of bottled water they sold previously.”

WHOLE WORLD Water is working on a feature length documentary film called “Thirst” that will be narrated by Brad Pitt. Albers told me it will premiere on September 27 later this year—World Tourism Day.

Be sure to watch for more updates on WHOLE WORLD Water throughout 2014.

GLN Adds Two New Case Studies to Website

Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added two new case studies to its website—one from Protect-A-Bed and one from Electrolux Professional Laundry Equipment. The Protect-A-Bed case study details how the Hilton Chicago Northbrook is benefiting from having its 390 mattresses encased by Protect-A-Bed Allerzip Smooth mattress encasements. With the encasements, guests are benefiting from protection from allergens like dust, dust mites, dead skin, mold, pet dander and pollen. The encasements are bed bug entry and escape proof on all six sides and also bite proof and waterproof on the top surface. To learn more about Protect-A-Bed mattress encasements, contact Sandra DiVito at (847) 856-7918, or by e-mail at sandra.divito@protectabed.com. To read the case study, click here.

The Electrolux Professional Laundry Equipment case study details the Hilton Concord’s recent installation of new Electrolux Professional washers and dryers. Thanks to the Electrolux soft mount washers (two 145-pound capacity and one 60-pound capacity) now being used at the hotel, the property is saving 192,960 gallons of water annually in the laundry. On the drying side, an agreement was reached on five 83-pound capacity Electrolux dryers to replace the dated complement of two 150-pound and two 110-pound dryers. Though drying capacity went down, the speed and efficiency of the Electrolux dryers combined with the high extract G-Force of the washers enable the laundry to process more loads per day (9.78 loads versus 7.81). With the majority of a laundry’s gas consumption coming on the drying side, this is where the Hilton Concord saw a huge reduction in utility usage and costs. Combined with the 90 percent reduction in hot water usage, the laundry is consuming almost half the Btus as it did with the old equipment. The hotel is expected to see roughly $8,400 in gas savings annually. To learn more about Electrolux Professional Laundry equipment, visit www.laundrylux.com. To read the entire case study, click here.

We Have Moved Our Offices!

Green Lodging News has moved its offices from University Heights, Ohio, to Tampa, Fla., as of December 23, 2013. Our new address is: 7438 Gunn Hwy., Tampa, FL 33625. The new office number will be (813) 510-3868. My cell number will remain the same: (216) 702-0334. Of course my e-mail will remain the same: editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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 2014?

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2014. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2014 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.

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As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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