ATLANTA—Oxy-Gen Powered, a leader in innovative air-freshening and hygiene solutions, is introducing Oxygen-Pro, a programmable and continuous air freshening system that eliminates malodors. Oxygen-Pro allows users to customize the fragrance intensity with various cartridge sizes and settings. The Regular cartridge offers 30-day odor control and the Grande cartridge can be set to 30-, 60- or 90-day scent delivery. The fragrances have no CFCs, propellents, alcohols or allergens, and no added VOCs or solvents. “Many air fresheners simply mask odors and only release scent periodically, either via gels, solids or aerosols,” said Chris Whiting, Executive Vice President—North America, Oxy-Gen Powered. “Our...

PORDENONE, ITALY—It has long been known that certain types of plants are effective indoor air cleaners—Spider Plants, Dracaena, and Boston Fern are a few examples. Vitesy, an Italy-based company, has combined the power of plants with cutting-edge technology and design to create a natural air purifier that removes air pollution and analyzes indoor air quality. Natede is the name of the product that utilizes the roots of a plant and a photocatalytic filter covered with titanium dioxide to capture and eliminate VOCs, viruses, odors, and bacteria. The technological core of Natede pumps the air through the roots where harmful...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., a leading manufacturer of room air conditioning and other home environment products, earned the industry’s top “Supplier of the Year” award for 2019 from AD HVAC. The award, which was presented during AD HVAC annual member meeting held earlier this month, reflects Friedrich’s strong commitment to support independent distributors by offering a wide range of innovative product solutions, training, customer service and personalized support. As a member-owned organization, AD brings growth-oriented independent distributors and best-in-class supplier partners together with the purpose of outperforming the market and staying ahead of the competition. For nearly six years,...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—Environmental and public health experts agree that proactive water management plans, stronger policies, collaboration, communication and regulation are needed to stop the rapidly increasing number of Legionnaires’ disease cases and outbreaks. Representatives from public health agencies, water utilities, water industry organizations, regulatory bodies and academia were among 360 international attendees at Legionella Conference 2019, Building Water Systems: The Sustainability and Public Health Nexus, co-hosted by NSF International and the National Environmental Health Association September 11 to 13 in Los Angeles. The conference emphasized the importance of building water management plans and served as an important driver in thought leadership...

ORLANDO—The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show wrapped up last week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando with more than 400 exhibitors demonstrating their products to restaurateurs and hoteliers from all over the state and beyond. Many of the suppliers on hand offered products to reduce energy and water consumption as well as waste. The following is a list of some of those suppliers along with descriptions of the products they introduced. True Green Enterprises, Inc.—The maker of tree free paper straws, bath tissue, jumbo roll tissue, facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, and paper cups, announced that it will...

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – Millennial travelers have spoken: they want more plants, please. In a recent survey by Orbitz, 63 percent of millennial vacationers said the hotel amenity they’d most like to see is more plants in their hotel rooms and the same amount said they are seeking out plant-filled spaces and activities such as botanical gardens and parks on vacation. That’s why Orbitz, in collaboration with Garfield Park Conservatory (GPC) and The Kimpton Gray in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood, are teaming up to create the first plant pop-up hotel, bookable exclusively on Orbitz.com during National Indoor Plant Week September 16 to...

ATLANTA—ASHRAE, a nonprofit technical society headquartered in Atlanta, has developed resources to help reduce the risk of Legionella, including Standard 188, which provides a comprehensive approach to help prevent the growth and spread of Legionella within building water systems. “With the recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Atlanta, we would like to increase awareness of the resources available to help minimize health risks associated with building water systems,” said Darryl K. Boyce, P. Eng, 2019-20 ASHRAE President. The CDC estimates approximately 6,100 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States each year. Most of those cases result from exposure to Legionella...

The next time you think about using scented cleaning products, personal care products or adding scents to areas of your hotel, think about your guests and your associates. According to a June 2019 study by Anne Steinemann entitled, “International Prevalence of fragrance sensitivity,” 32 percent of adults reported fragrance sensitivity. To get to the 32 percent, surveys were conducted in four countries—United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and Sweden. Commonly reported health problems include respiratory difficulties (16.7 percent), mucosal symptoms (13.2 percent), migraine headaches (12.6 percent), skin rashes (9.1 percent), and asthma attacks (7.0 percent). For 9.5 percent of the...

NATIONAL REPORT—Legionella can make people ill and has been linked to dozens of deaths. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Legionella bacteria, normally found in fresh water such as lakes and streams, can infiltrate water systems and colonize in showerheads, sinks, water heaters, cooling towers and even fountains if they are not treated properly. Twelve guests recently contracted Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, at a Sheraton hotel in Atlanta. One of the guests subsequently died, and another 61 “probable cases” were identified by the Georgia Department of Health. After three days...

ATLANTA—Pure Wellness, a pioneer and leader in hotel guestroom wellness solutions, announces the expansion of their portfolio with the installation of 15 Pure Rooms at three properties in Atlanta, one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Now, wellness-minded travelers visiting the Fairfield Inn and Suites Atlanta Kennesaw, or Marriott International’s Springhill Suites Atlanta Kennesaw and Springhill Suites Atlanta Buford/Mall of Georgia can experience Pure Rooms. “Both the Fairfield and Marriott International brands are known and designed to deliver an inviting and effortless experience for guests,” said Haley Payne, Chief Wellness Experience Officer for Pure Wellness. “The wellness trend is...