WASHINGTON, D.C.—Many foam sofa cushions in the United States contain flame-retardants known to pose risks to human health, according to a new peer-reviewed study released late last month. Researchers at Duke University and University of California found that 85 percent of couches contained toxic or untested flame-retardants, some of which are linked to cancer. In response, business leaders from the Sustainable Furnishings Council, the Specialty Sleep Assn., and the American Sustainable Business Council said that chemical regulations must be improved in order to support public health and a healthy economy.“Our way of protecting consumers from toxic chemicals is broken,”...

SUNRISE, FLA.—Advantix Systems, a manufacturer of energy efficient liquid desiccant air-conditioning and cooling technology, and the Desarrollos Hotelco Group, announced their partnership to deliver Advantix’s liquid desiccant technology to the Caribbean’s hospitality industry. Advantix’s units utilize liquid desiccant, a salt water solution, to provide three important benefits for hotels: significantly lower energy costs, humidity control and improved indoor air quality. Conventional air-conditioning systems have one method for cooling air: chilling the air to its dew point to remove humidity and then reheating that air to a comfortable temperature, an intensive process that requires much energy. Advantix’s units simultaneously remove humidity...

TEMPERANCE, MICH.—MTS Seating has earned GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification for all of its lines of seating products for a fifth consecutive year.“Our continuous certification is one more way we demonstrate that MTS is truly committed to meeting the needs of our customers,” said MTS CEO Phil Swy. “For us, product innovation not only means providing our customers with the high-design, high-quality seating solutions they want, but also making every effort to improve our impact on people and the environment.”GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified is a product certification program for low-emitting building materials, furniture, furnishings, finishes, cleaning products, electronics...

SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced that Moscone Center has received LEED Gold certification, the first convention center on the West Coast to attain the green building honor. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).“Moscone Center is a vital hub for our convention and tourism economy, and we are very proud to have the first convention center on the West Coast to earn LEED Gold for an existing building,” said Mayor Lee. “This is now our City’s largest municipally-owned green building. Receiving LEED Gold on...

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Excel Dryer, Inc. announced that its XLERATOR high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryer is now available with a certified HEPA Filtration System. XLERATOR offers the only certified HEPA filtration system proven to remove 99.97 percent of potentially present bacteria and particulates from the air in the room, and the only one with a washable pre-filter for reliable performance and extended filter life. The HEPA filtration system is now available as an optional XLERATOR feature, or can easily be retrofitted into existing units.“Excel Dryer is the only hand dryer manufacturer that tests and certifies each HEPA filter to ensure it...

MANKATO, MINN.—A new compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) recycling container from VaporLok Products LLC, Mankato, Minn., can safely hold up to four 13-watt, or up to three 23-watt used CFLs, protecting consumers from hazardous mercury vapors if the fragile bulbs inside are broken from mishandling. With the average CFL containing approximately 4 milligrams of mercury, a single broken bulb can release vapor levels dangerous to consumers’ health. Exposure to mercury can cause neurological, kidney and brain damage in adults, children and fetuses.Especially significant, this CFL recycling solution is the only one that adsorbs mercury vapor inside the container to protect...

NEW YORK—Sherwin-Williams is has introduced its Emerald Interior and Exterior paints and ColorCast Ecotoner colorants. Both Emerald paints and ColorCast Ecotoner colorants are zero VOC. Emerald Interior and Exterior paints are self-priming for a high quality finish achieved with fewer coats. The entire line of Sherwin-Williams water-based paints and colors are now tinted with zero VOC colorant. “Sherwin-Williams has always been at the forefront of innovation,” said Steve Revnew, vice president of product innovation, Sherwin-Williams. “These products feature revolutionary quality and industry-leading environmental responsibility.” Emerald Interior paint prevents stains from penetrating, providing easy clean up of surfaces, and resists water streaking...

NATIONAL REPORT—For too many hoteliers, the past three to four years have been fraught with group cancelations, rate attrition, and cost reduction efforts. Engineering operations have been asked to do their part as well, often drastically reducing repair and maintenance expenses.   After all, with 10-12 cents of every dollar headed toward maintenance and energy, hoteliers often opted to eliminate or defer maintenance activities in a desperate attempt to maintain margins, prevent layoffs, or even just to keep the doors open. After years of trying to do more with less, the economic outlook is not quite as grim, and fiscal indicators...

ITHACA, N.Y.—The Survey Research Institute at Cornell University conducted a survey of a sampling of 2,347 people, with a total success of 329 respondents. The purpose of this study was to identify if there are hotel guests that would opt to stay in an allergy friendly room and be willing to pay a small premium for the room. On average, respondents stayed 12 nights per year in hotels or motels and 41 percent of the respondents had allergy issues. Fifty-five percent of respondents said the availability of allergy friendly rooms would cause them to choose a particular hotel over...

WEST CHICAGO, ILL.—Hasek Communications L.L.C., the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Tornado Industries/CFR Corp. as a Founding Sponsor. Tornado Industries is a provider of commercial and industrial cleaning equipment. The company’s are created to maximize cleaning efficiency and speed, minimize the impact of cleaning on indoor environments, and reduce the total cost of cleaning. The all new CK 14/1 Pro combines affordability, superior airflow, the benefits of an enclosed bag system, on-board tools, and true HEPA filtration for healthier indoor air quality.CFR Corp. designs and manufactures a complete range of eco-friendly carpet cleaning systems and high...