SAGINAW, MICH.—The Duro-Last roofing system has been installed on the Bardessono Inn & Spa in Yountville, Calif. The spa is scheduled to open in February 2009, and will be submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED Platinum certification. The spa consists of five separate buildings that are protected by almost 80,000 square feet of Duro-Last’s single-ply PVC roofing system. The spa’s prefabricated roofing system was manufactured at Duro-Last’s Grants Pass, Ore., facility and installed by authorized contractor Fidelity Roof Co. of Oakland, Calif. Fidelity is also an approved installer for SunPower, the manufacturer of the PowerGuard solar electrical...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Health-conscious travelers—especially those suffering from allergies and asthma—may breathe easier at Wyndham hotels thanks to the upscale chain’s new Wyndham ClearAir initiative to offer allergy-friendly guest accommodations. While eight Wyndham hotels offer the rooms today, all will be required to convert 10 percent of their room inventory or a minimum of 25 rooms into allergy-friendly environments by the end of 2009. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is the first national upscale lodging chain to mandate allergy-friendly rooms systemwide. The chain’s move responds to guest concerns over rising consumer health issues and costs associated with allergic reactions. According to the Asthma...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Since issuing GS-33, the Environmental Standard for Lodging Properties, in 1999, Green Seal, Inc. has certified many lodging properties in a number of states. The standard has been revised in minor ways twice, and remains a leadership standard that challenges the lodging industry to operate more sustainably. After reviewing its Green Lodging Program and the progress it has made over the years, Green Seal has decided to propose a provisional revision of GS-33. This revision will primarily enable properties to be certified at three different levels to reflect the range of performance and the difficulty in achieving a high...

SEATTLE—A University of Washington study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals. All six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels. “I first got interested in this topic because people were telling me that the air fresheners in public restrooms and the scent from laundry products vented outdoors were making them sick,” said Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs. “And I wanted to know, ‘What’s...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes HD Supply Hospitality Solutions as a Founding Sponsor. HD Supply is committed to doing business in a manner that is responsible to its associates, customers and the environment. With HD Supply’s new ideallygreen icon, the company has made it easy for its customers to identify environmentally preferable products throughout its catalogs and at www.hdsupplysolutions.com. Products marked with the ideallygreen icon can increase energy efficiency, help reduce water consumption, create a healthier indoor environment, facilitate waste reduction, and prevent hazardous materials from entering the environment. HD Supply is one of...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its ninth case study to its Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on a large seafood restaurant, the plumbing-related backups and odor problems it faced, and how Roebic Laboratories products were used to treat the problems. Despite frequent and expensive manual cleaning of the grease trap and drain lines, backups occurred about twice per month. Additionally, odors released from the trap were very strong and pungent, making unpleasant working conditions. Roebic Main Line Cleaner was used for the first 30 days, and was applied through each floor drain at the rate of 8...

AVON LAKE, OHIO – SporiCLEAN, the green enzyme cleaner used to eliminate mold and mildew, is one of the chief products being used in cleanup efforts throughout Cedar Rapids and other parts of flood-ravaged Iowa. A multi-enzyme formulation, SporiCLEAN is an all-natural plant-based green cleaning product that is safe for the environment and effective in killing organisms. “There are no chemicals in SporiCLEAN, so it’s environmentally safe for hygienically cleaning the home or business,” says Nick Martello, CEO of US Biologics, Inc., exclusive provider of SporiCLEAN. “Unlike toxic bleach, SporiCLEAN is non-toxic, non-caustic and non-harmful to people, pets and...

CINNAMINSON, N.J.—Quickie Manufacturing Corp., the largest maker of cleaning tools in the United States and inventor of the Automatic Sponge Mop, has unveiled “Green and It’s Clean,” a line of eco-friendly cleaning tools. Made from recycled, natural and sustainable materials, these new “green” cleaning tools are designed to enhance cleaning while protecting the environment by reducing landfill and the need for harsh chemicals. The “Green and It’s Clean” line of cleaning tools, which consists of stick goods like mops and brooms, and smallwares such as scrub brushes, utility and dish brushes, etc., is made in two distinct eco-friendly variations. ...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Roebic Laboratories as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Roebic Laboratories manufactures a full line of natural cleaners and treatments for drains, grease traps and plumbing. Roebic products contain patented bacterial cultures that produce powerful enzymes to eliminate fat, grease, oil and soap without using toxic chemicals. Roebic’s products help meet environmental standards. For additional information, call (203) 795-1283, e-mail lgifford@roebic.com, or go to www.roebic.com.

CHICAGO—The Ashkin Group has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as an official Educational Provider. It is the first time the USGBC has selected a member of the cleaning industry as an official Education Provider. The Ashkin Group was acknowledged for its half-day program entitled, “Solving the Green Cleaning Puzzle.” The material and interactive activities enable participants to gain a more thorough knowledge of green cleaning in both practice and application. The Education Provider Program (EPP) facilitates access to high quality professional development courses in order to further enrich the knowledge and understanding of green building theory,...