ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. has published its 2006 Sustainability Report, which details the corporation’s efforts in the areas of economic progress, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. It provides data on related activities for 2006. “Sustainability at Ecolab is much more than just a green product line,” says Bruce Cords, vice president of Environment, Food Safety and Public Health. “Sustainability is something we work to integrate into all that we do as part of our business development and daily practice.” Highlights of the report include: Continued advancements in research and development. From solid formulations to innovative packaging...

BLOOMINGTON, IND.—Beginning this month, commercial or institutional cleaning executives will have no excuse for not starting a green cleaning program. That’s when ISSA will publish a special industry-specific edition of Green Cleaning for Dummies, written by industry experts Steve Ashkin and David Holly, which demystifies and simplifies the green cleaning process. “Setting up a green cleaning program is easier than people think,” says Ashkin, who has spent more than 25 years in the cleaning industry and the past 17 years advocating for environmentally preferable cleaning. “Based on our extensive experience greening the cleaning industry, we were able to...

PHILADELPHIA—National Chemical Laboratories announces the introduction of Earth Sense Aspire Environmentally Responsible Metal-Free Floor Sealer/Finish. Aspire is certified by Green Seal under GS-40, along with the companion product Green Impact Environmentally Responsible Speed Stripper. Go to National Chemical Laboratories.

PORTLAND, ORE.—The ongoing efforts of the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower—one of the country’s first hotels to green its operations and the largest hotel in Oregon—have been recognized by Green Seal with the coveted Green Seal Lodging Properties certification (www.greenseal.org). Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that promotes the management, purchase and use of environmentally responsible products and services. In 2005, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower turned its attention to greening hotel operations. Recognizing the enormous consumption and dramatic impact of the hospitality industry on the planet, hotel management decided to take action to decrease its environmental footprint....

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Although travelers burn gas to get to their destinations, one answer to greener travel is to vacation by choosing an eco-friendly B&B. BedandBreakfast.com innkeepers are moving toward greener getaways by investing in earth-friendly practices to ensure guests the finest in eco-escapes. BedandBreakfast.com currently lists more than 35 earth-friendly special packages. Listed in alphabetical order by state, here are some examples of green packages offered by BedandBreakfast.com members. Strawberry Creek B&B, Idyllwild, Calif.: Relax on soft, cotton-like hammocks made from recycled soda bottles. This inn’s tranquil wooded setting is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as an...

NATIONAL REPORT—When the first loft-style NYLO hotel opens later this year in Plano, Texas, an entire floor—44 rooms—of the 176-room property will include allergy-friendly guestrooms. Atlanta-based NYLO Hotels LLC has partnered with Pure Solutions NA, Buffalo, N.Y., to provide the PURE rooms. NYLO, which has a goal of opening 50 properties throughout North America by 2010, intends to include one PURE floor in each of its hotels. NYLO’s decision to provide these super clean rooms will be a welcome relief to the 70 million Americans who suffer from allergies or some type of chemical sensitivity. The PURE rooms also will...

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—A Partner Member of the Green Hotel Assn. and a Santa Monica Sustainable Works Business Greening Program participant, The Ambrose hotel here is doing what it can to “Leave Only Footprints Behind.” It is that phrase that the 77-room property uses in its stylish logo. In every area of the hotel’s operations, a commitment to sustainability is clear. That commitment stems from the owner, The Ambrose Group L.L.C., as well as the “all concierge” team of employees at the property. The Ambrose first got involved in greening the hotel’s operations by participating in Santa Monica’s Sustainable Works Business Greening...

SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. once again has been ranked in the 2007 CRO Magazine (formerly Business Ethics Magazine) annual list of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens, one of only 11 companies to make the list for eight consecutive years. “We are honored that Ecolab has been consistently recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens,” says Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab Chairman, President and CEO. “We value and expect good business results, and we also value how we achieve those results. We believe doing the right thing and driving great financial results are interlinked. Our goal as...

NATIONAL REPORT—Late December was not a good time for an upscale hotel in southern Florida. A 26-year-old man lost his life in a guestroom. The cause of death: carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The man’s father nearly died from the silent killer as well. He survived after being put on a ventilator. According to a report in The Miami Herald, authorities concluded that the boiler room, which houses two boilers and two water tanks to heat water for the entire facility, was the source of the deadly fumes. The boiler room is located next to the room where the...

DALLAS—Lodging Hospitality Magazine and Pineapple Hospitality have finalized the agenda for their first Green Hospitality Conference. The event will be held on March 14 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. The conference will precede Lodging Hospitality’s annual Hospitality Operations & Technology event. The day-long event will begin with an introduction and welcome from Gary Dietz, publisher of Lodging Hospitality, and Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. From 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ed Watkins, editor of Lodging Hospitality, will moderate a “Green Hospitality—Past, Present, Future” session that will include the following participants: Wen Chang,...