CINCINNATI—At this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show, Procter & Gamble Professional will reiterate its environmental philosophy by showcasing products backed by P&G Professional’s Green Guarantee. According to P&G, the products offer outstanding performance while meeting high standards for human and environmental safety. All P&G products are held to high human and environmental safety, so products such as Febreze Fabric Refresher and Mr. Clean Finished Floor Cleaner can be used in hotels and motels that require green products. These products meet or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Preferred Purchasing guidelines and the criteria of the GS-37 standard...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Pineapple Hospitality, Saint Charles, Mo., as a sponsor. Pineapple, led by Ray Burger, president, has been providing green products, programs and services to the hospitality industry for more than 10 years. Pineapple’s products include the following: greenSPA amenity and dispenser system, which includes Neutrogena products; Project Planet towel and linen reuse cards; Oxygenics showerheads; NUMI teas; ecorooms program; General Electric lighting products; Guestat thermostats; Wattstopper Motion Sensor Nightlights; Nature’s Mist deodorizer; Hillyard green cleaning products; Preserve recyclable toothbrushes; Oreck vacuums; and the odor-eating Fresh Bulb. “I...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Project Planet Corp. as a Green Product Directory partner. Project Planet is the lodging industry’s leading provider of promotional materials for linen and towel reuse programs. Project Planet’s colorful in-room materials have a significant impact on guest participation. The Dawsonville, Ga.-based company’s materials can be found in more than 5,000 hotels worldwide. Project Planet’s programs reduce energy, water, labor and chemical costs. The company sells a variety of products including pillow toppers, door hangers and more. Go to Project Planet Corp. for more information or...

DUNEDIN, FLA.—For the second consecutive year, Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, a leading provider of turn-key, mobile data solutions, ranks among the top 500 global software and services providers—based on 2005 revenues—according to the October issue of Software Magazine. “We are excited to be included again on this prestigious list,” says Lind Hutton, executive vice president and C.O.O. of Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek. “We have experienced tremendous growth since launching our business in 1987. That growth has been driven by our focus on understanding the business challenges of our customers and developing unique solutions that meet their needs.” The...

CHICAGO—The International Executive Housekeepers Assn. (IEHA) has honored Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group, with the 2006 William D. Joyner Achievement Award. The accolade, established in 1998, recognizes an individual considered by the IEHA to have helped the organization grow and who has contributed research, technical assistance, articles in Executive Housekeeping Today magazine and written books or guidelines. The award was presented to Ashkin at the IEHA banquet during the International Sanitary Supply Assn. (ISSA) 2006 convention in Chicago on October 5, 2006. “I feel privileged and thankful to be selected for this award,” Ashkin says....

CHICAGO—At the recent ISSA/Interclean trade show in Chicago, Tornado Industries released its Commitment to Environmental Sustainability, establishing the company’s goals when it comes to cleaning, health, and protecting the environment. Tornado, which recently became a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, is an 80-year-old manufacturer of professional carpet and floor care equipment based in Chicago. According to its statement, the company has manufactured and will continue to manufacture products that, “enhance indoor air quality (IAQ), use less water and chemical, create less noise, and contribute to source reduction.” Mike Schaffer, president of Tornado Industries, says...

The use of cleaners in hotels has a long history. Until recently, the products available to housekeeping professionals have been limited to one of two evils: acid- or bleach-based cleaners. Neither presents a healthy alternative. When green cleaning products made an appearance on the market several years ago, their popularity was curtailed by two facts: they were not as effective as their toxic sisters, and they were more expensive. Today, green cleaning products are competitively priced but some still remain toxic. Several “environmentally friendly” cleaners continue to contain ingredients that pose alarming health and safety hazards. To name a few,...

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.—Sunshine Makers Inc., the manufacturer of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, announces the launch of a new line of disinfectant and sanitization products—Simple Green d Pro 3 and Simple Green d Pro 5. The Simple Green d Pro products were developed specifically to tackle today’s public health threats from bacteria and viruses. Just a few of the public health concerns that the new Simple Green d Pro products address are Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, HIV-1 (AIDS virus), Adenovirus Type 3, Rubella (German Measles), Hepatitis B & C, Avian Influenza, and many more. Simple...

NEW YORK—Starwood’s new aloft brand, a vision of W Hotels, has announced a “see green” program with guest awareness in mind. The program was created to introduce and promote ecologically friendly products and services, and highlights options both inside and outside each hotel. The aloft landscaping plan takes what used to be the standard parking lot and re-imagines it as an outdoor park-like environment, with a variety of deciduous trees and shrubbery. A special area of parking spots will be reserved specifically for hybrid cars, raising awareness of the benefits of environmentally friendly vehicles. The aloft team is...

SAN FRANCISCO—Orbeco Inc. announced that it has signed contracts of two years each with two of the world’s leading hotel chains. The companies represent more than 5,000 hotels. The chains chose Orbeco because it offers safe and environmentally friendly green cleaning products. Orbeco offers products ranging from carpet cleaners to drain cleaners. Orbeco products are harmless to humans, animals and aquatic life. The formulas, all patented, have been designed by a French chemist. The cleaning products include safe, raw materials. All the products have been certified by Green Seal and Woolsafe and are in the process of...