ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources, has been named to the 2019 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) North America Index, a comprehensive assessment of leading sustainability-driven companies. This is Ecolab’s fifth consecutive year on the North America index, and the company’s sixth listing since 2012. “Every day, our 49,000 associates work to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier, and to be successful, we must operate sustainably,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We are honored to again be recognized on the...

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...

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...

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Quore announced that more than 4,000 hotels are successfully using its hotel operations platform. At its inception in 2012, Quore was the product of a single engineer at a local hotel property trying to solve the frustrations and miscommunications that he encountered while doing his job. Then, Quore surpassed its three-to-five-year plan within the first three months of business and now, with over 4,000 hotels, Quore has more than tripled initial projections. The company has reached this point purely through organic growth and customer referrals. With some of the industry’s largest brands—IHG, Marriott, Hilton and Choice—now championing Quore, the...

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...

FOREST, VA.—NanoTouch Materials, the leader in self-cleaning surfaces for facilities, healthcare and travel, has just released their new NanoSeptic continuously self-cleaning sleeves for door handles. These types of door handles are mandated for interior doors in most commercial and public facilities as part of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). NanoSeptic peel-and-stick skins have been a staple in self-cleaning surfaces for facilities, turning push bars, pull handles and other high traffic touch points into continuously self-cleaning surfaces. Now, with the new sleeves, the number of touch points in a facility that can be self-cleaning has been greatly expanded. “The NanoSeptic skins...

Modern, high-efficient rooftop HVAC units can mean substantial savings on annual energy costs for green facilities, but facility managers need to take an active role in managing the systems to get the most out of them. One of the pitfalls of operating a rooftop HVAC system is that it is out of sight, out of mind. It is easier to neglect maintenance for a system you see only rarely and must make a trip up to the roof to inspect. But, if you don’t keep your rooftop system maintained properly, it lowers the system’s efficiency and shortens its lifespan. In...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—MEIKO, U.S.A., a global leader in the commercial warewashing industry, announced the release of a report by Frontier Energy that found changing to a MEIKO M-iQ flight-type dishwashing machine saved the San Ramon Marriott hotel in San Ramon, Calif., more than $23,000 a year. The report compares two flight-type rackless conveyor dishwashers. The hotel’s pre-existing, past-generation flight conveyor dish machine was tested first, followed by MEIKO’s M-iQ equipped with an exhaust air heat recovery system. Water flow, electricity use, hot/cold-water supply temperature and dish machine sanitizing rinse time were monitored for a one-month period. Frontier Energy then used this data,...

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...