ORLANDO—The 2017 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Expo wrapped up last week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Among the 450 suppliers were companies offering new innovations to help you clean better, save energy, reduce waste and grow food more locally. Be sure to follow the links included here to learn more about the entrepreneurs and their inventions. Sustainable Gardens 2gether launched its unique new Chefs Choice and Chefs Garden microgreen growing systems for restaurants. The Chefs Choice system allows chefs to grow fresh high-quality microgreens in a specialized environmentally controlled cooler right in their own kitchens. The new Herb...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Violet Defense Technology, an Orlando-based startup that incorporates the proven germ-killing power of UV light into its patented technology, announces the launch of its first product from the Surface & Air Germ Elimination (S.A.G.E.) product line. S.A.G.E. UV is a new anti-microbial line of germ-killing products that combines a broad spectrum of UV and violet blue light with motion sensor technology and artificial intelligence to automatically kill germs whenever a room is unoccupied. The patented S.A.G.E. UV System effectively kills up to 99.9 percent of the most common germs, including MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella and Norovirus, from as far...

NATIONAL REPORT—As Green Lodging News has learned in its own research and by talking to industry suppliers, there are numerous ways to reduce the environmental impact of a towel. Certainly chemicals and laundry equipment come into play, as does whether or not that equipment is matched with an ozone laundry system. Of course towel reuse programs can make a huge difference as well. But can your choice of the towel itself—how it is made and what it is made from—help you reduce your annual laundry-related costs? Many suppliers say yes and each has its own unique story to tell....

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a ClearWater Tech case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Holiday Inn Express in Atascadero, Calif. and its implementation of an EcoTex™ ozone system from ClearWater Tech. The system is saving the inn substantial amounts in gas, water, and other expenses. “The ClearWater representatives thoroughly covered how the process worked, how the installation would proceed and how much money I would start to save, primarily in gas for hot water,” explained the hotel’s General Manager, Amar Sohi. “Right away, I could see savings...

NATIONAL REPORT—For our second annual Green Lodging Trends report we asked survey participants: If you considered an ozone laundry system but then later decided against it, what was the biggest obstacle(s) to its implementation? They all said cost. Should cost really be an obstacle to implementing an ozone laundry system? According to several suppliers we spoke with, an ozone laundry system being a prohibitive cost is really just a myth. The benefits are so many and the return on investment can be so reasonable that the purchase of an ozone system should be a “no brainer”. “If you use our...

The right cleaning delivery systems can produce greener, healthier guestrooms and public areas while lowering costs; gains that directly affect guest well-being, satisfaction, and the hotel’s bottom line. Three proven technologies can help achieve greener, healthier cleaning at less cost: One: Cleaners and disinfectants dispensed from concentrates at controlled-dilution or mixing stations. Two: Electrochemically activated (ECA) solutions systems—sometimes called electrolyzed or engineered water on-site generation units—that produce cleaners and disinfectants from self-contained devices connected to the hotel’s plumbing. Three: Dry steam vapor (DSV) systems on mobile carts for chemical-free cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection. One: Cleaners and disinfectants dispensed from concentrates at controlled-dilution or mixing stations. Water is costly to...

FORT WASHINGTON, PENN.—Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, debuted Papernet Bio Tech, the first toilet paper to use innovative Biologic Active Tissue Paper (BATP) technology. When the paper makes contact with water, natural, non-pathogenic microorganisms are activated and produce enzymes to eat away dirt. Once their work is complete, the enzymes biodegrade, leaving no residue or negative environmental impact. “A poorly maintained restroom can negatively impact a business’s reputation and the bottom line, so it’s important to stock innovative products that actually improve the restroom experience,” said Fabio Vitali, Vice President AFH Marketing &...

ODESSA, FLA. & SINGAPORE—September 18, 2017—Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, and Greenview, a leader in advancing hotel sustainability, have released the Green Lodging Trends Report 2017. The second annual report details the results of the Green Lodging Trends Report Survey and is available at no cost by clicking here. The report is based on data from 2,093 hotels in 46 countries and provides industry trends on topics ranging from energy management to communication to—for the first time in its own category—Health & Wellness. The report includes results of 110 best practices in 12 categories. Sponsors this year...

LAVAL, QUEBEC—Avmor, a 70-year-old manufacturer of chemical cleaning solutions and the largest manufacturer of professional cleaning products in Canada, announced that it will begin marketing its products through a select and limited number of distributors in the United States starting later this year. According to Mike Sawchuk, Chief Business Development Officer for Avmor, the official announcement will be made at the upcoming ISSA/INTERCLEAN North American Tradeshow in Las Vegas. “We are now looking for strategic alliances with select U.S. distributors and are offering exclusive territories throughout the country,” says Sawchuk. He adds that Avmor has been planning this move to the United...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—PURE Solutions, a leading provider of asthma and allergy-friendly hotel rooms, has recently seen a strong uptick in demand for its services. This year, the company has already installed more than 520 rooms at 31 hotels across the United States. PURE Rooms utilize state of the art treatments and advanced purification technology to create an environment that is more comfortable for people with asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions. PURE Rooms CEO Brian Brault described his company’s expansion as “a key opportunity to help make travel easier for this growing segment of the population.” “With 1 in 4 Americans experiencing symptoms, chronic respiratory conditions...