It was more than 10 years ago now that I wrote a column about the dangers of carbon monoxide. Too many innocent hotel guests have been killed by it. In the first annual Green Lodging Survey last year, Greenview and Green Lodging News asked survey participants, “Are tests for carbon monoxide and radon regularly conducted?” Globally, 52 percent said yes. In the U.S., 60 percent said yes. While the question was not 100 percent specific to carbon monoxide, it does indicate there are many who do not monitor for unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. On April 1 this month, a...

The International Facility Management Association has updated its Sustainability How-to Guide: Global Green Cleaning. The green cleaning guide for facilities managers is free to download. This guide outlines the steps to establish a comprehensive green cleaning program, covering key topics such as indoor air quality, green cleaning products and equipment, greenwashing, green cleaning service providers, the business case for green cleaning, how to develop a green cleaning program, and performance measurements. The authors of the guide have decades of experience in commercial and green cleaning. According to the authors, “The guide has been created to serve as an instrument for...

NATIONAL REPORT—A Computerized Maintenance and Management System (CMMS) has the potential to help companies improve the way their manufacturing process impacts the environment around them in addition to ultimately decreasing their production costs. CMMS systems have the ability to track maintenance activities, the costs for the equipment that require maintenance, and work flow, but those are just the benefits on the manufacturing side. The environmental benefits provided by a CMMS make them very worthwhile for a manufacturing business to invest in. Reduced Material Waste The amount of materials used and wasted is tragically high in many industries. It is possible to...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Clear Pool USA as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Clear Pool USA offers two choices to manage algae problems. The blue cylinder kills algae and reduces scaling for up to six months—just drop it into the pump basket. The other is an automatic water purifier that kills algae, reduces scaling and kills bacteria and pathogens including E.coli, pseudomonas, legionella pneumophila (Legionnaires Disease), staphylococcus, steptococcus, salmonella and others, some of which have been proven to be resilient to high levels of chlorine. Both products will help...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources, has again been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. This is Ecolab’s eleventh consecutive year on the World’s Most Ethical Companies list. Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies list recognizes companies that exemplify transparency, integrity, ethics and compliance in their business practices. Ecolab has been named to the World’s Most Ethical Companies list every year since the list’s inception in...

Hotels are gold mines (green mines) of paint waste! Sitting in the bowels of the building, in a storage room, or straddled over several parking spaces a few levels underground, or out on the loading dock, partially used paint buckets and canisters abound. A single property can have one to three tons of paint waste per building. That’s as much as 800 gallons of paint! Reasons Hotels Have So Much Paint Waste on Site Paint that matches the existing palette is needed anytime there are structural renovations or remodeling. Corporate or property interior designers change the paint color schematic. Paint is needed for...

DALLAS—Clean Sleep, a mobile, high-tech mattress cleaning company based in Dallas, announced strategic licensing partnerships with groups in Canada and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). “We are extremely excited to announce our Clean Sleep partnership with representation in Canada,” said Jack Drummond, President of Clean Sleep Canada Corp. “We now offer our services in British Columbia and Alberta provinces and very soon we will expand throughout Canada with potential investors and future franchise opportunities. It is our mission to be the leader in Canadian market verticals such as healthcare, hospitality, student housing as well as residential mattress cleaning supported...

NATIONAL REPORT—In any discussion about sustainability, it is likely that carbon will enter the discussion at one point or another. In any conversation about sustainability in the kitchen, carbon also has a place, but in more ways than one. It is not only the carbon emissions from running the lighting, appliances and HVAC system, it is the actual carbon buildup on pots, pans and other items. This buildup is a barrier to heat, which means it can take longer for items to cook or bake. The longer ovens or stoves run, the higher the energy bill and related environmental...

In my years covering green lodging I have written quite a few articles about equipment and technology found in the kitchen to help one save energy, water and reduce waste—bio-digesters, pre-rinse spray valves, warewashers, variable-speed hood controllers, and more. You can read about such topics on the Green Lodging News website in the “Kitchen & Laundry” category. Every time I chat with a supplier I learn something new and that was certainly the case today when I interviewed Craig Gavson, CEO of Hyginix LLC. In case you are not familiar with Hyginix, they manufacture the FOG Tank, a heated...

VISTA, CALIF.—Many schools and commercial facilities are impacted by what is typically known as sewer odors. This is an odor problem that can be worse in areas of a facility that are used infrequently. However, many building managers don’t know what causes sewer odors in a building. So, to bring them up to speed, Waterless Co., which manufacturers drain and pipe care products, presents “Five Things Everyone Should Know About Sewer Odors.” What causes sewer odors? Sewer odors are the result of gases that contain such compounds as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Why do sewer odors smell...