RALEIGH, N.C.—glass2, along with its distribution partner CaraGreen, has released its latest colorway, Antarctica, which contains recycled pieces of black and white glass, fused together in a slab for countertops and other surfaces. Antarctica joins Ash White, Aquamarine, Azurite, Chorus, Coral Blue, and Ocean Blue in the glass2 lineup of recycled glass color options. With the emergence of restrictions and bans on engineered stone, new materials will need to take the place of crystalline silica as it continues to be phased out of product lines. With glass being one of the most widely recycled materials, along with the increasing maturity...

SHAWANO, WIS.—NEWH, Inc. recently announced that Diana Dobin of Valley Forge Fabrics is this year’s NEWH ICON of Industry recipient. Alongside E’lexis Brewer, who was honored with the Harvey Nudelman Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by Fabricut Contract, FR One, and Jacquaia Szucs, awardee of the Diversity in Hospitality Scholarship, a partnership between Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) and NEWH and underwritten by Emerald, Dobin was announced as the recipient as part of HD Expo’s inaugural Women in Design Awards Breakfast. NEWH’s programming at the Las Vegas conference included a booth on the show floecor for attendees to learn more about the...

More than 500 articles on the Green Lodging News website reference the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification system. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Many hotel companies have embraced LEED and for good reason. The system provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. Also, according to USGBC, LEED buildings have a higher resale value than non-LEED buildings. LEED-certified buildings are a solid asset for investors, occupiers, and communities. LEED is available for every project: Building Design...

NEW YORK—Carnegie, a leader in authentically sustainable textiles and acoustical management solutions, has expanded its line of Biobased Xorel products, the world’s first bio-based, climate-positive, commercial textile. As part of the Conscious Collection, the new patterns, Nexus and Dash, enhance Carnegie’s award-winning Biobased Xorel brand, which was first introduced 10 years ago. Biobased Xorel is made from rapidly renewable sugarcane with self-powered production that uses zero water. For every ton of material produced, 2.5 tons of carbon is sequestered, making Biobased Xorel a climate-positive innovation. Rising above the greenwashing noise amidst an abundance of misleading claims and use of vague...

NATIONAL REPORT—Environmental consciousness is one of the key trends in the travel sector, starting with travelers aiming to minimize their environmental impact through flights with reduced carbon emissions. However, this trend extends beyond modes of transport, as travelers also expect their accommodations to embrace eco-friendly practices and offerings. One of the ways the lodging industry meets this expectation is through adaptive reuse, which converts existing buildings into hotels to reduce the environmental cost of construction and transportation. Thus, a previous post highlights Historic Hotels of America’s examples of adaptive reuse among historically preserved buildings across America. The list of 25...

There are many upsides to adaptive reuse, of course. Converting an existing building into a hotel eliminates the huge environmental cost of materials—their manufacturing, their transportation to the site, and the resources involved in the assembling/construction of those materials. If the building has unique characteristics, the preservation of them creates a story that will live on in the “new” hotel. Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, recently announced The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Best of Adaptive Reuse list. The list spotlights 25 richly preserved historic buildings that were not originally...

BOULDER, COLO.—Colorado-based design and fabrication team, ELMNTL, is democratizing boutique hospitality with its ecosystem of configurable cabins, saunas and wellness products. ELMNTL acts as a partner to hospitality owners to start getaways, hotels, vacation rentals, and wellness retreats with its zero-to-launch services. ELMNTL was founded by former data scientist and tech entrepreneur Vlad Dubovskiy who traded coding for building and renting cabins out in the wild of the rugged Colorado Rocky Mountains. This personal transformation informs much about ELMNTL as a business. “ELMNTL crafts beyond architecture—we create unforgettable experiences for people who love to adventure outside,” Dubovskiy says. “Instead of seeing...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will work with the Biden Administration during Greenbuild to announce plans to create a new national definition of a zero-emissions building. This is the future of buildings, and the definition will be an important tool for establishing a common understanding of what it really means to be a zero operating emissions building. As financial institutions, investors, and insurers grapple with climate risks, USGBC sees the baseline established by this definition as key to evolving market expectations. USGBC is currently developing the next phase of the LEED rating system—LEED v5—and is committed to aligning the new rating systems by including specific LEED certifications designed to certify projects to the national definition. LEED, which launched the green building revolution 30...

NATIONAL REPORT—The interest in sustainable building practices has grown in recent years, especially within the hospitality industry. The use of shipping containers to build green hotels is one innovative approach that stands out. These repurposed structures offer a unique blend of sustainability, cost-efficiency, and modern design. Here are some compelling reasons to use shipping containers for your next project if you’re a hotel developer or hospitality manager wanting to create an eco-friendly establishment. 1. Sustainable Building Practices Sustainability is one of the biggest reasons to use shipping containers to build green hotels. One can significantly reduce the demand for new building...

IRVINE, CALIF.—Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering, in collaboration with Versa Designed Surfaces, announces the launch of Circon—a revolutionary bio-sourced, carbon-neutral Type II vinyl wallcovering. Created to address the growing demand for sustainable and high-performance solutions in commercial interiors across workplaces, hospitality venues, and educational institutions, Circon establishes a new benchmark in wallcovering innovation. The patent-pending Circon introduces a groundbreaking approach to wallcovering technology. It integrates the durability of traditional vinyl with over 70 percent bio-sourced, rapidly renewable resources, offering an environmentally friendly alternative without compromising on quality or aesthetics. Key components include 100 percent renewable wood-based feedstock from sustainable forestry, an...