EDENTON, N.C.—Five leaders in a growing movement to encourage the elimination of harmful chemical inputs to consumer products, have come together for an initiative that will encourage the elimination of dangerous substances common in furnishings products. The “What’s it made of?” initiative launched last month. The Initiative consists of a simple Pledge to ASK, and an online tool to support signatories to the pledge in seeking assurance that their suppliers are fully disclosing information on production inputs. The partners plan to expand their efforts with seminars and training sessions within the industry and with consumer outreach. David Levine, CEO of the...

NATIONAL REPORT—Wood is a beautiful, industrious material. The logging industry has long been seen as an enemy of the environment. There is perhaps no other more iconic symbol of the green movement than a tree, so people naturally have a bad image of anything associated with destroying trees. While this characterization was largely accurate a century ago, the logging industry has changed. People involved in the industry are finding that their profits can be larger and more sustainable if they operate more like a farm than like a gold mine. That is, they can manage their operations in such a...

FOXBORO, MASS.—American Window Film, Inc.’s team returned from the 2017 3M Prestige Dealer Conference held in Baltimore recently, holding the 2016 3M Dealer of the Year Award for the Northeast USA Region. The conference was attended by American Window Film’s President, Peter Davey; Vice President Sales, James Maloof ; Cape Cod Sales Representative, Bart Rubin and Rhode Island Sales Representative, Dana Savoie. Members of 3M Company’s St. Paul, Minn. group and the Northeast region’s 3M window film distributor, Energy Products Distribution, presented their visions and plans for 2017. According to Davey, “3M Company’s Daylight Redirecting film was emphasized at the...

NEW YORK—This year’s HD in Las Vegas will feature extensive opportunities for inspiration in more than 30 conference sessions covering today’s most impressive projects and trending topics. Among the topics: “The Beauty of Science in Design” and four NEWH Green Voice Conversations. Also planned: an inside look at Barry Sternlicht’s newest eco-friendly 1 Hotel in Brooklyn with the design team. A new Social Hub, designed by Rockwell Group, will serve as a platform for attendees and exhibitors to gather and engage in thought-provoking conversations about top-of-mind topics in the world of hospitality design. “HD Expo will not only offer a...

CHARLESTON, S.C.—The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina announced that it has been awarded LEED certification. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for high performance buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. “Enjoying this idyllic location along the Charleston coastline also comes with a social responsibility toward protecting the environment,” says Oliver Rooskens, Managing Director of The Beach Club. “As stewards of the land and sea, we are simply preserving what we have...

CHICAGO—LEED v4 is here—and it’s changing how architects and designers consider and specify products. Specifically, environmental product declarations (EPDs) need a more critical eye than ever before. Gerflor USA, known for its high quality, high performing resilient commercial flooring, is making it easier with product-specific EPDs. While most manufacturers continue to use industry EPDs, Gerflor is one of the first in commercial flooring to release product-specific EPDs for all of its product ranges, including: Mipolam, Taraflex, Taralay and Creation LVT. Product-specific EPDs will allow architects and designers to more quickly and efficiently earn a LEED v4 credit in the Materials...

SAN DIEGO—Cali Bamboo, known for its bamboo floors, is branching out with an all-new line of luxury vinyl flooring. Speaking on the new Cali Vinyl line, company co-founder and President/CEO, Jeff Goldberg says, “We have a constant ear to the end-user, and a floor that can truly stand up to the durability demands of a busy commercial environment but is beautiful enough for residential space was in high demand. A huge amount of thought and development went into the Cali Vinyl line, and we’re proud that it came out just as beautiful as the most popular solid bamboo floors...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken, a global innovation company with textile, specialty chemical, and manufacturing expertise, has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as a 2017 World’s Most Ethical Company. Milliken has been recognized as a World’s Most Ethical Company for 11 years, every year since the award was first given in 2007—a consecutive distinction given to only 13 companies. This year, it is one of only 20 privately-owned companies receiving the honor. The decade-long distinction underscores Milliken’s commitment to leading ethical business standards and practices. “How Milliken grows is equally as...

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...

NEW YORK—Up on the roof of the Conrad New York, a luxury waterfront, all-suite hotel located in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, Executive Chef Gerron Douglas can be found year-round, overseeing a garden that even in the winter produces root vegetables, squash and some herbs. The rooftop garden and green roof have been in place since the LEED Gold certified hotel was renovated six years ago. “There is always something there,” Douglas says. “We adjust based on the season.” In the warmer months the garden produces lettuce, mustard greens and tomatoes. Douglas adds, “We really try...