ANN ARBOR, MICH.—In response to a growing demand for independently-verified sustainable furnishing fabrics, NSF International, an independent developer of American National Standards that protect public health and the environment, has developed an official American national standard for sustainable commercial furnishing fabrics—NSF/ANSI 336: Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric. Developing national standards by which to measure a product’s sustainability attributes brings transparency and credibility to the sustainability marketplace and helps eliminate greenwashing. Independent, third-party organizations can now certify commercial furnishing fabrics against the new Sustainable Commercial Furnishings standard to verify the furnishing fabrics are sustainable. This satisfies a growing demand from...

MORROW, GA.—TOTO announced that it has expanded its sustainability initiatives at its manufacturing facility in Morrow, Ga. The company has formed a cross-industrial strategic partnership with Crossville, Inc., manufacturers of premium Porcelain Stone tile, which has developed proprietary systems for processing pre-consumer sanitary ware, fired tile, and filtrate waste back to powder that is used in the manufacture of new tile. Crossville will introduce its new EcoCycle Recycling Processes at NEOCON, where both companies will display in Chicago, June 13 to 15, 2011. “There’s no ‘silver bullet’ when it comes to reducing a facility’s carbon footprint,” said Bill Strang, senior...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has increased the recycled content in Eco Solution Q, the company’s premium branded Cradle to Cradle Silver certified carpet fiber, to 45 percent. Eco Solution Q now contains 20 percent pre-consumer recycled content and 25 percent post-consumer recycled content sourced from caprolactam (the monomer or ‘building block’ of Nylon 6) recovered through Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon 6 Recycling facility in Augusta, Ga. The recycled content is based on allocated nylon fiber from Shaw’s total nylon fiber production and determined as a percent of total Eco Solution Q nylon output; based on this method, recycled content...

CHICAGO—The 43rd annual NeoCon, at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, offers attendees a wide variety of educational programming. The event will be held June 13 to 15, 2011. NeoCon offers a wide variety of CEU accredited seminars for interior designers, architects, lighting designers, professionals in LEED credential maintenance and more. Over the three day show, attendees will have access to 140 seminars, association forums, special events, featured programs and leading-edge keynote speakers. Hospitality designers will find a variety of programming specifically for their industry. All hospitality design programs are sponsored by NEWH and presented under the Hospitality Design educational track. They...

MIAMI—OBM International (OBMI), a leading international architectural and planning firm with nine global offices, has named K. Denaye Hinds as Director of Sustainability, announced Doug Kulig, CEO of OBMI. In her new role, Hinds will lead and expand OBMI’s international design and planning sustainability practice. She will focus on building relationships and engaging the development community, as well as federal and local governments, to promote sustainability objectives for OBMI’s clients and the places where their projects reside. Hinds will also implement company-wide education programs, which include conducting and managing OBMI’s Green Globe Certified Projects. In early 2011, OBMI developed a...

LAS VEGAS—Durkan, the hospitality brand of The Mohawk Group, recently launched a new fiber system, SmartStrand Contract. Made with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer, SmartStrand Contract is specially engineered for hospitality carpeting to offer performance, sustainability and luxury. Durkan is offering both tufted and printed options made with the fiber, including Merit Select’s Lavish Luxury for guestrooms and suites. SmartStrand Contract utilizes triexta fiber—recently designated as its own fiber class by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “Environmental and social innovation is redefining our future—not just of our organization, our customers’ businesses or the design industry, but more importantly, of the...

BUFFALO GROVE, ILL.—Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown Lakefront, which is situated in the heart of downtown, recently unveiled the largest indoor living green wall in Chicago. The 720-square-foot eco-friendly living wall in the hotel’s sky lobby was installed by Ambius, a division of Rentokil Initial plc. This green wall system, which was manufactured by GSky Plant Systems, employs a tray system featuring an energy efficient computer controlled irrigation system. A green wall, which is also referred to as a living wall or vertical garden, is a wall that is free standing or part of a building that is partially or...

SPOKANE, WASH.—The Davenport Hotel Tower has been awarded LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the only hotel in the state of Washington to obtain Gold status and amongst only 33 in the world. LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.  “We are delighted with this news,” said Lynnelle Caudill, managing director of the hotel. “It was just over one year ago we set out to pursue LEED certification. We worked to improve our usage of energy, lighting, water and...

MILL VALLEY, CALIF.—NanaWall Systems, a producer of opening glass walls, introduces the first folding door system in the United States to feature custom-crafted frames of laminated bamboo. The Energy Star-certified NanaWall folding door system incorporates the most ecologically responsible wood-alternative material on the market today. “We chose laminated bamboo because our customers requested more ecologically responsible material to use in LEED certified projects,” said Ebrahim Nana, president of NanaWall Systems. “We already offer FSC wood but laminated bamboo takes the concept one step further and is recognized as a rapidly renewable resource by the U.S. Green Building Council.” The NanaWall is...

EWING, N.J.—Ewing is now the home of New Jersey’s first LEED-certified hotel. Element Ewing Hopewell, an eco-chic boutique hotel, has earned a coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed to be “green from the ground up,” Element hotels blend nature-inspired smart design, inspiring public spaces, and comfortable modern touches. Element, from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., made history with its 2008 launch by becoming the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue LEED certification. Element serves as Starwood’s green innovation lab, where sustainable practices are...