NEW YORK—Last week, Earth Week, marked Designtex’s second year of carbon neutral operations. Designtex has continued its partnership again this year with NativeEnergy, a leading provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon footprint consulting. NativeEnergy assessed Designtex’s total operational footprint for 2011 according to the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Greenhouse Gas Protocols. The resulting footprint of 4075 tons of CO2 emissions this year includes all Designtex facilities’ energy use, business travel, freight (inbound and outbound shipments), employee commuting, and waste. A summary of the report is available on Designtex’s website. Of the total footprint, the majority (3341 tons...

MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company, announced on Earth Day that it has registered for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the company’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. Carlson is pursuing LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, which helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues including chemical use, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades. Below...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—The city striving to become the world’s greenest metropolis by 2020 is getting a hotel to match. Greater Vancouver will become the site of Canada’s first Element, a trailblazer in eco-conscious hospitality from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Set to welcome guests in 2014, Element Vancouver Metrotown is owned by Bosa Properties and will be managed by Atlific Hotels. Element hotels are green by design and inspired by nature. Element hotels’ energizing, eco-chic environment offers bright public spaces, smart design, and modern touches. Every Element property is also a high-performance building where sustainable practices reduce waste and...

MIDLAND, MICH.—The Dow Chemical Company announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will fund key lab research as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Dow and DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to accelerate the adoption of cool roof technologies in the United States. As a critical element of the research agreement, ORNL will partner with DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to bring a broad range of cool roof technology and experience from their applied research in this field. The research will focus on the development of new solar reflective technologies that would...

NASHVILLE—A new Drury Plaza Hotel, the more upscale brand within the Drury family, is currently being built in Franklin, Tenn., and the shell of the building is being made with ultra-efficient, eco-friendly insulated concrete forms, commonly referred to as ICFs. Middle Tennessee’s most established ICF builder, A Better House, Inc., has been hired to assist in the construction. The structure stands at more than 130 feet, giving it a total of 11 stories plus a penthouse. The anticipated opening date is set for sometime this fall. As one of the first hotel chains to utilize ICF construction, Drury has quickly...

WAKEFIELD, QUEBEC—Less than three months remain before the July 1 opening of the new 10,000-square-foot addition to the Wakefield Inn Mill & Spa. The 13-room addition, named the Eco River Lodge, is being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. “It is conceivable we might make Silver,” says innkeeper Robert Milling, adding that his goal is the first tier of certification. What will help the inn qualify for LEED is its passive solar design, use of local materials, and highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. Set within Gatineau Park, within a 25-minute drive of...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—For the third year in a row, Broward County has selected Valley Forge Fabrics to receive one of the County’s 2010 Emerald Awards in the Recycling category for environmental excellence. The Emerald Award is given annually by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and Environmental Protection Department to honor businesses for exceptional commitment to protecting the environment. Valley Forge Fabrics, a leader in sustainable textiles and decorative fabrics for hospitality, launched its FRESH initiative more than five years ago. FRESH is an acronym for Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards for Hospitality. The company’s Tencel+Plus Lyocell products are the...

LAS VEGAS—Before the action of the 2011 Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (The HD Expo) officially begins on May 18, industry leaders will gather a day early for HD Green Day (May 17) to discuss socially responsible, ethical and eco-friendly practices within the world of hospitality design. Presented by Hospitality Design magazine and produced by the Hospitality Design Group, both events will take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. “Sustainable design is a growing area of the hospitality world, not only for functional reasons but for the aesthetics of the designs as well,” said Elizabeth...

URUBAMBA, PERU—Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, has earned its LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the first hotel in Peru to be awarded with such a distinction. LEED is an internationally recognized, third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. This certification recognizes Tambo del Inka’s commitment to areas of environmental impact and occupants’ well-being, having earned credits in the sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy savings, material use, indoor environmental quality, as well as technological and process innovation. “Tambo del Inka reaffirms...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—A new Four Points by Sheraton in Tallahassee is expected to become the brand’s first LEED-certified property, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced. Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown, which will open this summer, is on track to receive certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program in 2012. The hotel is also working toward earning certification as part of the Florida Green Lodging Program. Located in the heart of Florida’s capital city, Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown will occupy a 12-story round building that has been a...