BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Hilton Garden Inn, the award-winning mid-priced hotel brand, announced the introduction of the ecotainer, an environmentally friendly coffee cup, in more than 340 locations across North America. Developed by International Paper, the cup is the only all-natural hot beverage paper cup available that is coated with a corn-based plastic that requires less energy and generates less greenhouse gas during manufacturing. The corn-based coating also allows the cups to be composted, rather than landfilled.
Features of the ecotainer:
• Made from fully renewable resources.
• Compostable in municipal and commercial composting systems.
• Requires less energy to produce.
• Certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute.
Benefits.
• Provides a tangible vehicle for communicating your commitment to sustainable business practices.
• Allows waste-stream separation and meets with many new municipal guidelines.
• Provides customers with an opportunity to positively impact the environment.
“Looking ahead to new ways to be more environmentally sensitive while providing guests with the consistent products, innovative amenities and friendly service that Hilton Garden Inn is known for, we are proud to be the first hotel chain in North America to offer the ecotainer in all our hotels,” says Jim Cone, vice president-marketing for Hilton Garden Inn.
American consumers use more than 16 billion disposable hot beverage paper cups each year. Unlike conventional cups, the ecotainer is lined with a coating made from corn, making the cups fully renewable and compostable, and helping to reduce some of the 25 million pounds of petroleum-based plastics needed each year to make conventional plastic-lined paper cups.
“Hilton Garden Inn’s adoption of ecotainer demonstrates their commitment to environmental leadership and supports millions of travelers across North America who want to make more sustainable environmental choices,” says Austin Lance, VP/GM Foodservice Business of International Paper.
A Better Choice for the Environment
The ecotainer will replace more than 6.5 million non-renewable styro-based cups used each year by the 340 Hilton Garden Inns that are currently open.
As a continued part of the Hilton Garden Inn goal to be more environmentally supportive, an ecological assessment related to the brand’s bath amenity program found that:
• Renewable and 100 percent biodegradable packaging is used for soaps and shower caps;
• Soy-based ink, which is 100 percent biodegradable, is used to print on cartons;
• Liquid formulas are 98.5 percent naturally derived ingredients; and
• Soap formulas are 99 percent naturally derived ingredients.
“As Hilton Garden Inn continues to offer our guests what they want and need most to make their hotel stays memorable and productive, we are also striving to find alternative solutions to conduct business while being environmentally friendly.”
Go to Hilton Garden Inn and International Paper.
