CHIANG MAI, THAILAND—Meliá Chiang Mai has launched a two-night stay package that routes a portion of the proceeds to a food rescue foundation. The Sustainability Package includes two nights’ accommodation with breakfast and one three-course set dinner for two based on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients at MAI Restaurant and Bar on the 21st floor. The package supports Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Thailand, a food rescue foundation established in 2016 to enhance the country’s food system. SOS Thailand aims to minimize needless loss of surplus food and improve food equity by redistributing quality surplus food on a daily basis from hotels, grocers, and...

AUSTRALIA—IHG Hotels & Resorts and OzHarvest have surpassed one million meals delivered to people in need through their long-standing partnership in Australia, marking a significant milestone in their shared efforts to reduce food waste and support communities facing food insecurity. “Reaching more than one million meals is a meaningful milestone and reflects the collective efforts of our colleagues, hotel teams and partners across Australia,” says Matt Tripolone, Managing Director, Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts. “Our partnership with OzHarvest continues to deliver tangible impact in the communities where we operate, while also helping address food waste in a practical...

MIAMI, FLA.—Amerikooler, a U.S.-based leader in commercial refrigeration solutions, highlights its line of engineered door systems designed to improve energy efficiency, workflow, safety, and long-term structural integrity at the access points of the walk-in envelope. By matching door type to application, traffic profile, and environmental conditions, the portfolio helps operators and specifiers treat door selection as a performance decision rather than a standard component. Flush swing doors remain the preferred and most widely used solution for standard walk-in cooler and freezer applications. Integrated directly into the panel wall system, they maintain a clean, flush profile while delivering reliable thermal sealing...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—During a family trip to Seychelles last February, I found myself standing in front of a hotel breakfast buffet that was as impressive as it was unsettling. Fresh fruit caught the light. Pastries were arranged with almost sculptural care. Everything looked generous, polished and inviting. Yet when service ended, the same display began to prompt a harder question: are hotel buffets still enhancing the guest experience in ways that justify the waste they often leave behind? I do not think this is an argument for eliminating hotel buffets. In many properties, breakfast still plays a meaningful role in how...

KIRKLAND, WASH.—In celebration of Earth Day, Staypineapple, the national boutique hotel brand, is proud to announce a series of sustainability achievements and initiatives that reflect the brand’s ongoing commitment to eco-friendly hospitality. One of these is the introduction of Coulée Coffee Co., a 100 percent compostable single-serve pour-over system that replaces plastic-laden single-serve pods. In early April, Staypineapple introduced Coulée Coffee Co. across its hotel portfolio. Known for its 100 percent compostable single-serve pour-over system that delivers café-quality coffee and replaces plastic-laden single-serve pods, the brand is a natural fit for Staypineapple’s guest experience and sustainability values. This switch is expected...

MINNEAPOLIS—Restaurant Technologies, Inc. (RTI) delivered almost 720 million pounds of fresh cooking oil and exceeded its own record by recycling over 393 million pounds of used cooking oil (UCO) in 2025. With the support of renewable energy partners, such as Phillips 66, the company converted nearly 100 percent of its UCO into renewable diesel or biodiesel for vehicles on the road, or into sustainable aviation fuel for aircraft. “I am tremendously proud of our organization, our sustainability accomplishments, and our continued efforts to build a cleaner, healthier planet,” said Diana Geseking, Chief Legal Officer and ESG committee chair. “I look...

BEACON FALLS, CONN.—Superior Health Linens, a division of Healthcare Linen Services Group in Cudahy, Wis., has reached a purchase agreement to replace their 20-year-old LAVATEC LP582 extraction press with a newer model. The machine is expected to be installed later this summer. “The LP582 has been a key contributor to our processing capabilities over the last 20 years. Its straightforward controls and easy operation have made it both reliable and simple to maintain,” said Frank Seago, General Manager of Superior Health Linens. He began working at the company in 2017 and served in engineering and operations roles before being promoted...

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released its 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, finding ongoing widespread pesticide residue on popular non-organic fruits and vegetables—including pesticides that are the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. EWG has published the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce nearly every year since 2004. The 2026 edition analyzed USDA residue data from 54,344 samples of 47 fruits and vegetables, detecting 264 pesticides and breakdown products. In 2025, EWG strengthened its methodology to incorporate pesticide toxicity, alongside the number and levels of residues. Details were published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. The guide...

SINGAPORE—As the global business events sector responds to rising sustainability expectations, venues are increasingly challenged to address one of the sectors’ most persistent blind spots: operational waste and on-site energy use. While carbon reduction strategies often focus on travel or temporary event infrastructure, long-term impact increasingly depends on how venues rethink the systems that power events every day. Marina Bay Sands is charting a new path for the industry, demonstrating how systems-level thinking can be applied at scale, and how luxury hospitality and sustainability innovation can advance in lockstep. In 2025, the integrated resort became the first hospitality organization in Asia to...

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND—Meliá Chiang Mai’s executive chef Suksant Chutinthratip, known as Chef Billy, has been lauded with the prestigious Chiang Mai Green Kitchen “Green People” Award for his pioneering work building a more sustainable food system. Meliá Chiang Mai’s restaurants Laan Ha Kitchen and MAI Restaurant and Bar have also each been awarded the prestigious “Chiang Mai Green Kitchen” certificate the fourth consecutive year for ongoing sustainability efforts as part of Thailand’s Green Kitchen project. Supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Green Kitchen 2026 promotes organic and sustainable food concepts with participation from 44...