TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—EnviroPure Systems Inc., a T&S company, has introduced an ozone recirculation system as an optional addition to its on-site organic food waste disposal systems. The new feature eliminates the need to add fresh water during EnviroPure’s digestion process, relying instead on water that is naturally extracted from food waste as it processes through the system.EnviroPure, an organic food waste disposal system, breaks down food waste in 24 hours through a combination of mechanical processing and aerobic decomposition. The end result is a safe, grey water byproduct that meets, and often surpasses, municipal wastewater requirements. A 100 percent...

DENVER—Ice-O-Matic announces the launch of the ICE0856GA and the 50 Hz ICE0855GA series of ice machines, also known as “The Grande Cuber.” The new machines produce a Grande Cube that is more than twice the size of a standard, full-sized cube. The complete line of Grande Cubers will be on display at The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers Show (NAFEM) from February 19 through February 21 at the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center. “As consumers become more knowledgeable about cocktailing, they’re demanding superior quality in every ingredient that goes into their glass—especially the ice,” said Ice-O-Matic Executive Vice...

NAPA, CALIF.—Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa treats diners’ taste buds to a true garden-to-table experience year round. It may be winter, but the Napa Valley hotel’s on-site restaurant, VINeleven, is giving travelers a taste of sunny California with farm-fresh flavors. Incorporating vegetables, fruits and herbs that are grown in the gardens on-site, VINeleven provides an authentic Napa dining experience.Featuring over 2,000 square feet of raised and in-ground beds, an herb garden and communal dining table that serves 18 guests, The Heirloom Gardens are produced and planted 12 months a year, creating a constant flow of rich flavors and...

DENVER—Ice-O-Matic, a leading global manufacturer of ice machines, storage bins, and dispensers announced the appointment of Keith Kelly as President, effective February 1, 2015. In his new role, Kelly will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Ice-O-Matic and will report directly to Rich Gleitsmann, Chief Operating Officer of Ali Group North America.Kelly has an extensive background in the commercial foodservice equipment industry, including four years leading InterMetro’s international business and over 10 years at Ice-O-Matic as Vice President of Sales & Marketing. He most recently served as Executive Vice President at Ice-O-Matic.Kelly earned both a Bachelor of Arts...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide announced Meet with Purpose, a concept designed to make it easier for meeting professionals to reduce waste and incorporate health and wellness into meetings and events. Meet with Purpose provides meeting professionals with sustainable choices to incorporate into events that not only enhance the experiences of attendees, but also align with many customers’ corporate responsibility goals. Inspired by Hilton’s corporate responsibility strategy, Travel with Purpose, Hilton gathered feedback from customers and sales Team Members to identify the most pressing sustainability issues for meetings and events. To meet these needs, Hilton created Meet with Purpose, supported by...

JOHNSTON, S.C.—Riegel div. Mount Vernon Mills, Inc. is turning plastic bottles into durable table linen. RieNu by Riegel is a 100 percent recycled polyester linen produced from Eco-Sure, a 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET as confirmed by Scientific Certification Systems. Simply put, one 20 x 20 napkin made from RieNu recycled polyester fabric eliminates three 16 oz. plastic bottles from our landfills. RieNu by Riegel aims to look and feel as touchable as Premier, a 100 percent spun polyester product. Quality tested and proven to perform equally as well, RieNu by Riegel is proven to maintain Premier’s high quality standards...

NEW YORK—The de Blasio Administration announced that as of July 1, 2015, food service establishments, stores and manufacturers may not possess, sell, or offer for use single service Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam articles or polystyrene loose fill packaging, such as “packing peanuts” in New York City.After consultation with corporations, including Dart Container Corp., nonprofits, vendors and other stakeholders, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has determined that Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Foam cannot be recycled, which led to the ban. DSNY also determined that there currently is no market for post-consumer EPS collected in a curbside metal, glass, and plastic recycling...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—Champion Industries, manufacturer of a full line of commercial warewashing systems, announced its newest innovation, the Phoenix Dehydrator, for commercial food waste.The Phoenix Dehydrator can process all organics including: produce, fruits, cut flowers, meats, fat trimmings, fish, paper napkins, coffee grounds, spoiled milks, deli products and some soft plastics, reducing organic waste by as much as 95 percent. The dried remnants are produced as a sterile biomass soil amendment that is easily collected and diverted. Champion’s proprietary technology features accelerated dehydration for shorter processing time and can process up to two batches of food waste a day.The Phoenix...

NEW YORK—The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is an all-encompassing event for thousands of restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry professionals from throughout New York and the tri-state region. In 2015, Urban Expositions, owners of the event, along with the event’s sponsor, the New York State Restaurant Association, are excited to offer several ways for vendors and restaurateurs to participate in this trade show and conference scheduled for Sunday, March 8 to Tuesday, March 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.“We invite restaurant owners, operators, caterers, and chefs to join over 16,000...

CHICAGO—Environmental sustainability, sustainable seafood and food-waste reduction are among the top trends at restaurants in 2015, according to the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot culinary forecast. The NRA, as it does every year, surveyed approximately 1,300 professional chefs—all members of the American Culinary Federation—to determine the industry’s hottest trends, and in 2015 sustainability is going to be center of the plate, the respondents said.“We’ve been seeing strong trends toward sustainability in the food space for several years now and that’s going to continue to grow,” said Annika Stensson, the NRA’s Senior Manager of Research Communications. “Chefs and restaurateurs...