CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Planglow USA as a founding sponsor. Planglow USA supplies a range of branded eco food boxes, cups and containers for “grab and go” markets. Along with unique labels and proprietary labeling software “LabelLogic” and “NutriLogic”, clients can personalize their branded product identity.Founded in the United Kingdom, Planglow has been supporting foodservice operators around the globe for more than 25 years. In 2012 the company introduced a plant-based bio laminate to many of its food containers. Planglow is the only company to offer items lined with this material...

VERNON HILLS, ILL.—Scotsman Ice Systems announced the availability of the Essential line of ice machines, a quality compact line manufactured in Scotsman Ice System’s award-winning facility in Fairfax, S.C., to best suit the needs of those in the under-100-lb cuber market.“We are excited to announce the Essential line of undercounter cubers to the marketplace,” says Jeff Biel, director of marketing at Scotsman Ice Systems. “Our customers asked for a basic, under-100-lb cuber to suit lower ice production operations, and we are happy to meet that need.”The dimensions of the line are 15" or 20" wide, 38" tall, 24" deep...

WINTER PARK, FLA.—Ask Executive Chef J. Christopher Windus of Hamilton’s Kitchen at The Alfond Inn to define his culinary style and he’ll use the phrase “refined rustic.”What that means, clarifies Chef Windus, is that, “I'm taking comfort food and trying to refine it a little bit. The dishes may seem simple but there are a lot of things going on to layer the flavors.”His efforts in the kitchen of the three-month-old restaurant have quickly earned him the title of “Best New Chef” in the Silver Spoon Awards from Orlando Magazine. At Hamilton’s Kitchen, Chef Windus works against a dining...

ST. JOSEPH, MICH.—Attendees of the recent Maytag University Factory Commercial Laundry Sales School received in-depth, hands-on training for the company’s multi-segment product portfolio and an intensive session on the coin-store market. In addition, sessions delved into the company’s energy calculators, financing options and market discussions specific to multi-housing and on-premises segments.“Attendees of our sales school leave better prepared to succeed in a very complex commercial laundry market,” said Rex Braden, national sales manager at Maytag Commercial Laundry. “Our sales team presents information in an easy-to-digest format that educates attendees about our expansive product portfolio, selling techniques and tools available...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water cleaning system, announced it has joined a leading alliance committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel and footwear industries. Xeros, the company formed to commercialize polymer bead technology developed at the University of Leeds, is now a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which also includes household names such as Adidas, Burberry, Coca Cola and Levi Strauss.   The coalition is an industry-wide group of more than 100 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, government organizations, nonprofit entities and academic institutions, committed to improving supply chain sustainability.In its...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association (NRA) each year prepares its What’s Hot culinary forecast of menu trends for the coming year. The NRA surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs—members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF)—to find which food and beverage items will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2014. The top 10 food trends for 2014: 1. Locally sourced meats and seafood; 2. Locally grown produce; 3. Environmental sustainability; 4. Healthful kids’ meals; 5. Gluten-free cuisine; 6. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens); 7. Children's nutrition; 8. Non-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat); 9. Sustainable seafood; and 10. Farm/estate branded...

NATIONAL REPORT—Hoteliers looking to dramatically decrease the volume of food waste sent to landfill or elsewhere for composting are increasingly turning to food waste decomposition machines. These machines quickly reduce the volume of waste down to either drainable liquid or dry soil amendment. While just a few years ago there were just a handful of vendors selling the machines, today there are more than a dozen. Machines available work similarly but features vary from one supplier to the next. The good news for green lodging establishments is that suppliers are making it very affordable to implement the machines and...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Totally Green as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. With Totally Green’s ORCA on-site waste digestion equipment, customers are able to dispose of organics at the source, eliminating the need to truck the waste to landfills or remote composting facilities.The ORCA significantly accelerates the breakdown of food waste by adding a proprietary solution and bio chips to the digestion process. The company’s digestion process is able to convert more than one ton of organic waste into environmentally safe water within a 24-hour period.Call Emma Liut at...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. introduces Antimicrobial Fruit and Vegetable Treatment (AFVT)—a product to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks related to ineffective produce washing in foodservice operations. AFVT is the industry’s first no-rinse produce wash to earn both Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for pathogen reduction in the water for whole produce and on the surface of cut fruits and vegetables.“Our customers count on us to provide products that help deliver clean, safe and healthy environments everywhere it matters—and the food safety arena is particularly important,” said Kris Kielsa, vice...

NEW YORK—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra low water cleaning system, announced the company has been awarded the Editors’ Choice Award, Best New Product for Hotel Operations. The award was presented November 10, during the Opening Ceremonies of the 98th annual International Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Show  (IHMRS) at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.The annual Editors’ Choice Awards recognize best new products within seven categories of the hotel industry, including operations. This year, the panel of judges, which included editors from leading hospitality trade publications, reviewed more than 100 submissions of the latest hotel products. Winners...