LOS ANGELES—Palace Resorts recently installed the InvoTech Systems, Inc. Multi-Property RFID Linen and Laundry System for automated linen and laundry control and cost reduction. Palace Resorts implemented the InvoTech Linen System at all of its resort properties and installed InvoTech’s Laundry System at the Palace Resorts laundry distribution center. The InvoTech System provides Palace Resorts with complete control over linen inventories and establishes more efficient operations.InvoTech provides Palace Resorts with both Spanish and English language operating systems, so that each user can specify his or her preferred language for ease of use. InvoTech also supplied on-site system training and...

CHICAGO—Green Seal, an independent nonprofit providing sustainability certification for products and services, launched a new sustainability standard for restaurants and food services in conjunction with The Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition and The Rosenthal Group.The standard, GS-55, covers retail restaurants and institutional food service operations through rigorous criteria that minimize environmental impact in several categories. These include food sourcing through use of foods produced in a sustainable manner; waste management, including food waste, compostable waste, recycling and water quality management; energy use; water consumption and the use of other environmentally-preferable products and services.GS-55 is the result of a pilot program...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The two hotels in Grande Lakes Orlando—The Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando—are among the first lodging establishments in Central Florida to send food waste to the Central Florida Energy Garden. Owned and operated by Harvest Power and located within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the recently opened Energy Garden converts organic waste into renewable biogas and natural fertilizers. (See related article.)Twice each week, food waste from the two facilities’ banquet operations is picked up and taken to the Energy Garden. Bob Brown, Chief Engineer for the hotels, says about 20 to 30 tons a month of food...

MADBURY, N.H.—Vertal US Inc., a Madbury, N.H. based company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of urban, on-site, in-vessel composters, is now offering its CITYPOD composters. CITYPOD composters’ offer a complete odor control guarantee and numerous technical patent pending innovations that make on-site composting user and operationally friendly. Consumer expectations for socially accepted on-site,in-vessel composting projects are related to total control of odor emissions, ease of operation and profitability.With its new on-site food waste processing technology, Vertal US provides compliance in line with the many new state regulations banning food waste and other organic materials from landfills.John Clifford,...

RIPON, WIS.—IPSO has added the IS275, a 275-pound washer-extractor, to its softmount on-premises equipment line. This efficient machine helps on-premises laundry managers to maximize productivity and minimize costs while providing consistently superior wash quality.“We are excited to announce the expansion of our softmount washer-extractor line, designed to improve on-premises laundry operators’ productivity,” said Kathryn Rowen, North American Sales Manager for IPSO. “We strive to continually innovate and produce dependable, efficient and intuitive equipment that OPL managers can rely on to help them decrease utility costs, extend linen life and eliminate unnecessary labor expenses.” The 275-pound washer-extractor’s super high G-Force...

NATIONAL REPORT—A series of six webinars with topics ranging from water efficiency to green cleaning to window film will launch on March 26 and wrap up on May 21. In total, there will be 18 different presentations throughout the six webinars that are sponsored by the U.S. EPA. The free webinars are being organized by Dan Ruben of Boston Green Tourism and Peter Cooke of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. Those who attend all six sessions will be acknowledged with a Certificate of Completion.The following is the schedule for the webinars:Session 1: March 26, 1 p.m to  2:15...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association announced the recipients of the 2014 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, which honor equipment and technology that specifically improves the back of the house operations and benefits restaurant operators.“2014 marks an important milestone for the KI Awards,” said Sam Facchini, co-founder and co-owner of Metro Pizza and 2014 NRA Show Convention Chair. “In addition to proudly celebrating our 10 year anniversary of the Awards, this year’s honorees demonstrate the continued tradition of the KI Awards in celebrating innovative companies making a measureable impact on the day-to-day operations of the foodservice industry.”The 2014 KI Award recipients reflect...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Haddon Equipment & Supplies (Haddon) in Vancouver, B.C., was recently named the Girbau Industrial Distributor of the Year for outstanding industrial sales, service and support. Haddon is an employee-owned and operated distributorship serving British Columbia and Yukon.The company provides outstanding customer service; highly efficient industrial, on-premise and vended laundry equipment; laundry planning and design; as well as chemicals and other supplies, according to Seth Willer, Girbau Industrial National sales manager. “They are dedicated to delivering the ultimate in customer and technical service, and in 2013, provided unrivaled Girbau Industrial distribution.” Learn more about Haddon at www.haddon.ca. Also go to...

BAY LAKE, FLA.—Harvest Power unveiled the Central Florida Energy Garden, an organics management and renewable energy facility that is the first of its kind in the United States, converting organic waste into renewable biogas and natural fertilizers. The anaerobic digester combines a unique set of proven technologies and will divert hundreds of thousands of tons of waste from Central Florida landfills.Located within the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the Energy Garden uses anaerobic digestion—a biological process that relies on trillions of naturally occurring bacteria—to produce renewable biogas. When operating at full capacity, the facility will process more than 120,000...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Assn. is calling on restaurant operators to participate in an online survey regarding how much unused food is donated, composted, or sent to landfills and other waste disposal facilities. The information gathered will be used to help develop new ways to reduce food waste in the industry. “Food sent to a landfill represents lost opportunities to improve management efficiencies, to reduce operating costs, to feed the hungry, to recover valuable resources, and to realize other benefits,” said Laura Abshire, the NRA’s Director of Sustainability Policy and Government Affairs. “To help reverse this pattern, the National Restaurant...