SAN JOSE, CALIF.—In partnership with City Bees, The Fairmont San Jose’s Sustainability Team have installed honey beehives on the hotel’s rooftop. Beekeeper Robert MacKimmie will establish nascent beehives, each containing approximately 35,000 bees. When the beehives mature in four to eight weeks, they will each house up to 50,000 bees.“The cultivation of honey beehives marks the latest step in The Fairmont San Jose’s legacy of environmental stewardship,” says Kelley Cosgrove, general manager. “Pollinating insects play a critical role in maintaining natural plant communities and ensuring production of seeds in most flowering plants.”“By focusing on an under-utilized architectural feature, we...

NEW ORLEANS—The first annual Farm To Table International Symposium (F2Ti), featuring the brightest thought leaders and leading practitioners in the burgeoning farm-to-table movement, will be held in New Orleans, August 2 to 4, 2013.F2Ti explores the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of food and drink sourced locally to globally. Topics include farming and aquaculture, fisheries, sustainability, social and digital interactive media, food security and safety, food law and policy, food science and GMO, artisanal and slow food and drink, and fair trade.F2Ti is produced by the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in partnership with the SoFAB Institute. SoFAB...

PORDENONE, ITALY—Electrolux Professional announces the global launch of its Line 5000 series washer extractors and tumble dryers, designed to meet the most demanding needs of the hospitality laundry sector. The new Line 5000 range has been shaped with contributions from users and experts in the professional laundry field all over the world, whose insights and know-how helped drive improvements in product mechanics, ergonomics and design. Special attention has been given to the particular challenges faced by professionals: regions with extreme climates, high temperatures or humidity; locations with unstable power supplies; and even areas affected by rodent populations.“Our close association...

TROY, OHIO—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized ITW Food Equipment Group-North America (ITW FEG) with a 2013 Energy Star Partner of the Year-Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. ITW FEG’s accomplishments are to be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 26. An Energy Star Partner since 2008, this is the fourth year that ITW FEG has received the Sustained Excellence award. The ITW FEG companies receiving recognition for leadership across the Energy Star program are Hobart, Traulsen, Baxter, Stero, Vulcan, Wittco and Wolf. These...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes National Energy Technologies as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. National Energy Technologies is a commercial facility conservation consultant specialist. The company introduces, prices, procures and coordinates installation of specifically targeted technologies designed to maximize utility savings with the shortest ROI. The company’s techniques will save from 5 to 25 percent on electricity, cooling, water, refrigeration, lighting, laundry, compressed air, and many other resource depleting activities. National Energy Technologies performs energy auditing, corporate counseling, public speaking services and can consult on renewable energy, demand response, deregulated...

LONDON—A growing body of evidence suggests tackling food waste could help resolve many of the sustainability challenges faced by the food industry. A number of studies are linking food losses and waste to food inflation, food security, resource inputs and climate change.The global food industry is currently experiencing its third bout of food inflation in five years because of poor agricultural harvests in the United States, Russia and South America. Analysts predict the average basket of food prices will rise by 15 percent by June 2013. The hike in food prices is raising concerns about food security and its...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab introduces the Performance Industrial Program, which addresses the high-performance cleaning needs of industrial laundries while helping to minimize environmental impact. To improve operational sustainability and align with EPA efforts to promote alternative ingredients, many healthcare and hospitality laundries have reduced or eliminated the use of formulations with ingredients such as Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs). Given their extraordinary cleaning challenges, industrial laundries have found it challenging to find effective, NPE-free alternatives.The Performance Industrial Program is a three-product system that uses patented NPE-free chemistry to effectively remove the heaviest industrial soil—and to meet growing industry expectations for...

PHILADELPHIA—National Energy Technologies is introducing laundry ozone injection as their latest conservation strategy that will save considerable fuel, electricity, detergent waste and water as it delivers a higher quality laundered product. This process is the only proven method to kill laundry resistant deadly superbugs, and the natural biocide ozone does it in cold water.Businesses with large laundering facilities suffer high utility costs from that activity due to the combination of all of the gas, electricity, water/sewer, and detergent necessary to get the job done. A properly sourced and designed laundry ozone system will dramatically outperform traditional laundering in operational...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association will showcase its first-ever Hydroponic Garden at NRA Show 2013. Attendees will explore a fully functioning hydroponic garden that will grow local, all-natural, pesticide-free produce right on the show floor. The NRA Show’s new Hydroponic Garden uses a combination of artificial light and nutrient-enriched water to give plants everything they need to thrive.Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water and mineral nutrient solution without soil. Compared to traditional soil gardening, hydroponics provides year-round cultivation; produces a higher yield per square foot; requires no weed pulling; uses about two-thirds less water; eliminates pesticide...

NATIONAL REPORT—On a winter’s day when the temperature in the Washington, D.C. area soared into the 70s, the ASAE Convene Green Alliance (CGA) took an adventurous group of 20 meeting professionals and industry partners on a behind-the-scenes “Green Safari” tour of the sustainability program at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View, one of only three LEED Gold certified hotels in Virginia. Participants received bandanas to wear and were greeted by Renaissance associates dressed in pith helmets and safari gear to set the theme for this unique learning format. The Green Safari demonstrated how the property earned LEED Gold status and how it...