CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y.—Rubicon Global, a leading provider of sustainable waste and recycling solutions, and BioHitech America, a leader in the development of food waste disposal technology, have teamed up to add BioHitech America’s (BHA) Eco-Safe Digester and BioHitech Cloud to Rubicon Global’s arsenal of green technological tools.It is estimated that as much as 34 million tons of food waste are sent to landfills in the United States each year. Given the momentum of statewide policies requiring food waste recycling, the message of burying food waste in landfills being no longer a sustainable or acceptable solution is being heard loud...

LAUCALA ISLAND, FIJI—Amidst dramatic rainforest-laced landscapes and coconut plantations, the Fijian private island resort Laucala Island sets the gold standard for the “farm-to-resorts” movement. The resort’s new Executive Chef, Anthony Healy, creates signature cuisine by foraging for the freshest ingredients across the island and taking advantage of the island’s plentiful indigenous produce and livestock. Organic produce is grown on a 240-acre hydroponic farm with 15 different types of fruit, 35 varieties of vegetables and more than 50 Fiji Vanilla plants. Additionally, 80 percent of the island’s seafood is caught within a mile of the shore to preserve the natural...

CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y.—BioHitech America, a leading provider of organic waste solutions and the exclusive distributor of the Eco-Safe Digester, a food waste management solution, recently closed its second round of funding led by Penn Venture Partners LP, a venture capital fund located in Harrisburg, Pa.CEO Frank E. Celli welcomed this investment and pointed to the recent groundbreaking action by New York City. “We are glad to see the world’s greatest city advancing its efforts towards zero waste with the recently passed legislation. Our staff played a significant role in the inclusion of aerobic, point of generation systems like our...

NEW YORK—Vivreau announced that the company has become an official supporter of the Partnership for a Healthy America’s “Drink Up” initiative. Vivreau joins PHA’s Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama and other celebrities in an effort to encourage people to drink more water more often.Through its support, Vivreau has committed to assist in spreading awareness to the recently launched initiative which has been supported by celebrities who include Grammy winner John Legend, All-Star baseball player Curtis Granderson and actress and activist Eva Longoria among others. In the year ahead Vivreau has committed to numerous marketing efforts that include the...

BOSTON—The Patrick Administration announced final statewide commercial food waste disposal ban regulations to take effect on October 1, 2014. The ban will divert food waste to energy-generating and composting facilities and reduce the Commonwealth’s waste stream. “We are committed to protecting our natural resources and creating jobs as the Commonwealth’s clean energy economy grows,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “The disposal ban is critical to achieving our aggressive waste disposal reduction goals and it is in line with our commitment to increase clean energy production.” The ban, regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), will...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water laundry system, announced it has successfully established its presence in North America as demand has escalated for green laundry solutions. Xeros established its North American headquarters in September 2013 and has sold more than 30 polymer bead commercial laundry systems globally to dry cleaner customers that include Kleen Dry Cleaners and Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners; industrial laundries such as Sterling Linens Service; and in four of the top six hotel chains in North America, including Hyatt and Wyndham.The Xeros Commercial Laundry System helps organizations, through the use of polymer bead technology,...

NEW YORK—For the past two decades The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York has brought together thousands of restaurant, foodservice and hospitality professionals from throughout New York State and surrounding areas. In 2014, Urban Expositions, new owners of the event, along with sponsorship from the New York State Restaurant Association, are excited to experience the energy and excitement of their first International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, scheduled for Sunday, March 2 to Tuesday, March 4 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.  The tradeshow and conference provides opportunities for vendors...

NEW YORK—The Coca-Cola Company announced that it has installed its 1 millionth hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-free cooler using natural refrigerant in the marketplace, preventing the emission of 5.25 million metric tons of CO2 over 10 years. This milestone marks significant progress in the company’s effort to phase out the use of HFC refrigerant—a well-known contributor to climate change—in Coca-Cola dispensers, vending machines and coolers globally. Together with its bottling partners, the Coca-Cola system has established a goal that all new cold-drink equipment will be HFC-free by 2015. Achieving this goal will prevent the emission of more than 50 million metric tons...

NATIONAL REPORT—Almost exactly a year ago, McDonald’s USA announced it would become the first national restaurant chain to adopt the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) blue ecolabel on its fish packaging in restaurants in the United States. McDonald’s made a similar commitment in Europe in 2011. McDonald’s decision has had significant impact on the fishing industry; more than 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the United States have met the MSC Chain of Custody standard for traceability, which is the ability to track the fish all the way back through the supply chain to the fishery.While what McDonald’s has done with its...

INWOOD, N.Y.—Your laundry staff is a busy bunch. Sorting loads, transferring them from washer to dryer and finally, finishing, folding and getting them shelved. Still, most days they find time to unknowingly dump a bucket of money in the trash. True, the bucket reference may be a bit dramatic, but chances are there is an activity going on in your laundry that is costing the operation money—human error. Managers employ a variety of tactics to help prevent human error. They focus on bringing in quality employees and spend ample time training them. But short of constant supervision, which, let’s face it,...