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...

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Traulsen, a leader in the design and manufacture of premium commercial refrigeration equipment, has released a white paper, “Buying the Right Refrigerator: Considerations for investing in your business.” This paper is written to benefit foodservice operations that are contemplating the purchase of a new refrigerator by discussing all of the features of the refrigeration unit that can impact long-term success.“Customers expect fresh thinking from Traulsen, and this white paper highlights the key points that customers should consider to get the most out of their refrigeration equipment,” said John Davis, director of marketing and engineering for Traulsen. “We...

LOS ANGELES—As part of the company’s rebranding initiative, Mars Air Systems is launching a clean new website to engage customers through interactive videos, information portals and client case studies. The website also now serves as an industry resource for new laws, studies and programs related to energy-efficient air curtains. In addition, Mars has developed a new logo to reflect its overall vision and purpose—Mars: atmosphere is everything.Mars has redefined its mission to be the company others want to do business with by: •    cultivating an open, honest, and passionate culture for its employees; •    offering the broadest selection of high-quality,...

NEW YORK—Conrad New York, a luxury waterfront, all-suite hotel located in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, has been awarded LEED Gold for New Construction Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). This is the first LEED Gold New Construction major renovation project certified under the latest rating system in New York. Since its inception in 1998, LEED is the nation’s top rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods.The Conrad New York, having already achieved ISO 9000 certification...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In January 2013, Green Seal announced the publication of GS-51, a new standard designed to address the lifecycle impacts of laundry care products used in institutional and industrial settings.This standard covers more than 20 product categories for conventional laundry and dry cleaning, including detergents, prewash products, spot removers, laundry additives, fabric care products, and more. According to Linda Chipperfield, vice president of marketing and communications for Green Seal, GS-51 represents a comprehensive benchmark for sustainable laundry care products.“It also provides manufacturers the opportunity to be recognized as leaders in the industry, and allows purchasers to identify safer,...

DURHAM, N.C.—Graduate students from the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University have teamed up with the National Restaurant Association to examine how best to deploy a zero-waste program for restaurateurs in Durham, N.C.The students, all enrolled in the university’s public policy master’s degree program, have taken on the assignment as a three-month-long consulting project that calls for analytical research and recommendations on implementation of a zero-waste program. They also will explore the challenges and barriers business operators face regarding adoption of zero-waste initiatives.“The Duke team is helping us review and analyze how best to develop a zero-waste...

MONROE, WIS.—Arthur Bartsch, owner of Wisconsin’s Super 8 of Monroe, has spent the last 15 years trying to figure out how to remove inefficiencies from his 54-room property in Monroe, Wis. He is way past the “low hanging fruit” and well on his way to running one of the greenest lodging establishments in Wisconsin and possibly even the entire United States. The Energy Star rating for the Super 8 of Monroe in 2012, the first year he ran his numbers in the Energy Star Portfolio manager? A 95. That means the hotel, from an energy efficiency standpoint, has been...