MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.—Restaurant Technologies broke its own sustainability record by recycling and converting more than 314 million pounds of used cooking oil (UCO) into renewable diesel or biodiesel in 2023, breaking the record set in 2022 by 25 million pounds. The company continues to help its 40,000 customers nationwide be more sustainable and reach their Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) goals to create a cleaner, more livable planet. With the support of renewable energy partners such as Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Restaurant Technologies converts 100 percent of UCO collected into renewable diesel or biodiesel. By eliminating packaging and converting UCO into renewable fuel, the company...

NEW YORK—The Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition working to end the abuse of chickens worldwide, announces that Hilton, Louvre Hotels Group, and Meliá Hotels International have all made impressive strides in their transparency in reporting progress on their commitments to source 100 percent cage-free eggs in their entire portfolios globally. This vital reporting comes just 17 days after the launch of a global campaign led by the OWA, urging hospitality companies to provide details on their cage-free egg implementation plans. Once implemented, the combined commitments will reduce the suffering of nearly 861,000 hens in supply chains annually. Details of...

GLENVIEW, ILL.—ITW Food Equipment Group announced that it has received the 2024 Energy Star Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Sustained Excellence award is the highest honor among Energy Star awards. This year marks the 17th consecutive year ITW Food Equipment Group has been recognized as an Energy Star Partner of the Year and 15th consecutive year receiving the Sustained Excellence award. “The development of energy-efficient products is an absolute priority for our brands—Hobart, Traulsen, Vulcan, Wolf, Baxter and Stero—and we are honored to be...

Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), a global membership organization dedicated to empowering and advancing women across every industry sector and all three tiers in the beverage alcohol industry, has announced 86 Harassment (www.86harassment.com), a groundbreaking industry-wide initiative addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. 86 Harassment, which has been in development since 2020 with corporate catalyst funding from Women of the Vine & Spirits and Pernod Ricard North America, was announced at the WOTVS Global CONNECT! Conference hosted in collaboration with the DISCUS Conference, in San Diego. Today, the industry-wide initiative is additionally funded and supported by...

OJAI, CALIF.—Ojai Valley Inn announced that it is in the inaugural class of resorts to achieve the Responsible Hospitality VERIFIED designation, an industry-leading sustainability standard for luxury hospitality. Responsible Hospitality is recognized by Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on hospitality excellence, as the official sustainability verification for its community of Star-Rated hotels in more than 80 countries. The comprehensive assessment verifies hotels on best practices to protect the environment and support the well-being of employees, guests, and the community—creating a global standard for the world’s finest hotels and a trusted third-party verification for guests. Designed in partnership with highly respected hotelier Hervé...

NEW YORK—The Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition of 100 organizations in 72 countries on six continents, released a new animal welfare report: Fair and Fowl: Global Travel Edition. The report examines ethical discrepancies within the hospitality sector, exposing companies that, despite pledging to source 100 percent cage-free eggs in their supply chains in recent years, are refusing to disclose progress on their commitments. The report highlights the importance of corporate transparency and holding companies accountable for the welfare of animals in their supply chains. Among the hospitality laggards called out in the report are Best Western, Capella Hotel Group, and Millennium and Copthorne Hotels for refusing to provide public updates...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—Auto-Chlor, a national leader in the production, installation, and service of energy-saving dishwashers, now offers the A6 EnergySaver Dish Machine in its line of high-efficiency machines. The A6 Dish Machine offers dual-mode sanitizing and a high-speed 45-second wash cycle, cleaning and sanitizing up to 72 racks per hour. Because of its water-efficient technology, the A6 dishwasher is NSF-rated, using as little as 0.69 gallons of water per wash cycle. The A6 machine is available in 208 or 204-volt and single or three-phase power options. The machine features integrated controls and pumps, cutting the need to mount chemical feeders...

BEAVERTON, ORE.—Two Marriott hotels in Costa Rica, the Costa Rica Marriott Hacienda Belen and Los Suenos Marriott Resort—launched the Leanpath food waste prevention platform last year and have already reduced the value of their food waste by 25 percent. This significant pace of food waste reduction results puts the hotels in line to easily meet Marriott International’s Serve 360 corporate-wide sustainability goal of cutting food waste in half by 2025. “Both hotels are highly focused on sustainability,” said Food and Beverage Cost Supervisor for the two hotels, Jose Venegas. “Preventing food waste reduces our impact on the planet and also makes us more efficient...

XCARET, RIVIERA MAYA—Xcaret announced that Hotel Xcaret Arte, an exclusive award-winning all-inclusive luxury hotel located along the shores of the Mexican Caribbean, has been recognized as a winner in the 2023 Sustainable Luxury Awards. The hotel, which pays homage to Mexican art, invites guests to live art from its creation and immerse themselves in sensorial experiences in sophisticated spaces while promoting a sustainable lifestyle through the innovative All-Fun Inclusive concept. The full list of awards can be found on Sustainable Luxury Awards | Winners. “We are grateful and honored for receiving this prestigious award that recognizes, celebrates, and promotes the most sustainable luxury places...

One of the hottest topics in foodservice is the electrification of the kitchen and there are numerous organized and even legislative efforts to push businesses to go all-electric and eliminate natural gas. The aim is to decarbonize food and beverage operations. To help guide hoteliers, restaurateurs and others toward all-electric kitchens, the William J. Worthen Foundation included a very helpful volume (volume 5) in its “The Building Decarbonization Practice Guide.” The volume title: All-Electric Kitchens: Residential and Commercial, 2nd edition. I highly recommend reading through this section. It builds a very strong case for eliminating natural gas. “Kitchens present superb opportunities...